Get to know the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie CWMA Chair, Coordinator, and Strike Team field crew working together to stop the spread and establishment of terrestrial and aquatic invasive species in Monroe and Wayne counties.
Benjamin Frey
Chair, DR-WLE CWMA & Coastal Program Biologist, USFWS
Ben is the lead coastal program biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Lake St. Clair to Western Lake Erie Focus Area. He specializes in the restoration and protection of vital fish and wildlife habitats across both public and private lands. Ben primarily provides technical assistance for habitat conservation design and planning, and financial assistance for habitat restoration and protection projects. With a passion for landscape-scale conservation, Ben plays a key role in promoting the Service’s mission to conserve and enhance the natural resources that benefit the American people.
Through strategic habitat conservation initiatives, Ben collaborates with various stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of diverse ecosystems. His work not only focuses on the immediate needs of fish and wildlife but also addresses broader environmental challenges, like helping to create resilient habitats for future generations.
Ben grew up in Los Angeles, California, and only realized the importance of an umbrella until moving to Maryland for college, where he was rudely introduced to the alien concept of rapidly changing weather patterns. In his free time, he plays video games, hikes with his wife and dog, runs dungeons & dragons games, and builds furniture.
Jessica MacTavish-Bogda
Invasive Species Coordinator, DR-WLE CWMA
Jess was born and raised in South Georgia where she grew up in a very rural, agricultural/hunting focused community. Her childhood was spent doing her best to imitate Steve Irwin and follow in his footsteps (even dreaming to work with him at his zoo one day). That included her going around and catching any lizards she could find and “relocating” them to a safer location (please don’t do this unless absolutely necessary). She spent most of her time as a child honing her skills of catching bream and minnows in the shallows of her family’s pond with a net, poking around dried creeks, exploring the woods next to her house, and swimming in alligator infested rivers. Pretty much being an overall feral gremlin of a child.
She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Valdosta State University in 2016 before taking a break from school for 2 years and deciding to return in 2019. In 2021 she graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stout with a Master of Science in Conservation Biology. During the final year of her master’s program, she landed a Forest Service internship as the lead intern and biology/ecology consultant. She and her team crafted a comprehensive first-step marketing plan for the reintroduction of Red Wolves back into their historic range; that work is still being continued by the teams that have come after them!
Other than her interest in biology, she enjoys astronomy and anything space related, info-dumping random facts or things she’s learned, and making truly terrible jokes/puns. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, and spending time with her spouse and cats!
Kaitlyn Chisholm
Strike Team Leader, DR-WLE CWMA
Kaitlyn has spent her whole life, so far, in Southeast Michigan. She graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a concentration in Biology. She began working with the CWMA that Summer as a technician. Previously, Kaitlyn worked as a student naturalist, teaching kids about nature, and interned at the Bird Center of Michigan, where she helped to rehabilitate injured songbirds.
Kaitlyn enjoys doing outreach and educating the public about invasive species, but her favorite part about working for the CWMA is regularly going into the field to exterminate invasive plants. She loves getting to do hands on work outdoors in natural areas. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys spending time with her husband, attending bible study, knitting, and reading.
Alaina Kecskes
Strike Team Technician, DR-WLE CWMA
Alaina Kecskes grew up in the rural, small town of Carleton, MI. She was lucky enough to be surrounded by nature as a child and therefore fell in love with creatures, big and small. During her childhood she spent many summers on family trips to northern Michigan where her passion for natural resources and the environment blossomed and thrived.
Alaina is a recent graduate from Lake Superior State University with a Bachelor’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. During her time there, she completed her senior thesis on bird communities in old growth forests and earlier successional stages in northern Michigan. While she retains her love for all creatures, she is especially interested in birds and insects!
For the past two summers, Alaina worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as an Explorer guide at Burt Lake State Park where she enjoyed teaching campers about Michigan’s wonderful natural resources. She’s excited to start her journey with the Detroit River – Western Lake Erie CWMA and learn new things. She’s looking forward to learning more about invasive species while also doing her part in protecting Michigan’s native species!
In Alaina’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and her cat, Bean! She also loves going on nature walks, birdwatching, trips to northern Michigan, and doing makeup!
Isaiah Clark
Strike Team Technician, DR-WLE CWMA
Isaiah grew up in the Twin Cities where he received his Bachelor’s in Ecology from the University of Minnesota. He later moved to Ann Arbor to study tree swallows at the University of Michigan where he received his Master’s in Ecosystem Science and Management.
He’s also worked as a lab technician studying oak physiology, as a conservation biology instructor, and as a professional gardener. Isaiah has a big interest in conservation and restoration and aspires for a career in research, public lands, and environmental stewardship.
In his free time, Isaiah enjoys birding with his partner and friends, gardening, baking bread, and listening to good music!
Detroit River-Western Lake Erie Cooperative Weed Management Area (DR-WLE CWMA) 