Keith Bollinger, a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student majoring in wildlife ecology, was recently named the 2011 American Star in Agriscience at the National Future Farmers of America Convention held in Indianapolis.
Bollinger of Buffalo City was the only Wisconsin Star to advance to the national competition. He received $2,000 for his state finalist nomination and an additional $2,000 and an opportunity to participate in an international trip to Costa Rica for winning the National Star award.
The Star awards recognize students who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competency through their career development programs, has earned the American FFA degree, the organization’s highest level of accomplishment, and met other agricultural education, scholarship and leadership requirements.
During his time in the College of Natural Resources, Bollinger has been involved with a diverse array of experience. During the summer of 2009 and 2010 he interned with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitoring wildlife habitat in a segment of the Mississippi River. He spearheaded the Cochrane-Fountain City FFA chapter’s efforts to control purple loosestrife and has been involved with wildlife surveys, woodpecker and crane counts, bird banding and sexing, water testing, bluff prairie restoration, aquatic plant surveys and monitoring chronic wasting disease.
After graduation Bollinger plans to continue his education through graduate school and has his sights set on being a wildlife biologist with a government or private agency.
