Your Tour Guides
Leslie Andrich
Leslie is secretary of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club and also a member of The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, the International Crane Foundation and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (SWBA). She is the Dodge County coordinator for the ICF’s annual crane count as well as a Bald Eagle nest monitor for SWBA.
Jeff Bahls
Jeff put out his first bird house when he was about 7 years old. He has 40 years experience with the Horicon Marsh where he works part time for the Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources. Jeff has been a member of Horicon Marsh Bird club for the past 22 years and is the current President. He currently sits on the board of the Wood Duck Society, a nationwide organization devoted to placement, and care of Wood Duck nest boxes and the life cycle of the Wood Duck. Jeff was a member of Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2007 search team, for Ivory Billed Woodpecker in Arkansas. In 2018 Jeff was awarded the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology bronze Passenger Pigeon award for outstanding contributions in local and state areas for study and enjoyment of birds. Jeff also enjoys looking for birds in his kayak along Wisconsin’s wonderful wetlands.
Kelli Bahls
Kelli is a Board Member for the Winnebago Audubon Society where she primarily serves as a field trip lead. When she joined the board in 2017, her lifelong interest in birds developed into a serious passion for birding. She contributed observations to WI Breeding Bird Atlas II. She currently leads 8-10 bird walks a year through Winnebago Audubon and coordinates surveying efforts at Bohn Farms Habitat Restoration Area. She also participates in the May, September, and Christmas Bird Counts in Winnebago County.
Liz Herzmann
Liz Herzmann has been the Wildlife Educator for the Department of Natural Resources at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center for over 15 years. She is responsible for the educational programming and special events held at the Education Center. These programs allow people of all ages to experience the wildlife and natural resources of Horicon Marsh.
Matt Herzmann
Matt picked up a passion for bird watching shortly after he and his wife moved to the Horicon Marsh area in 2009. He participates in the informal Wisconsin Big Green Big Year (BIGBY) competition and has a BIGBY life list of 215 species. This is his 5th year of leading or co-leading the Birding by Bicycle event for the Horicon Marsh Bird festival. He is a board member of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club and the Dodge County Coordinator of the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.
Troy Kirchoff
Guide, Horicon Marsh Boat Tours. Born and raised in Horicon, Troy Kirchoff has been exploring and birding the Horicon Marsh since he was young. He now shares that lifelong passion by providing guided boat tours that help others experience the marsh’s incredible wildlife and natural beauty.
Jon Krapfl
USFWS biologist working at Horicon NWR where he assists in the conservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement of wildlife and rare/endangered plant habitats.
Erin Railsback
Erin works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Visitor Services Specialist at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. She is responsible for the environmental education, interpretive, and volunteer programs at the refuge – programs that provide opportunities for numerous youth, visitors, and volunteers to learn about and connect with the Horicon Marsh.
Matt Rupnik
Matt is the director at Marsh Haven Nature Center and is responsible for programming, educational opportunities, and management of the facility. Matt’s birding background comes from his grandparents who always amazed him with their knowledge, and instilled in Matt the love of the outdoors. Matt continues to work at developing his average ID knowledge through birding in his spare time when he is not at Marsh Haven Nature Center, absorbing as much as possible from other knowledgeable birders, and simply enjoying being out in the wild viewing these amazing birds.
Greg Seegert
Greg birds extensively and typically sees 550-600 birds in the ABA area each year, Greg has an ABA life list of over 700 birds in North America. He grew up in Beaver Dam, owns a farm in the area, and has birded for many years throughout Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area. He enjoys working with and mentoring birders of all levels.
Brad Webb
Brad is a founding member and tour leader of a group scheduling bird walks in Dodge and Jefferson Counties. Brad enjoys introducing new members to the pleasures of birding and sharing birding moments with experienced birders as well. A longtime member of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club and current VP, he is often found somewhere on the marsh checking out residents and migrants alike.
Header Photo: Dave Hoefler