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ANNOUNCEMENTS

The New ConserveOnline

The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce the new ConserveOnline (www.conserveonline.org). This site significantly expands the existing library of documents on conservation science and practice to include discussion groups, maps and spatial data, and access to other large repositories of conservation information housed at the Conservancy and other organizations, including Conservation International, NatureServe, and the Society for Conservation Biology.

The Nature Conservancy believes that creating an online community and making scientific and practical information more readily accessible within and across organizations is one key to lasting conservation success at scale. Thus, the new ConserveOnline has many community-building features. The discussion groups, accessible from the ConserveOnline home page or directly through groups.conserveonline.org, cover a range of topics of interest to land managers, program managers, conservation scientists and planners, and policy makers. These discussion groups provide an opportunity to share expertise and experience among colleagues and partners, and to help build communities of practice in your areas of interest.

The ConserveOnline team will be adding more features and more information to ConserveOnline over the coming months, but you can begin using the site today. The team welcomes your active participation and input and is ready to work with you to make ConserveOnline as useful as possible, by creating new discussion groups, helping you add your resources (documents, maps, or data) to the library so that others may benefit from your efforts, or modifying the site to make it easier to use. For more information, please contact Jonathan Adams, jadams@tnc.org, (703) 841-5322 or Frank Biasi, fbiasi@tnc.org, (703) 841-4518.

The topics now available for discussions are listed below. If you would like to add a topic, or would like to be a moderator (this should take no more than a few minutes a day, and no more than one hour per week), please contact Carrie Sakai, csakai@tnc.org, (703) 841-5997.

bird conservation t climate change t developing conservation strategies t marine ecoregional planning t ecoregional planning t feedback and comments t fire management t freshwater t freshwater invertebrates t GIS t grassland management t humor t information systems t invasive species t non-industrial private forest landowner t targets t travel t wetland management t

Professional Opportunities

The University of Kentucky seeks a Chair (full Professor rank) for its Department of Forestry to enhance a strong core program in forestry as well as to address a broader range of environmental and natural resource issues. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in forestry or a related discipline, ability to enhance research and graduate education, a clear understanding of the land-grant university's mission, and strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Nominations are encouraged. Applications will be accepted through 15 January 2003 or until a suitable candidate is found. To apply, send a statement of interest describing educational background, experience, leadership philosophy, and vision for the department; resume; copies of transcripts; and contact information for four references to Nancy Cox, ASN S-107, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, (859) 257-3333, FAX (859) 257-3393, ncox@uky.edu.

The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies in Aspen, Colorado seeks summer naturalist interns. Benefits include a weekly stipend of US$125, housing, and free participation in one or more Naturalist Field School courses. Responsibilities include teaching environmental education programs for children, leading nature walks, and assisting with management of the visitor center, 25-acre nature preserve, and resident animals and plants. Applicants should have educational background in the natural sciences or environmental education, experience working with the public, and first aid and CPR certification. To apply, send a cover letter, completed application (available at www.aspennature.org), and resume to Summer Naturalist Intern, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, 100 Puppy Smith St., Aspen, CO 81611.

Funding

Bat Conservation International announces the availability of student research scholarships. Approximately 15 grants ranging from US$500 to 2500 will be made in 2003. Grants will go to research that best helps document the roosting and feeding habitat requirements of bats, their ecological or economic roles, or their conservation needs. Students enrolled in any college or university worldwide are eligible to apply. Projects must have bat conservation relevance. The application deadline for 2003 scholarships is 16 December 2002. All application information and forms are available on our web page at www.batcon.org/schol/schol.html, by writing to Bat Conservation International, Student Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716-2603, or by emailing apuntch@batcon.org.

The Garden Club of America offers a graduate fellowship (US$8000) for study and research of ecological restoration at an accredited university in the United States. Selection criteria include the degree to which the proposed fellowship work addresses the objectives of the GCA and the applicant's academic and personal qualifications. "Ecological Restoration" is defined by GCA as "the process of assisting the recovery and management of ecological integrity. Ecological integrity includes a critical range of variability in biodiversity, ecological processes and structures, regional and historical context, and sustainable cultural practices." Applications must be received by 15 January 2003. Awards will be announced in March 2003. For guidelines and further information, contact Gregory Armstrong, University of Wisconsin - Madison Arboretum, 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison, WI 53711, (608) 262-2748, FAX (608) 262-5209, gdarmstr@facstaff.wisc.edu.

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) invites applications for the National Security Education Program's 2003 David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships competition. These fellowships enable U.S. graduate students to pursue specialization in area and language study or to add an international dimension to their education. The Fellowships recognize that the scope of national security includes sustainable development, environmental degradation, and population growth and migration. Fellowships provide support through overseas study and limited domestic tuition to students who will pursue the study of languages, cultures, and world regions deemed critical to U.S. national security; study of western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand is explicitly excluded. Fellowships are awarded in a broad range of disciplines including ecological and social sciences. Award recipients are required to work for an agency or office of the federal government involved in national security affairs or in the field of U.S. higher education in an area of study for which the Fellowship was awarded. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, enrolled in or applying to graduate programs in accredited U.S. colleges or universities. Applications must include study of a modern language other than English. Guidelines and application forms may be obtained from AED, (800) 498-9360 or (202) 884-8285, nsep@aed.org, www.aed.org/nsep. Applications must be postmarked by 31 January 2003.

