Robert Penner
Avian Conservation Manager, Kansas
Ellinwood, Kansas
Robert Penner Cheyenne Bottoms and Kansas Avian Programs Manager for The Nature Conservancy © Nick Krug
Area of Expertise
Managing grasslands for shorebird habitat
Biography
Robert has been interested in birds since the age of fifteen. That interest led to degrees in Wildlife Management and Environmental Studies, both with an emphasis on ornithology. He has worked as The Nature Conservancy’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve manager since 1996, increasing habitat for migrating shorebirds and nesting grassland birds at the world-renowned wetland. He oversees avian monitoring on other TNC preserves across the state and is author of The Birds of Cheyenne Bottoms.
Currently, Robert serves as chair of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network’s United States Committee, which allows him to work on shorebird conservation issues on national and international scales. He also co-leads a Flint Hills shorebird conservation program with Monica Iglecia of Manomet.
Articles
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American Golden-Plover: Connecting the World
Each year around Earth Day, the prairies in eastern Kansas come alive with flocks of stunning, gold-flecked shorebirds. Read more