|
|||||||||
| You are here: Home > Publications > Newsletter > Archives > 2006-8-August > | ||||||||||||||||||
UPDATES FROM REGIONAL SECTIONS AND WORKING GROUPS
AFRICA
MeetingsThe third in the series of Africa Section symposia successfully was accomplished at the 2006 annual meeting. The symposium, "The Quadruped Face of Biodiversity Conservation in Africa," was co-organized by Delali Dovie and Norbert Cordeiro. The symposium emphasized four major issues: science, policy, conservation, and development. It highlighted the key roles that socioeconomic and gender issues play in conservation on the African continent. The eight presenters were from Kenya (1), Malawi (1), Tanzania (2), Uganda (1), South Africa (1), Senegal (1), and Ghana (1). The symposia are part of the capacity-building initiatives of the Africa Section. We thank to the Steering Committee and SCB's Executive Office for their assistance in facilitating the symposium.
CollaborationThe Section has extended its partnership initiatives, this time with the Social Science Working Group, to map out an action plan that will focus on capacity building, membership drive, and support for students in Africa, as well as preparations for the 2007 annual meeting. The initiative coincides with the desire of participants at the Section meeting to have a recognized working committee on the social sciences; this possibility currently is being considered by the Section Board. The Africa and Austral and Neotropical America sections also are collaborating to build capacity for young women in conservation within the southern hemisphere and between sections. This initiative cements the collaboration of the two sections that began at the 2005 annual meeting through a co-organized symposium that featured biodiversity conservation and mainstreaming strategies in the southern hemisphere.
ACT Call for ArticlesThe African Conservation Telegraph (ACT) is the newsletter for the Africa Section. The aim of the newsletter is to inform readers worldwide of the recent advances and development issues in conservation throughout the continent of Africa. Cross-disciplinary features enable the newsletter to also function as an information clearinghouse. The newsletter aims to provide appropriate and relevant information to general conservation workers, managers, policy makers, academics, and students in the field of conservation. For submissions or further information please contact the editor, Erika Barthelmess (barthelmess@stlawu.edu). Articles in French are welcome.
YWCBC CallThe Young Women Conservation Biologists' Committee (YWCBC) is an initiative of the Africa Section with the support of the Tropical Biology Association. Recently, the Austral and Neotropical America Section also joined the initiative. The YWCBC is inviting ideas on how best to benefit female African conservation scientists. Contact Stephen Awoyemi (awoyemi@tc-biodiversity.org) or Christina Ellis (christinaellis@gmail.com) with your input. You also are welcome to join the YWCBC by indicating your membership in the following categories: (1) members (the young women), (2) supporters (anyone who wants to help and is not a young woman), (3) guides (committee organizers and so forth), (4) mentors (relatively accessible high profile women), (5) role models (high profile women who have little time on their hands). You also are invited to join our online community at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ywcbc/. To subscribe, email ywcbc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
2007 SCB Meeting CallYou are invited to contact the Organizing Committee of the 2007 annual SCB meeting to disseminate information or to suggest and drive funding opportunities. Contact Margot Collett at 2007@conbio.org or www.conbio.org/2007
Delali BK Dovie
AUSTRALASIA
Special Journal PricesWe finally can announce to individuals in developing countries that if they join SCB they will receive the journals Conservation Biology and Biological Conservation online for only US$10 (provided they are not paid "developed" country wages). More journals may join this offer in the future.
Australasian Presence at the Annual MeetingCraig Morley, Nicky Nelson, and Wendy Jackson from the Section Board attended the 2006 annual meeting. Approximately 20 additional members of the Section also attended; there were many papers of regional interest. We came away with many ideas for our regional meeting in July 2007.
