Retired Pennsylvania Game Commission turkey biologist is honored by NWTF

Nashville, Tenn. — Retired Pennsylvania Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena recently was honored by the National Wild Turkey Federation with the organization’s prestigious Wayne Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award.

Casalena, who also serves as a representative on the NWTF’s National Wild Turkey Technical Committee, received the award last month at the organization’s 50th annual Convention and Sport Show.

The Bailey award recognizes a wildlife biologist, trapper or wildlife manager who has devoted their career to the wild turkey and played a major role in the turkey’s restoration and management.

Casalena called the award a huge surprise and the icing on the cake to the end of her career.

“I am so honored and humbled to receive this national recognition,” she said. “The many turkey research projects I accomplished with the Game Commission were possible thanks to the NWTF’s support and partnership.”

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Casalena thanked the NWTF biologists and members of the Wild Turkey Technical Committee “for mentoring me throughout my early years and the many cooperative projects we collaborated on to advance wild turkey management.”

Casalena retired from the commission last October after a distinguished career with the agency.

She started out as the commission’s pheasant and waterfowl biologist after graduating from Penn State with a master’s degree in wildlife management.

She stepped into the role of wild turkey biologist in 1999.

From August 1999 through March 2002, Casalena lead a hen telemetry research project on the Michaux State Forest, which found that wild turkey population limiting factors were low poult recruitment and poor nest success due to poor nesting and brood-rearing habitat.

That finding led to the closure of the fall hunting season and the creation of the Michaux Wildlife Management Unit 5A Turkey Task Force.

That group worked closely with staff from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission wildlife management staff, the agency’s conservation officers, NWTF volunteers and landowners.

Over her tenure, Casalena coordinated trapping opportunities for NWTF volunteers and updated NWTF local chapters on the research occurring in their area. Her main focus was regulating season lengths and bag limits through research to maintain robust turkey populations in the state.

Casalena was an active member of the NWTF’s National Wild Turkey Technical Committee and has been a mentor who has impacted the careers of many aspiring wild turkey biologists.

“Mary Jo is one of the most accomplished wild turkey managers of our time,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said.

“She has worked tirelessly to manage wild turkey populations and habitat in my home state by devoting her career as the PGC wild turkey biologist to wild turkey research.

Mary Jo’s accomplished career has furthered our understanding and has greatly impacted wild turkey populations in Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.”