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A REGIONAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY: THE BAY AREA SCB SYMPOSIUM

While international annual meetings present outstanding opportunities for scientific exchange and networking, there also are benefits of smaller and less formal regional meetings. For example, they facilitate interactions among local academic institutions, resource agencies, and private organizations; raise the profile of local conservation science; and provide an outlet for junior scientists to gain experience in presenting scientific papers. Accordingly, the Berkeley, California chapter of the SCB sponsored the Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium on 6 February 1999. The 175 attendees included professional conservation biologists as well as students and faculty from local universities (San Francisco State, Sonoma State, Stanford, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Davis, and University of California-Santa Cruz).

The symposium provided a forum for participants to present research in progress and to receive feedback that would assist their future efforts. Paper sessions addressed patch dynamics and habitat use, genetic techniques, conservation implications of invasive species in California, assessment of human impacts on biodiversity, policy and planning, and spatial analysis and modeling. In addition, the symposium included a small poster session, an opening plenary session, and a keynote address. In an effort to foster a sense of community among conservation biologists in the region, the Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium will become an annual event. Stanford University has agreed to host the 2000 symposium.

The Berkeley chapter has prepared a follow-up report that may be of interest to other chapters that are considering sponsoring their own local meeting. For a copy of the report, see http://www.CNR.berkeley.edu/consbio/.

Jodi A. Hilty and Steven R. Beissinger
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management
151 Hilgard Hall
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720

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