Students Tell Their Stories Through Research

November 21, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Society’s Annual Conference offers numerous opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and to network with professionals from across the world. One of the best ways for students to learn, and to teach, is by presenting their research in a professional atmosphere. Under the direction of the Student Development Working Group, TWS members are recruited to judge the student presentations and posters throughout the week. The winners for 2014 included 7 first place winners and 11 honorable mentions in the PhD, graduate and undergraduate student categories.

“As scientists, our research should tell a story,” said Andrea Long, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida. “The most important component of a presentation is confidence and enthusiasm in what you have done as a researcher. Express this confidence and excitement throughout your story and the audience will emulate the same.”

Andrea tied for first place for her presentation on “Population Level Effects of Invasive Fire Ants on Cotton Rats and Eastern Fence Lizards.”

As with any contest, it is important that the material captures the eyes of the judges. Paul Burr, a graduate student at the University of North Dakota, won first place for his presentation on “Impacts of Gas and Oil Development on Sharp-tailed Grouse Nest Success in Western North Dakota.” He was fortunate to be able to capture video footage of unique and interesting sharp-tailed grouse nesting moments.

“These video clips are always well received among the audience and gives people the chance to directly observe some amazing events,” said Paul.

Matt Dyson, a Masters student at Western University in Canada, won first place for his poster on the “Survival, habitat use, and movement patterns of female wood ducks and broods at Long Point, Ontario.”

“My research involved trapping, and tracking, ducks, which meant eye-catching photos,” Dyson said. I think my research is also fairly simple to explain, in terms of the value to management and conservation, so the message was [easy to convey].”

Toryn Schafer’s advice is to practice and, most importantly, practice in front of people in the wildlife field.

“I felt they gave me the best advice because they could understand the research and ask difficult questions,” she said.

Toryn presented on “Black Bear Den Characteristics and Site Selection Near Urban Aspen, Colorado”, which won first place in the undergraduate category. She is currently studying at Colorado State University.

This year’s winners had lots of great advice for future student research presenters.

“Effective communication is key to promoting your research. It is important for students to practice presenting their posters in a clear, succinct, and engaging manner,” said Abby Lawson, a PhD student at Clemson University.

Abby’s poster, “Optimizing alligator nightlight survey designs for complex habitat: evaluating seasonal variation in abundance and detectability in South Carolina”, won first place in the PhD category.

Remington Moll, a PhD student at Michigan State University, tied for first place for his presentation on the “Development and Evaluation of a Terrestrial Animal-borne Video System for Large Mammals”. He also feels that a presentation should emulate a narrative.

“Focus on storytelling – each presentation should have an interesting beginning, a relevant middle section, and a conclusion that is compelling and moves the field forward,” he said.

The Wildlife Society thanks all of the students who presented research during the conference and congratulates this year’s winners.

Presentation Winners:

  • PhD Students:
    • Andrea Long, First Place (tie)
    • Remington Moll, First Place (tie)
    • James Garabedian, Honorable Mention
  • Graduate Students:
    • Paul Burr, First Place
    • Sarah Sells, Honorable Mention
    • Jacob Berl, Honorable Mention
  • Undergraduate Students:
    • Toryn Shafer, First Place
    • Kaya Klop-Toker, Honorable Mention
    • Brian Smith, Honorable Mention

Poster Winners:

  • PhD Students:
    • Abby Lawson, First Place
    • Michael Cove, Honorable Mention
    • Maggi Sliwinski, Honorable Mention
  • Graduate Students:
    • Matt Dyson, First Place
    • Andrew Olsen, Honorable Mention
    • Cory Goff, Honorable Mention
  • Undergraduate students:
    • Leila Mohsenian, First Place
    • Hailey Boone, Honorable Mention
    • Austin Klais, Honorable Mention

TWS Policy Brief Series Expands to Farm Bill Programs

November 21, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Nine Pine Ranch

The Policy Brief Series, TWS’ go-to resource for federal policies and programs, welcomes new additions. Members of The Wildlife Society can now readily access information regarding two Farm Bill programs; the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Download the policy briefs to learn more about ACEP and EQIP, both valuable programs that help landowners conserve natural resources through federal financial and technical assistance.

ACEP is a brand new program within the Farm Bill which combines several former easement programs – including the grassland reserve program and the popular wetland reserve program. EQIP, a program included in previous farm bills, underwent several changes in the 2014 version, and now encompasses funding for wildlife-focused conservation practices that were previously under the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Each policy brief provides more details on each of these programs, including how they impact wildlife and wildlife professionals.

The Government Affairs team is currently working on additional policy briefs on both American and Canadian conservation policy. The complete Policy Brief Series, along with other policy resources, can be accessed at wildlife.org/policy.

Michigan Bans Killer Shrimp

November 20, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Killer Shrimp

Killer shrimp (dikerogammarus villosus) and six other water-dwelling, invasive species are banned from Michigan for fear that they will disrupt the existing aquatic food chain.