Inaugural Meeting of the Australasia SectionThe inaugural meeting of the Australasia Section, The Biodiversity Extinction Crisis, A Pacific and Australasian Response, will be held from 10-13 July 2007 at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The meeting will identify the major problems for biodiversity conservation in our region, existing and potential solutions, and links to global biodiversity initiatives. There will be five major themes: Australasian regional challenges, managing threatening process of universal importance, case studies of conservation in action, including biodiversity monitoring and assessment, conservation science and policy, and conservation science and the community (nongovernmental organizations, indigenous people). Further information on the meeting, including registration and abstract submission, will be forthcoming. The local organizing committee is pleased to announce that we are in negotiations with an international superstar of conservation biology as our plenary speaker. The meeting organizers also are working to develop key sponsorships and have approached (or been approached by) a number of organizations, including the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation, the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, and the Invasive Animals CRC. Please contact Richard Kingsford (richard.kingsford@unsw.edu.au), Karen Firestone (kfirestone@zoo.nsw.gov.au), or Wendy Jackson (wendy.jackson@gmail.com) if you wish to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Upcoming Events
Ecology Across the Tasman Third joint conference of the New Zealand Ecological Society and the Ecological Society of Australia
Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate 15th Australian Weeds Conference
Eighth New Guinea Biology Conference
Sustaining our Social and Natural Capital 12th Australia New Zealand Systems Society conference
Call For EditorialsPlease contact Nicky Nelson (Nicola.Nelson@vuw.ac.nz) if you would like to contribute to either the SCB newsletter or to the News and Views section of Pacific Conservation Biology.
Nicky Nelson
EUROPEIt has been a busy summer for the Section and as we enter the final countdown to the first European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB), things are going to get even busier. The Section's Education Committee was hosted by its chair, Renato Massa, for an inaugural meeting 30 June-3 July in Goriaolo, Italy. The ultimate aim of this committee is to increase conservation literacy within Europe at all levels. To this end the committee looked at the current provision of conservation biology education within Europe and targeted the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. This work will continue in order to encompass a wider range of countries. In addition, the committee considered what it felt to be the key elements of conservation biology literacy; these were translated into a series learning outcomes that could provide a common core for European courses in conservation biology. Finally, strategies were discussed for the promotion of excellence in conservation biology literacy within a diverse audience including academics, politicians, practitioners, and the general public. If you would like to get involved with the work of this committee or simply wish to provide information about opportunities in your country or at your institution, please contact Renato Massa (renato.massa@unimib.it). In June, SCB celebrated an exciting two decades at the 2006 annual meeting. Relatively few conservation biologists from Europe attended, perhaps due to our upcoming congress in Hungary. Consequently, only half a dozen people attended the Section meeting. Nevertheless, Europeans had plenty of opportunities to meet, mingle, and spread the word about the ECCB. Cagan Sekercioglu represented the section board at the meetings with SCB's Conference Committee and Social Science Working Group. At the time of writing, the ECCB is just days away (www.eccb2006.org). With nearly 1000 participants from 54 countries registered we have filled almost every hotel room in town with conservation biologists; our scientific program truly lives up to the conference theme, Diversity for Europe. Such a large congress was well beyond even our most optimistic forecasts when we started planning back in 2004. Congratulations to András Báldi and the local organizing committee on how well they have coped with this expansion. As we continue to work to enhance the profile and reputation of the Section among practitioners, academics, and government administrators at both the national and European level, this congress marks a major step forward.