Protect Keopuka O'hana, a Hawaiian non-profit conservation organization, offers housing to undergraduate and graduate students working on projects that promote ecological conservation in Hawaii. Accommodations are somewhat primitive, but are located on the shore of one of the island of Hawaii's most beautiful bays, Honaunau. The area is home to diverse corals and fishes, Hawaiian spinner dolphins, and green turtles. Protect Keopuka O'hana has access to large tracts of land that contain many species of native birds and plants as well as introduced species that pose significant conservation threats. Money for stipends or research equipment for researchers is not currently available at this time. However, Protect Keopuka O'hana is happy to provide any assistance it can; staff are eager both to share Hawaii culture and perspectives and to learn more about mainland ideas and opinions. Protect Keopuka O'hana is particularly interested in sponsoring researchers who are willing to assist in grant writing for the organization. There is no deadline for proposals, but space is available on a first come, first served basis. For more information contact conservehawaii@hotmail.com.

EcoLife Expeditions' International Universities Program will offer a wildlife management field course for students interested in African conservation 28 December 2002-12 January 2003. The course, which includes lectures, classes and hands-on projects, is taught by instructors from the University of Pretoria's Centre for Wildlife Management. Cost is US$1300. Academic credit from the University of Pretoria is available. For more information contact Ecolife Expeditions, 976 Duncan Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria 0181, South Africa, +27 12 460 5430, FAX +27 12 460 9707, Education@ecolife.co.za, www.ecolife.co.za.

Meetings

The Natural Areas Association will hold its sixth international workshop from 20 February-2 March 2003 in Honduras. Conservation practitioners, students, and academics are invited to exchange and disseminate information, technologies, and strategies for improving natural areas management. Attendees will visit seven protected areas in northern Honduras and meet with government and non-governmental organization staff, community members, and local businesses to discuss conservation issues and solutions and to share experiences. The land cost for the workshop is US$1695. For more information, contact Abigail Rome, abirome@earthlink.net, or Reid Schuller, naa@natareas.org.

The Fourth Annual Ecological Integration Symposium, Natural History and Modern Conservation, will be held 22 February 2003 at Texas A&M University. Six speakers will discuss current trends and perspectives in ecology, evolutionary biology, and related fields. Focus will be on the relationship of modern conservation ecology to traditional ideologies in natural history. For more information, see http://eco-symposium.tamu.

edu/eco-home.htm.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) will sponsor the conference Bridging scales and epistemologies: linking local knowledge with global science in multi-scale assessments 23-26 June 2003 in Kunming, China. The MA is an international scientific assessment designed to meet decision-makers' needs for information concerning the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. The goal of the conference is to bring together MA participants, academic scholars, and indigenous peoples to explore five main themes: (1) integrating local knowledge into global scientific assessments, (2) cross-scale interactions and the dynamics of complex systems, (3) methods for integrating data across multiple scales, (4) designing better scientific assessments, and (5) scale and knowledge issues in resource and ecosystem management. For more information or to request a Call for Proposals contact Carolina Katz Reid, Millennium Assessment, ICLARM, P. O. Box 500 GPO, 10670 Penang, Malaysia, (604) 6261606 x 507, FAX (604) 6265530, c.reid@cgiar.org, www.millenniumassessment.org.

The Rocky Mountain Biological Lab (RMBL) will celebrate its 75th anniversary by hosting a symposium from 14-17 August 2003 to explore the value of conducting science in model ecosystems. A model ecosystem is defined a geographic area in which a wide range of research topics, from molecular to ecosystem processes, have been studied for a significant amount of time by a large number of independent teams of researchers. While many talks will focus on Colorado's Gunnison Basin, scientists with interests in or experience with model ecosystems from around the world are invited to attend and / or contribute to the program. The deadline for submission of abstracts for oral presentations is 15 March 2003. For more information, visit www.rmbl.org/modelecosystem/modelecosystems.html or contact Ian Billick, (970) 349-7231, director@rmbl.org.

The third International Wildlife Management Congress will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 1-5 December 2003. Principal co-hosts are The Wildlife Society, the Manaaki Whenua/Landcare Research (New Zealand), and the Australasian Wildlife Management Society, in conjunction with Ngai Tahu (Maori tribe of New Zealand's South Island) and the New Zealand Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai.This will be the first time a wildlife management meeting of this magnitude has been held in the southern hemisphere. The Congress will have a strong Pacific and southern hemisphere flavor, but the main focus will be on contrasting perspectives on wildlife management in the northern and southern hemispheres. Deadline for receipt of abstracts for papers isFebruary 2003. For complete details seewww.conference.canterbury.ac.nz/wildlife2003/

Landmark Pollution Litigation

In what may have been the first direct action started in Ecuador claiming damages for a pollution accident, and the first action of its kind ever started in South America, in October 2002 the High Court of Justice of Guayaquil issued a judgment favorable to the Galapagos National Park regarding an oil spill by the tanker Jessica in January 2002. The Court ruled that the insurance company Terranova C. Ltd must pay US$10,000,000 in compensation for damages caused by the oil spill. The claim against the English insurer was based on a 1969 convention, sponsored by the UN and the International Maritime Organization, which was designed to protect territorial waters from oil spill and oil pollution catastrophes. The convention gave third parties the option of directly suing the underwriters in the territory where an accident occurs. The Jessica was registered under the flag of the Ecuadorian maritime authority. After this first full hearing, Terranova may appeal the Court's decision. This process could take another five to six months.

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