Learn and Network: Biometrics Working Group

The Wildlife Society’s Biometrics Working Group promotes the development and application of biometrical methods in the study and management of wildlife resources. The working group provides a forum for TWS members to advance the use of quantitative methods in managing populations and habitats and to explore biometrical techniques and models appropriate to new issues associated with biodiversity, conservation of species, and landscape-level population management.

The BWG was given official status on March 14, 1997. Their mission is “the study and transfer of information relative to development and application of biometrical methods appropriate for use in the research and management of wildlife resources.” They held their 2014 annual meeting at the TWS Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, PA and supported two workshops — Wildlife Data Management Fundamentals and Estimating Resource Selection Using R.

The BWG offers student travels grants of up to $2,500 for TWS student members presenting papers or posters at the Annual Conference. The purpose of the travel grants is to promote student interest in biometrics and the BWG. Benjamin Augustine from Virginia Tech and Brian Gerber, Brittany Mosher, and Perry Williams from Colorado State University were awarded grants for the 2014 Annual Conference.

The BWG plans to support a symposia and/or workshop during next year’s conference in Winnipeg if the proposals are accepted. For more information on the BWG or to contact the executive board please visit their website. TWS members can join the working group through their Member Portal for a small annual fee of $5.

Sources: BWG