Owen Nevin, Cagan Sekercioglu, and Andrew Ramsey
MARINE
Marine Section MeetingThe Marine Section held a member's meeting at the 2006 annual meeting. The Board of Directors was introduced to the membership and solicited suggestions for ways to increase member participation and to make the section more relevant and vibrant. The following is a list of the suggestions. - Use the Section email listserv more effectively. The listserv will be used by for communication from the Board to the membership and among members. We hope that the listserv will help to build a strong (virtual) community of marine conservationists. Please look for an upcoming email with instructions for becoming involved. - Make the Section a critical resource. It was suggested that subcommittees could be organized to study important issues (e.g., mariculture) to produce policy recommendations to the SCB Board of Governors. Subcommittees also could be a source of information and study for decision makers and other stakeholders. It might be necessary to revise the Section's mission statement and bylaws to accommodate a more applied role for the Section. Members identified a need to increase Web presence and dynamism. The Board is exploring ways to make the Web site interactive as a way to increase communication between the Board and the membership and to provide a "community center" for the Section. It appears that many marine conservationists do not think, or are not aware, that SCB is a good place for them. To help advertise that SCB indeed is appropriate, it was suggested that Section members who are members of other professional societies could hold social gatherings at their annual meetings. - Create a Student Affairs Committee within the Section. Students who are interested in helping to form this committee should contact Ellen Hines (ehines@sfsu.edu). It may be possible to expand the scope of the committee to include professional organizations. Members expressed interest in including postgraduate students, especially those who have finished a master's degree but have not yet matriculated in a doctoral program, to educate them on opportunities available to them during that transition. The Section also needs to reach out to Latin America, where marine conservation is seen as a fisheries issues and not a conservation issue. The SCB Board suggested that all Section boards meet before the 2007 annual meeting to work on collaboration. The Marine Section will make a special effort to reach out to the Austral and Neotropical America Section. The Section also hopes to reach out to other disciplines / organizations that are relevant to marine conservation, such as oceanographers, fisheries scientists, NGOs, toxicologists / physiologists, social scientists, marine veterinarians, mariculturists, estuary scientists, public policy experts, and lawyers. We encourage Marine Section members to participate more fully in SCB standing committees. So far, Elise Granek is on the Education Committee, and Ellen Hines is our representative to the Student Affairs Committee. Other standing committees are listed at www.conbio.org/Activities/Committees/ The Board will be sending out a survey to solicit ideas on how to improve the Section and increase member participation. Please complete and return the survey as soon as possible.
Marine SocialBetween 80 and 100 people attended a Marine Section social at the 2006 annual meeting. Elliot Norse, President of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute and Past President of the Section, gave an enthusiastic and inspiring talk on the need to build conservation communities.
Marine Section MeetingThe Board is planning a Section meeting to be held in 2008 with the hope of bringing together researchers, practitioners, stakeholders, and organizations interested in marine conservation. The meeting will be modeled on the successful Asia and Europe section meetings. We are exploring several sites including Vancouver, British Columbia. We are also exploring different time periods and the possibility of running the meeting in conjunction with another society or section.
2007 Annual MeetingThe organizers of the 2007 annual meeting would like to have a strong marine presence. Please plan to present papers / posters and / or to offer symposia and workshops. Please use the marine listserv to help plan your proposals.
Requests from the Marine Board - Complete and return the survey as soon as possible. Please also send us any other suggestions for improving the Marine Section and increasing member participation.
John Cigliano
FRESHWATER WORKING GROUP
Election ResultsWe thank all members who took part in the election process and congratulate all those elected to serve in their respective capacities. Election results are presented below. Ken Vance-Borland (USA), President
Mordecai Ogada (Kenya), President-Elect
Carlos Reyes (Ecuador) carrera.carlos@gmail.com
Committee Membership Policy and Conservation. Carlos (chair) and Dirk
We invite volunteers to work on the various committees of the working group. Please contact the committee chair to help.
Activities at the 2006 Annual MeetingThe 2006 annual meeting was held jointly with the Society for Conservation GIS. Approximately 55 presentations (oral and poster) addressed issues related to freshwater conservation. Working Group members and well wishers attended a reception and members' meeting on 25 June 2006. Working Group President Ken Vance-Borland introduced members of the Board present. Members also were addressed by Margot Collett, the project manager for the 2007 annual SCB meeting. Margot called on members to help with fundraising to support the attendance of as many students as possible. The Freshwater Working Group Board meeting was held on 26 June 2006 with seven out of ten members present. SCB Executive Director Alan Thornhill gave a presentation on SCB's strategic planning process. The Board will undertake the process of strategic planning following the guidelines in SCB's strategic plan. It was noted that the membership of the working group should be consulted so their views will be represented. Mordy suggested organizing a field course or trip to a freshwater site before or after the 2007 annual meeting. It also was suggested that a symposium to deal with freshwater conservation in Africa be organized in addition to other freshwater related talks to be given at the meeting.