Read more at Detroit Free Press.

House Passes Bill to Increase Price of Duck Stamps

November 20, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Northern Pintails

A bill to increase the price of duck stamps from $15 to $25 passed the House on Tuesday with very little resistance. H.R. 5069 was passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in July, but has had to wait for action on the floor due to the long fall recess. The legislation enjoys both bipartisan support and public backing from the administration. An identical bill (S. 2621) has been introduced in the Senate where it awaits committee action. The Wildlife Society signed a coalition letter supporting an increase in the price of duck stamps earlier this year.

Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps — better known as Duck Stamps — are permits required to hunt waterfowl in the United States. The money raised by the stamps goes to wetland conservation efforts that in turn lead to more waterfowl. Proponents of the bill argue that the price increase is necessary because the price of the stamp has not changed since 1991 while land values — and therefore the price of easements and land purchases — have tripled. Steve Guertin, Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, agreed with this assessment in his testimony before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs hearing in July while pointing out that easements are one of the most cost effective and efficient tools for conservation. Guertin also assured the subcommittee that a more expensive stamp would not decrease sales.

Resistance to the bill stems from language that requires the extra $10 only be used for conservation easement purchases as oppose to land acquisition. At the full committee hearing in July, some Democrats expressed concern that this provision will handcuff the administration by stunting land acquisition, which is an important conservation tool.

For more information on Duck Stamps and their importance to wildlife management, refer to the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act Policy Brief developed by the TWS Government Affairs Team.

Sources: Environment and Energy Daily (November 17, 2014), House Natural Resources Committee (Accessed November, 2014), Greenwire (July 30, 2014).

Novel Breathalyzer Monitors Dolphin Health

November 19, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Bottlenose Dolphin in Mississippi Sound

Determining the health status of marine mammals is tricky business. Biologists usually rely on blood, tissue, and fecal samples for guidance, but obtaining them can be arduous and invasive. Now, a new tool that collects cetacean breath—or blow—may provide deeper insights while make testing easier for both researchers and animals, according to a study published last month in Analytical Chemistry.

“This is the next frontier for researching marine mammal populations, to look at physiology in a non-invasive way,” said Elizabeth Burgess, a post-doctoral researcher at the New England Aquarium who studies whale blow but is not associated with the study. “It’s a complicated puzzle, and the more people we have working on it the better.”

Cristina Davis, a chemical sensing expert at the University of California, Davis, and her colleagues collaborated with researchers at the National Marine Mammal Foundation to develop a breathalyzer device for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Tested on 21 managed dolphins in San Diego, Calif., and 21 wild dolphins temporarily captured in Sarasota, Fla., the Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) device—which resembles an oxygen mask—sits atop dolphin’s blowhole, collecting and condensing blow in a chilled chamber.

Using gas and liquid chromatography as well as mass spectrometry, the researchers identified approximately 500 metabolite compounds from the samples, including amino acids, lipids, chemicals responsible for dolphin breath’s fishy odor, pharmaceuticals, and water contaminants found in the dolphins’ habitats.

Previous cetacean breath studies have isolated DNA, microbes, and hormones. However, this is the first study to catalog all compounds in order to create baseline profiles of healthy animals, making metabolite variations indicative of stress, environmental exposure, or illness easier to detect. “The method of breath analysis may provide a very valuable tool in future wildlife conservation efforts as well as deepen our understanding of marine mammals’ biology and physiology,” writes Davis. She is currently analyzing dolphin blow samples collected over time to identify which compounds are associated with specific health conditions, such as pneumonia or morbillivirus, an infectious pathogen that has killed hundreds of dolphins along the U.S. Atlantic coast this year.

Meanwhile, other researchers are looking into adapting this method for other wildlife such as Weddell seals and humpback whales. “[Davis] is looking at everything, which is fantastic,” said Burgess. “We’re looking at [hormones] that can be found in whale blow, so this gives us an opportunity to see what other compounds there are and relate it to what we’re interested in.” Burgess and her team can detect the presence of hormones in blow, but quantifying them requires a measurable substance, which a growing library of compounds may provide.

Urban Wildlife Working Group Announces Student Travel Grants

November 19, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Chicago Architecture

The Wildlife Society recently learned that the Urban Wildlife Working Group will be offering student travel grants of up to $500 to be used towards attending the International Urban Wildlife Conference in Chicago, Illinois from May 17-20, 2015. The grants can be used for partial reimbursement of transportation, lodging, registration, and meal expenses. To be eligible, individuals must be a current student or a recent graduate (within past three years). Priority will be given to students presenting a talk or poster and who are members of The Wildlife Society.

The International Urban Wildlife Conference will be hosted by The Wildlife Society’s Urban Wildlife Working Group and the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute. Many topics of research will be presented and discussed, including the latest on the ecology and management of urban wildlife as well as how to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Attendees will include researchers and planners from state and federal agencies, universities, architects, and private organizations. The conference provides an excellent opportunity for students interested in urban wildlife to learn more on the subject and to network with professionals from across the United States and the world.

Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2015. For more information or to apply please download the application here. More information on the International Urban Wildlife Conference can be found on their website.

Sources: Shannon Pederson, International Urban Wildlife Conference

Settlement Aims to Reduce Red Wolf Mortality

November 19, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Red Wolf Captive Program

North Carolina will adjust its coyote hunting regulations to help reduce mortality of the endangered red wolf (Canis lupus rufus) as part of a court settlement with several environmental non-profits. The legally designated experimental, non-essential population of an estimated 100 wolves has been the accidental target of hunters who mistake them for large coyotes. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will ban night hunting of coyotes in the five-county area in eastern North Carolina where the wolves reside, and also require a permit for hunting during the day.

Read more at Southern Environmental Law Center.

Thoughts from the Executive Director

November 18, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

By the time of this writing those of you who attended our annual conference in Pittsburgh have hopefully completed the inevitable in-basket routine, and made all the calls and responded to all the emails that accumulate with time away from your workplace. Informal feedback so far indicates that the conference was a big success. We ended up with 1552 attendees, which exceeded the number we had expected just a few weeks prior to the event. Judging from the session attendance, there was a lot of interest in many of the topics highlighted at the conference. Several conference events were quite popular, for example the quiz bowl, the Ignite! session, the student mixers. And then there was the very popular closing night river cruise and dinner. We’ve been pleased with opinions from many of you that overall, Pittsburgh was one of our better conferences.

In addition to the conference itself, the TWS Council held a very productive two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday just before the conference began. Included in the many issues addressed and actions taken during the meeting were Council approval of a new strategic plan for 2015-2019, along with approval of annual operational plans for the current year. The Society’s new web site, the centerpiece of our new e-communications strategy, was rolled out during the meeting. Council had in-depth discussions about the Society’s financial status and the rather complicated transition this year from a calendar year financial cycle to one that goes from July each year to June the next. Also discussed were our publication strategy and our new agreement with Wiley Publishers. There was in-depth discussion about a new member survey covering a wide range of topics about the Society and its members. Responses from the nearly 4,000 members who have responded to date will be invaluable in designing new ways to provide benefits and services.

The Council Meeting on Friday and Saturday was followed with a Members meeting on Tuesday and a follow-up Council meeting on Wednesday during the conference. The Members meeting is held each year, and it provides an opportunity for members to gain and share up-to-date information on TWS activities and to voice their concerns and ideas for the future. This year about 200 members attended; a goal for next year is to double that number. The follow-up Council meeting on Wednesday was presided over by our new president Rick Baydack, with an agenda that included the appointment of new TWS committee members and preparations for our next Conference in Winnipeg in 2015.

Overall, a lot of very positive change is planned or underway for the Society, much of which builds on the Pittsburgh Conference and meetings. We will be sharing progress with you throughout the year, and of course the Winnipeg Conference will provide the opportunity to update everyone on where we are in October 2015. So start now in your planning to attend – it promises to be another exciting event.

-Ken

World’s Largest Bat Colony Saved by Land Deal

November 17, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Just outside of San Antonio, Texas, resides the world’s largest bat colony. Approximately 20 million migrating Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) roost in Bracken Cave every summer, but urban sprawl and accompanying light pollution threatened their habitat, until now.

Last month, the Nature Conservancy of Texas and Bat Conservation International—with help from other groups including the city of San Antonio and the Department of Defense—purchased a swath of undeveloped and unprotected land adjacent to the cave for $20.5 million, ending a developer’s plans to construct 3,500 homes on the property and ensuring the skies around the cave remain dark.

Bracken Cave’s Mexican free-tailed bats comprise nearly one-fifth of the species and play an important ecological role. At summer’s peak, the colony consumes 140 tons of insects each night, saving farmers $23 billion in reduced crop damage and pesticide use, according to the Nature Conservancy. “The emergence of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight,” said Andrew Walker, executive director of Bat Conservation International in a press release. “The protection of [this land] helps ensure this centuries-old wildlife habitat will continue to provide a safe home for one of the region’s most unique and important inhabitants.”

The 1,521 acre plot—called Crescent Hills—will serve as a buffer between the cave, which sits on the edge of a nature preserve, and surrounding suburbs. Protecting the land also has added conservation benefits: Crescent Hills serves as a habitat for federally endangered golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) that only nest in the Texas Hills Country, and lies within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, which provides drinking water for nearly two million Texans, including the entire city of San Antonio. “Our collective efforts have resulted in a trifecta of conservation success for the entire region by safeguarding Bracken Bat Cave, preserving important habitat for warblers, and safeguarding Texas’ most valuable resource—clean, fresh water,” said Laura Huffman, Texas state director of The Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy will manage the newly-acquired land and plans to create hiking trails and public bat-watching events.