Conference & Awards

2024 ACTWS & CSTWS Joint Conference

2024 Conference Program

Conference Theme: Wildlife Research in Action

Wildlife research is the cornerstone of effective wildlife management, providing essential data and insights for informed decisions on species conservation, habitat preservation, and sustainable resource use. Researchers explore animal behavior, population dynamics, and ecological interactions, equipping wildlife managers to implement action that uphold ecological balance, biodiversity, and reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

Beyond understanding nature, this research actively guides policies that harmonize the demands of industries such as forestry, energy, and oil and gas, with ecological preservation. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and sound scientific evidence, it strikes a crucial balance between economic development and environmental stewardship, ensuring responsible resource management for the benefit of current and future generations, fostering coexistence between human activities and the vibrant wildlife within our ecosystems.

Conference Registration Rates

  • Regular Member: $295
  • Regular Non-Member: $345
  • Student Member: $175
  • Student Non-Member: $185
  • Extra Banquet Ticket: $65

Notes:

A one-year regular membership is $20.76 and a one-year student membership is $5.42. 

Please login or purchase a membership to obtain member registration rates.

The primary cost associated with hosting our annual conference is catering. Your registration fee covers a package that includes five coffee/snack breaks over the weekend, as well as lunch, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner on Saturday.

Virtual Annual General Meeting

 

4:30 – 6:00 PM MST

Thursday, March 9, 2023

 

Join us for our annual general meeting, where we discuss the latest news from the Society and

the big issues in Alberta wildlife, including the vibrant work of our Conservation Affairs

Committee, and elect new members. All welcome!

 

Click here to join.

 

Meeting ID: 834 7430 4523
Passcode: 809951

If the link does not work, please copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83474304523?pwd=NUI5aU1td1Fhb0x2c215QmkrcmROUT09

 

Virtual Public Talk

How the Wild Things Flow

Sofie Forsstöm

Come along as we explore the concept of “Thinking like a watershed.” All living things are connected by water, and the way it moves over the landscape and through bodies of wildlife, people, plants, and ecosystems has a profound impact on both living and nonliving worlds.

Sofie Forsström is the Education Program Manager for the Oldman Watershed Council, based out of Lethbridge. In addition to overseeing education projects, she also coordinates OWC’s volunteer restoration events and aquatic biomonitoring program in the headwaters. Sofie has a Masters degree in Applied Ecology and previously worked for Alberta Parks and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Scout leader, rides her horse, and goes running with her dog, Quiche.

Click here to join.

 

Meeting ID: 813 9034 9090
Passcode: 090751

If the link does not work, please copy and paste the following link into your https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81390349090?pwd=M1NHMEdja2FpZEJuMU4vWlZTVnhjQT09

 

Venue

We are excited to be working with Whova to offer you the best virtual conference! Here are some of the features we are planning for:

  • Pre-recorded sessions that you can view at your leisure throughout the week
  • Live Q&A sessions with presenters to get into the nitty gritty about your favourite topic
  • Poster sessions
  • Social events
  • Various networking opportunities
  • Live panel discussions

The conference will be available on your phone, computer, tablet from wherever you are with a high speed internet connection

Keynote Speakers

The Ecological Buffalo: On the trail of a keystone species

Wes Olson & Johane Janelle

We’ve all heard stories about the vast herds of bison that once roamed the forests and grasslands of North America. Herds of such massive size they took 10 days to pass by an observer.

We’ve also learned about the bison-genocide that took place during the mid-1800s, when the North American plains bison population crashed from 30-60 million to just 23 wild bison over a 20 year period.

What many have not learned about was the incredibly complex, inter-woven relationships that bison have with the species they share time and space with.

Join author/artist Wes Olson on a journey into the heart of the northern mixed-grass prairie. Through the lens of photographer Johane Janelle, discover the incredible beauty of the wildlife that are now re-establishing their ancestral relationships with bison.

 

Keynote Speakers

The Kainai Iinnii Rematriation Project, Restoring the Plains Bison as an Ecological and Cultural Keystone

Justin Bruised Head

Bison are considered both an ecological and cultural keystone for the Blackfoot/Kainai people. Bison
were essential for our survival and ceremonial practices, and their absence has had devastating effects
on the land and our culture.