ListservOnly about half of the Working Group members have subscribed to the freshwater listserv. If you would like to stay informed about freshwater activities in SCB, please subscribe at http://list.conbio.org/mailman/listinfo/freshwater/. The list is moderated and the volume of messages is not high, so you will not be inundated with mail. Please join! You do not need to be a member of the working group to subscribe.
Aventino Kasangaki
SOCIAL SCIENCE WORKING GROUP
Election ResultsIn May, the Social Science Working Group (SSWG) held elections for four Board seats (political science representative, economics representative, at large, student at large). Mike Mascia (political science, World Wildlife Fund), Jennifer Jones (at large, International Honors Program), and Josh Drew (student at large, Boston University) were reelected to their positions. Brian Czech (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) is the newly elected economics representative. Terms for these Board members began at the conclusion of the 2006 annual meeting. 91 people voted in the election (~16% of SSWG membership).
Call for Conservation Social Science Sessions at SCB 2007The SSWG seeks social scientists interested in biodiversity conservation to develop symposia, workshops, and short courses for the 2007 annual meeting. Conservation social science was well represented at the 2006 annual meeting and we look forward to an equally strong showing in 2007. We are particularly interested in sessions promoting collaboration between African and non-African conservation social scientists or between social and natural scientists and that address conservation issues transcending location or case-specific application. For more information, see http://compworx.isat.co.za/scb/ or contact Murray Rudd (mrudd@swgc.mun.ca). For general information about the Social Science Working Group, please contact Rich Wallace (rwallace@ursinus.edu).
Social Sciences a Hit at Annual MeetingSSWG turned in an impressive performance at the 2006 annual meeting. In addition to business and members' meetings, we ensured that conservation social science was very well represented, with four symposia, five workshops, two short courses, and several dozen contributed oral presentations. These were excellent and very well attended. Well done, everybody! New Products from the SSWG. Both the members' meeting and the social were well attended (~60 people at each event, with approximately 50% overlap between the groups). We launched two products at our members' meeting: the graduate student toolkit and the compilation of conservation social science course syllabi. Thanks to both the Student Affairs and Education committees for these. Conservation Committee chair Diane Russell introduced a prototype of the online Catalog for Conservation Social Science Resources. Explore the draft Web site at http://wwfblogs.org/
We expect to launch the working paper series in the next several weeks. If you missed the members' meeting, we'll be posting all of the above products on our Web site soon, or contact Nejem Raheem (nejemraheem@yahoo.com). Policy Sciences Symposium. SSWG Vice President Rich Wallace, Board member Peter Wilshusen, Program Committee member David Cherney, and Murray Rutherford, David Mattson, and Kate Semmens presented a symposium on the application of the policy sciences to species and ecosystem conservation. Participants presented cases on topics ranging from community-based conservation in Latin America to managing complexity for conservation goals across ecological and political boundaries in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada. The symposium was extremely well attended, with more than 130 people present. For more information on the policy sciences approach to conservation, please contact Rich Wallace (rwallace@ursinus.edu). Conservation Psychology Workshop. SSWG Board member Carol Saunders and Amara Brook ran a conservation psychology workshop highlighting that discipline's usefulness for conservation practitioners. A wide range of presentations (including those by Saunders, Brook, SSWG President Michael Mascia, Susan Clayton, and Gene Myers) covered topics ranging from how moral norms can be preconditions for valuing other forms of life to how principles from psychology could have prevented a clash between Texan landowners and an out-of-state environmental group. The workshop was attended by more than 80 people. There was a great deal of interest in what conservation psychology is and how it can be applied. If you are interested in conservation psychology please contact Carol Saunders (casaunde@brookfieldzoo.org). Conservation Economics Short Course. John Reid and Kim Bonine of the Conservation Strategy Fund organized a short course, Economic Tools for Conservation. The course filled early, with 40 people in attendance. John and Kim told us that it was a huge hit and there was considerable demand for more hands-on economics presentations. We intend to respond to this demand at Port Elizabeth in 2007 (see below). If you are interested in economics questions please contact our economics representative, Brian Czech (brianczech@juno.com).
Nejem Raheem
|
|
||
|
|
||
Copyright © 2008 Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)
Direct questions, comments, and technical problems to the webmaster SCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization |