‘Wildlife Innovation Center’ to feature drones, DEI and more

The all-new Wildlife Innovation Center at this year’s TWS Annual Conference promises to be an exciting new program track for attendees. Among the featured topics are drones, chemical immobilization and DEI efforts.

These sessions emphasize the connections between sponsors and trending contemporary issues in wildlife conservation and management and span several different formats, from panel discussion to workshop.

All of the sessions will take place live, and offer some of the best engagement opportunities of the conference. Attendees can easily access the Wildlife Innovation Center from the menu on the conference lobby, under Program. Be sure to add these must-see sessions to your personal itinerary by clicking the star so you don’t miss out!

Faculty and Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in University Fish and Wildlife Programs

Sponsored by the National Association of University Fish and Wildlife Programs

In its efforts to deconstruct barriers to underrepresented groups in the fish and wildlife profession, NAUFWP recently complete a survey to document the gender and BIPOC demographics of students and faculty in university fish and wildlife programs; identify programs that have established specific natural resources diversity, equity and inclusion courses; identify programs with DEI learning outcomes in the curricula; and document programs that have implemented DEI criteria in promotion and tenure guidelines. A presentation of its results will be followed by an open discussion of strategies for improving DEI efforts in fish and wildlife programs at universities.

How to radio-track animals from a drone

Sponsored by Wildlife Drones

As a conservation ecologist, Debbie Saunders has been studying and protecting critically endangered swift parrots for many years within their wintering habitats. Their movements, however, have largely remained a mystery given the immense challenges of tracking tiny, VHF radio tags over broad landscapes. Frustrated by the limitations of manual radio tracking, Saunders developed a mobile, flexible radio-tracking system that can be attached to a drone platform to track multiple animals simultaneously and search large areas efficiently. She will share her insights and demonstrate the capabilities of this unique technology, as well as real-world examples of how it has been applied by governments, NGOs, environmental consultants, and zoos to track a range of different species across a diverse array of landscapes.

Wildlife Chemical Immobilization – Priorities, Details & Challenges??

Sponsored by The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture

Mark Johnson, of Global Wildlife Resources, hosts both seasoned and young professionals to discuss the important details and greatest difficulties in creating or conducting a wildlife chemical capture program. Panelists will also respond to questions from the audience. Panelists include Rich Beausoleil, Bear and Cougar Specialist, Washington Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife; Kim Sager, Program Leader, Elwha Wildlife Program, Olympic Peninsula; Andrew Smith, the National Training Academy, Mississippi State University; and Amaia Cortez, a young professional in Costa Rica starting an oncilla research project.

Considering Bioacoustics Monitoring? Factors to consider and How to Start

Sponsored by Wildlife Acoustics

This session will explore how bioacoustics can be used as a survey and research tool, either as a standalone method or in conjunction with other techniques. The focus will be on deployment methods, best practices for survey techniques and data analysis. Case studies will be used to illustrate the benefits of using a wildlife audio recorder for projects such as individual species monitoring, species assemblage assessment, habitat health, citizen science and academic research. No previous experience is required for this webinar.

Careers with the Federal Agencies

Sponsored by USFWS, USFS, BLM and USDA Wildlife Services

During this panel discussion, representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, USDA Wildlife Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management will highlight career pathways and experiences in their respective agencies. Attendees will hear firsthand accounts of federal government employment so they can easily compare and contrast opportunities. This session is a one-stop shop for students, early career professionals or anyone who has an interest in careers with the federal government.

Student Roundtable with the Editors

Sponsored by Wiley

Join the editors-in-chief from each of The Wildlife Society’s three peer-reviewed journals for an engaging two-way discussion on publishing in scientific journals and the future of our very own publications. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable insights about getting published while contributing ideas that could help shape the landscape of TWS journals for years to come. This roundtable is hosted by Wiley. Pre-registration required.