The Kainai Iinnii Rematriation Project (KIRP) is an eco-cultural restoration project that centers around the restoration of the land and culture of the Kainai (Blood) First Nation by re-introducing plains bison (Bison bison bison) back to the native mixed-grass prairie pastures on the North End area of the Blood Reserve. A herd of 40 plains bison from Elk Island National Park were re-introduced to the Blood Tribe
on Feb 12, 2021. First-Nation-led environmental research is being undertaken to study and better understand how re-introducing plains bison can benefit mixed-grass prairie ecosystems. Members of the KIRP herd will be harvested and utilized for meat distribution and ceremonial practices for tribal members once carrying capacity is reached.


The Kainai Eco-cultural herd will provide many benefits to our people including healing from trauma,
revitalizing public health, job creation as well as enhancing our local economy, educational
opportunities, cultural revitalization, and environmental research, restoration, and protection. The herd
is not being utilized for harvest yet, but some of their parts, such as their winter fur and chips (dung) are
being used for ceremonial practice. Bison have been absent from these lands for ~155 years, but their
return to the land has already had a profound positive effect on the community and local ecosystem.

Wildlife Acoustics Workshop

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, March 11th

Turning Sound into Discovery: Using Wildlife Audio Recorders as a Valuable Research Tool. 

Learn more here.

Plenary Speakers

"The Role of Private Lands in Conservation"

Lorne Fitch, Retired Provincial Fish and Wildlife Biologist

Lorne has been a biologist for over 50 years, working on many issues related to use of land and water. Lorne is a professional biologist, a retired provincial Fish and Wildlife biologist, was one of the co-founders of the stewardship initiative Cows and Fish and a former Adjunct Professor with the University of Calgary. Lethbridge is home, where he pens articles and essays on issues related to Alberta’s landscape and critters. This includes a recent book, Streams of Consequence- Dispatches from the Conservation World.

Mike Gibeau, Conservation Manager, Southern Alberta Land Trust Society

Born and raised on a farm in southern Alberta, Mike Gibeau migrated to the mountains in the mid 1970’s. He still lives in Canmore and is now the Conservation Manager for the Southern Alberta Land Trust, after a 33-year career with Parks Canada. Mike has extensive experience in the ecology and management of large carnivores including research on coyotes, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears. These days Mike’s work is centered on private ranches. His focus lies in applying innovative conservation measures on the ground.

Mike has a MSc in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Calgary. He is currently also an Adjunct Professor in the Geography Department at the University of Calgary and advises graduate students at several universities in Canada and the United States.

Norine Ambrose, Executive Director, Cows and Fish

In her 24 years with Cows and Fish, Norine has focused on working with landowners, communities, and natural resource professionals to help them recognize the value of riparian areas, and what they can do to maintain these areas as healthy, productive pieces of our landscape. Her work with community leaders, organisations and agencies emphasises sharing lessons learned in effective program design and delivery. She combines her wetland ecology research experiences from the University of Alberta and farm upbringing in central Alberta with extensive development of new outreach and monitoring tools at Cows and Fish, to help bridge science, management and education around riparian ecosystems. She believes strongly that those who manage and use the land are critical to ensuring a healthy landscape through their management choices.

Conference Program

The complete conference program is available above, but here are the concurrent sessions we’ve got planned for March 18:

  • Landscape disturbance
  • The birds and the bears
  • Methods in wildlife research and monitoring
  • Ungulates
  • Creatures of the night
  • Grasslands
  • Wildlife Disease

 

We’ve also got two panel discussions with pre-recorded presentations available for conference participants:

  • Human-wildlife conflict
  • Social science research and considerations in wildlife management
 
The whole day will be bookended by engaging opening and closing ceremonies that you won’t want to miss!
 
 
 

Conference Week Agenda

Although the main conference is on March 18, we’ve got events all week leading up to the big day. All of the below events are free to attend, even if you’re not attending the main conference on the 18th.

Committee Meetings

Full information and links to register.
Monday March 14 – Education and Outreach Committee (12-1pm)
Tuesday March 15 – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (1145am – 115pm)
Wednesday March 16 – Conservation Affairs Committee (1145a – 115pm)

Networking Events

Tuesday March 15 – Student and Pros Happy Hour (4-5pm). This is a great time to pick the brains of your fellow wildlifers for career advice and perspective. Whether you’re a pro or a student, we can all learn from each other. Sign up by emailing our student director, Phil, at [email protected].

Wednesday March 16 – Wildlife Jeopardy (7-8pm). Show off your mad wildlife skills and have a little fun. Grab a glass of your favourite beverage and your wildlife friends for an hour of wildlife trivia designed to pick your brain, make you laugh, and help you meet new people. Register here.

Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony

March 17, 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is open to everyone with an interest in hearing what we’ve been up to in 2021 and what we have planned for 2022. This year, we’ll complete our AGM with our professional and student awards ceremony.  Details here.

Public talk and live auction

March 17, 7:30pm – 9:00 pm

Each year, we host a public talk that shares cutting edge research about Alberta wildlife. This year, we are so happy to have Dr. Jason Fisher sharing decades worth of work about wolverines from around the world. We know so little about wolverines and what we need to do to conserve them – or do we? Join us to find out!

This year, we’re also featuring Matt Besko in a live auction to kick start the evening. Matt will be auctioning off a trip exploring an Alberta trapline, two day passes for the Canmore folk festival, and a surprise item that will get you gleefully opening your wallets! All funds raised from the auction go towards student awards, supporting the next generation of wildlifers in Alberta.
Details and registration link here.

Venue

We are excited to be working with Whova to offer you the best virtual conference! Here are some of the features we are planning for:

  • Pre-recorded sessions that you can view at your leisure throughout the week
  • Live Q&A sessions with presenters to get into the nitty gritty about your favourite topic
  • Poster sessions
  • Social events
  • Various networking opportunities
  • Live panel discussions

The conference will be available on your phone, computer, tablet from wherever you are with a high speed internet connection

Call for Papers and Posters

Deadline: 12 January 2024

You are invited to submit titles and abstracts for oral presentations and posters at the 2024 joint conference of the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society. Presentations on all aspects of wildlife are welcome including ecology, management, research, monitoring, species biology, genetics, and new techniques.

The three types of presentations offered are:

  1. Traditional oral presentations – 12 minutes in length + 3 minutes for questions. Abstracts will be grouped into common themes and placed into concurrent sessions.
  2. Speed talks – 4 minutes in length.
  3. Poster – A poster session will be hosted on one day in the afternoon/evening for all conference participants.
 

The abstract submission form will ask you to specify your preferred talk format (e.g., traditional oral presentation, speed talk, or poster). While we endeavour to honour everyone’s requests, the Conference Planning Committee may ask you to deliver your presentation in a different format based on other abstracts submitted and conference organization. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

Abstracts must include:

  1. Lead author name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number(s), and e-mail address
  2. Names and affiliations of additional authors
  3. Title of abstract
  4. Distillation of the purpose, methods, results and conclusions, 250 words max.
 

The abstract you submit will be the final version that is printed in the program booklet.

Please note: Authors will be advised of the final decision on their abstract by 2 February 2024.

Students: Monetary awards are available for all presentation types, posters, and travel to the conference. See details at Awards.

Friday, 13 March
0900 – 2100

Field Trip
Workshops
Annual General Meeting
Student Conclave
Opening Mixer

Saturday, 14 March 
0900 – 2400
Opening Ceremony
Plenary Session
Keynote Address
Concurrent Sessions
Poster Session
Banquet & Auction
Awards & Dancing

Sunday, 15 March
0900 – 1600

Concurrent Sessions
Student Awards
Closing Ceremony

Plenary Speakers

Symposium

The role that hunting, trapping, and fishing can play in helping us understand wildlife movements and conservation

Online Auction

We are excited to offer our legendary auction online again this year. The prizes coming in are phenomenal and you will love the
opportunities that our online auction provides. The online auction will run from March 14 to 18 and will be open to the public. Funds raised go
towards student awards and ACTWS operations. As always, the auction is bound to be a conference highlight and offer great opportunities for
members to connect (and compete) for great prizes.

We’re always looking for donations of any kind – goods, services, whatever your heart desires. 
Please contact Alyssa at [email protected] with your donation!

Public Talk

The ACTWS will be hosting a public talk in Camrose the evening of March 17

Details to be announced.

Sponsors

Awards

The ACTWS annually administers four professional awards and three student scholarships, as well as conference subsidy awards.

All 2023 awards are now open and accepting nominations and applications until January 20, 2023.

Details at Awards.

Field Trip

We have a fun & educational filled day planned for our conference attendees! 

On Friday, March 10th we will explore the Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

Explore different aquatic environments and over 20 of Alberta’s fish species in the aquariums at the Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery! You will also have the chance to feed trout in North America’s largest fish hatchery. The hatchery is part of the Alberta Fish Stocking Program, stocking over 200 lakes and ponds across the province. There will also be booths set-up from the City of Calgary, Alberta Bat Program, and the Junior Forest Rangers highlighting Alberta’s forests.  

We also partnered with Nature Calgary to provide a guided bird watching walk through the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. To date, 270 species of birds, 21 species of mammals, and 347 species of plants have been recorded at the sanctuary. This ecological haven is something you don’t want to miss! 

What’s included:

  • Transportation
  • