Arizona Chapter named 2024 TWS Chapter of the Year

The Wildlife Society has named its Arizona Chapter the 2024 Chapter of the Year following its success building and nurturing relationships with state, national and Tribal partners.

“I can’t think of a more deserving chapter,” said Sarah Rinkevich, biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and past president of the Arizona Chapter of The Wildlife Society (AZTWS). “We are all so honored to have received this award. The amount of dedication put forth by chapter members throughout the year is just unmatched.”

Of the chapter’s many accomplishments over the past year, its 2024 Joint Annual Meeting Conference, which is a joint meeting with the New Mexico and Arizona TWS Chapters and New Mexico Chapter of American Fisheries Society, stands out. The event boasted record attendance, including professionals from both states. Attendees represented the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, APHIS-Wildlife Services, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the TWS Southwest Section.

The conference’s plenary session theme, “Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands,” featured many Tribal partners, including speakers from the Navajo Nation’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Carlos Apache Tribe, among others.

“Geographically, Tribal lands make up approximately 29% of the state of Arizona, and we all share the same mission,” Rinkevich said. “They want their resources protected and conserved just as we do, so we want to bring Tribal partners into our conversations so that we can all learn from one another.”

The Arizona Chapter’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion doesn’t end at its conference. Its diverse executive board actively recruits Tribal wildlife and fisheries biologists and people of color to become members. Additionally, in 2022, the chapter’s board approved a new AZTWS Award—the Tribal Conservationist Award—presented to a Tribal natural resources director, biologist or technician who is working on behalf of a Native American Tribe in Arizona.

In an effort to share knowledge and expertise as well as encourage wildlife conservation and education throughout the state, the Arizona Chapter continually works to engage both students and the general public in wildlife projects and activities. These efforts include wildlife workshops and statewide BioBlitz events, which call on the general public to get outside and document the flora and fauna they find in their local parks, neighborhoods and natural areas via the iNaturalist app, often with the help of biologists.

Each April, the Arizona Chapter and the Arizona Fish and Game Department host a free wildlife techniques workshop, providing the next generation of natural resources managers with an opportunity to learn hands-on wildlife management tools and techniques. While this particular workshop takes place once per year, Rinkevich said that the Arizona Chapter provides young professionals with scholarships and learning opportunities and supports student TWS chapters throughout the year.

“It’s all about sparking their interest and giving them a chance to work with and be mentored by different professionals,” Rinkevich said.

The Arizona Chapter hopes to increase membership year over year, with the executive board taking it upon themselves to recruit at least one person to sign up during the 2024 calendar year.

“We always want to increase membership and continue to increase interaction with our Tribal partners,” Rinkevich added. “We also hope to get more students who are interested in natural resources, whether they’re already in college or just graduating from high school, to connect with TWS.”

Interested in learning more about the AZTWS Chapter and how to join? Visit their website.