Projects

2026 Recipient: Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson is the Northeast Alaska area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. He has been working in conservation for over 25 years, and since 2006 has been with Fish and Game. His current position includes managing game and furbearers in game management units 25A, 25B, 25D, 26B, and 26C. Much of this work involves aerial surveys especially for sheep, moose, muskox, caribou, and bears. Mark plans to use his scholarship funds to continue building proficiency and hours required to fly state aircraft. Mark currently holds a private pilot certificate with endorsements for tailwheel, complex, and high performance aircraft. Mark is also working towards instrument and commercial ratings to become a more valuable pilot for conserving Alaska’s wildlife.

2026 Recipient: Luke Rogers
Luke Rogers works as the assistant biologist on the Wood Bison Restoration Project for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. Luke's job involves actively reestablishing wild wood bison herds to portions of their former range in interior Alaska with the help and input from Alaska’s diverse interest groups. When he's not busy with wood bison restoration, he's helping other biologists with their projects, including assisting with Dall sheep research in the Alaska and Brooks Ranges. Luke began his aviation journey in 2023- he received his private pilots license in 2024 and plans to use these scholarship funds to continue building hours as an ADF&G pilot and privately in his 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D. With this scholarship, Luke believes he will gain enough flight time to reach the 800-hour requirement to fly ADF&G's De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver.

2026 Recipient: Alex Hansen
Alex Hansen is a Wildlife Biologist III for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, focusing mostly on the Western Arctic Herd of Caribou out of Kotzebue. Alex has been working in his position for 9 years, which includes extensive research and management for the Western Arctic herd including census surveys, fall composition, recruitment, calving, captures, collar deployment, and health and survival monitoring. Alex built enough flight hours by May of 2022 to transition into the role of pilot-biologist. He has flown over 800 hours and aims to put these scholarship funds toward an IFR rating.

2025 Recipient: Jordan Pruszenski
Jordan Pruszenski is the Assistant Area Wildlife Biologist for Northeast Alaska for the Department of Alaska Fish and Game. The Northeast Alaska Area is framed by the mighty Yukon River, the Haul road, the Canadian border and all the way up to the top of Alaska on the North Slope. Within this area Jordan manages the populations of sheep, muskox, moose, caribou, and more. Every July since 2019 Jordan has conducted sheep surveys in the Brooks Range and this July will be no different!

Jordan recently earned her private pilot's license and will use this scholarship to build hours and experience to achieve her goal of flying for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Jordan has always loved flying animal surveys, but it always looked like more fun in the front seat.

2025 Recipient: Mike Ebinger
Mike Ebinger is the new McGrath assistant area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation. The McGrath office manages moose, Dall sheep, caribou, plains and wood bison, muskox, bears, upland game, and furbearers across approximately 55,000 mi2 in Game Management Units 19, 21A, and 21E.

Mike started working for the department in early 2024, earning his private pilot and tailwheel endorsement in March 2024, prior to arriving in McGrath. He flew 260 hours during his first year as a pilot and officially became a Division of Wildlife Conservation pilot in March of 2025.

Mike plans to use the scholarship funds for two specific training goals: To finish up his instrument rating, which will increase safety and operational flexibility of wildlife survey work. Additionally, Mike plans on dual-instruction with CFIs that are wildlife survey pilots in Alaska, focusing on the skills and decision making required for low-level survey work and mountain flying.

2024 Recipient: John Landsiedel:
John Landsiedel is the Dillingham area wildlife biologist of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. John manages the Mulchatna caribou herd and moose and bear populations in Unit 17 of Southwest Alaska. John is an avid hunter and outdoorsman-he's especially passionate about mountain goat hunting.

John used his scholarship funds for dual-instructed flight hours and solo training flights to work toward his private pilot's license. Upon obtaining his license and logging more flight hours, John aspires to fly for the Department and to conduct telemetry surveys, primarily conducting mortality investigations for moose and caribou. This could lead to performing other surveys across Region 4 (Palmer/Glennallen) for Dall sheep and mountain goats, or neighboring districts (Bethel, McGrath, King Salmon) for bears, Dall sheep, muskox, and other species.

2024 Recipient: Lincoln Parrett:
Lincoln Parrett works as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation Regional Supervisor for Region 3 (Tok, Northeast Alaska, Galena, Fairbanks, Delta Junction and McGrath). Lincoln has worked in the wildlife field since ~1998, and he started working with the Division of Wildlife Conservation in a permanent capacity in 2007.

Lincoln typically flies around 200 hours per year for the state. He flies radiotracking surveys for caribou and moose, helps with capture events and participates in abundance surveys for moose and caribou. In the last two years, Lincoln has also started to fly sheep surveys and find sheep for captures. Lincoln has already flown over 2200 hours, and has his private pilot’s license, tail wheel endorsement, complex aircraft endorsement, and high-performance endorsement.

With the scholarship funds, Lincoln will be working towards his commercial rating. A commercial rating is required by division policy to fly several of the State of Alaska’s aircraft including the Cessna 206 and de Havilland Beaver, and with this rating, Lincoln will be able to greater assist other staff with duties requiring these airplanes. Lincoln is also considering working toward a flight instructor rating and would like to help train Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff internally.