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ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Jobs, Fellowships, and Scholarships
• Support for Agency Employees
• Teaming with Wildlife
• Encyclopedia of Earth
• Ornithology Workshops
• Meetings

Jobs, Fellowships, and Scholarships

Defenders of Wildlife seeks an International Conservation Scientist. The position entails both scientific knowledge related to international wildlife conservation and broad policy advocacy expertise, including familiarity with the negotiation and implementation of international agreements. The position will provide scientific analysis to support Defenders' conservation objectives and engage in advocacy to achieve those objectives in the program areas of biodiversity conventions, international marine conservation, regional and national level conservation initiatives, advocacy on behalf of key United States agencies, and other international, regional, and national issues, processes, and projects as necessary. For more information please contact HR, Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-4604, USA, HR@Defenders.org

A new graduate program, "Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in Southwest China," has been established at the University of Wisconsin - Madison with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Students interested in interdisciplinary and international environmental study are invited to apply for an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT). These traineeships have a generous stipend, tuition waver, and health-care benefits. IGERT trainees will address the multidisciplinary challenges of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development by pursuing a Ph.D. in one of more than a dozen departments and participating in IGERT seminars, workshops, language training, and field research in the Himalayas of Yunnan, China. For more information and application instructions, visit www.swchina.wisc.edu. The application deadline is 15 January 2007. Note: University of Wisconsin - Madison also is home to a second new IGERT program, Certificate on Humans and the Global Environment, focused on issues of vulnerability and sustainability of the global environment. For more information, visit www.sage.wisc.edu/igert

Bat Conservation International is now accepting applications for its 2007 Student Research Scholarships. Ten to 15 grants of up to US$5000 will be made in 2007. Grants will be awarded for research that is directly related to bat conservation and that documents roosting and feeding requirements of bats, their ecological and economic roles, or their conservation needs. Students enrolled in any college or university worldwide are eligible to apply. The application deadline for 2007 scholarships is 15 December 2006. Information and forms are available at www.batcon.org/bcigrants/scholarintro.asp

Support for Agency Employees

Given recent controversy surrounding science in the United States government, Defenders of Wildlife is taking proactive steps to promote science-based decisions for managing wildlife. Defenders' Conservation Support Network (www.conservationsupportnetwork.org) offers federal employees in the United States a direct link to their specialists for help with endangered species. Defenders' specialists will work one-on-one with federal employees to help promote science-based decisions in the federal government. For more information, please visit the Web site or contact Heather Rorer, 1 202 682-9400 x126, HRorer@defenders.org.

Teaming with Wildlife

Every state wildlife agency in the United States has completed a wildlife action plan that outlines actions developed by scientists, sportsmen, conservationists, and community members. Teaming with Wildlife, a coalition of more than 4000 organizations and businesses, including SCB, is working to obtain the money needed to fully implement these plans. Since 2000, the State Wildlife Grants Program has secured more than $600 million in new funding for on-the-ground conservation projects. As a coalition member, SCB can help fulfill the coalition's goal that "the scientific research and knowledge needed to understand and conserve biological diversity is identified, funded, completed, disseminated and applied to research, management and policy." Please consider becoming more involved in this effort by encouraging local clubs and small businesses to the join the coalition, contacting your public officials and urging them to support the State Wildlife Grants, and working with your state fish and wildlife agency to implement your state's plan. For more information, including a new summary report prepared by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, visit www.teaming.com

Encyclopedia of Earth

With the recent public release of Encyclopedia of Earth (www.eoearth.org/), scientists around the world are joining to create a comprehensive, authoritative source of information about the Earth's environments and their interactions with human society. The encyclopedia is written and governed by experts working in an unusual collaborative environment, and it has been released through the initial work of approximately 300 authors and 100 topic editors. The encyclopedia is overseen by an international board of advisors. Conservation scientists and practitioners may write about or edit any topic of interest that falls within the scope of the encyclopedia. Entries range from 250 to 5000 words and are geared to a general audience. Articles may be drawn directly from existing material written by the author, subject to any copyright restrictions. The encyclopedia is built, maintained, and governed by experts via a wiki, an online resource that allows users to add and edit content collectively. Unlike many other wikis, access to the encyclopedia wiki is restricted to approved experts, and all content is peer reviewed and approved prior to being published at the free public site. To contribute, visit www.eoearth.org/, click on "become a contributor," and follow the guidelines. The site also contains additional information about the project. For more information contact Editor Cutler Cleveland (cutler@bu.edu), Alejandra Roman (eoe@earthportal.net), or Ida Kubiszewski (ida.kub@gmail.com).

Ornithology Workshops

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (California, USA) offers birding workshops for birders and naturalists with expert Al Jaramillo. A workshop on gulls will be held 9 and 11 January 2007, with a field trip on 13 January. A workshop on waterfowl will be held on 6 and 8 February, with a field trip on 11 February. A workshop on shorebirds and migration will be held on 24 and 26 April, with a field trip on 29 April. For course descriptions and registration information visit www.sfbbo.org/birdingworkshops.htm or call 1 408 946-6548.

Meetings

The Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology will host the international conference Natural Resource Conservation, Use and Sustainability in Drylands from 18 - 20 December 2006 in Bhuj-Kachchh, Gujarat State, India. The organizers are able to cover the cost of accommodation and food (although not air fare) for attendees from China, Jordan, Mongolia, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. For more information contact Vijay Kumar, Vijay196129@gmail.com, desert_ecology@yahoo.com

The University of Northern British Columbia in collaboration with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, the Ministry of Environment, and the Peace Williston Compensation Program will host the 43rd North American Moose Conference and Workshop from 2 - 7 June 2007 in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The conference aims to bring together moose managers, biologists, and other interested parties from across the range of moose to exchange ideas and share new developments. For more information contact Roy Rea (reav@unbc.ca) or visit http://resweb.res.unbc.ca/namericanmooseconference2007/

The Zoological Society of Southern Africa, Local Organising Committee at North-West University and Natural Events cordially invite zoologists, in their professional, management, and training capacities to the 33rd Meeting of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa. This meeting will be held at the North-West University in Potchefstroom, North-West Province, South Africa, from 8 - 11 July 2007. SCB's 2007 annual meeting (1 - 5 July) will focus on forging partnerships to conserve the world's biodiversity. The Zoological Society Meeting will further this goal through additional information transfer, establishment of broader network channels, and improving relations with the international community. Proposals for symposia sessions are invited to address the theme The Sixth Extinction - Conserving Zoological Biodiversity. For more information see www.natural-events.com/ZSSA

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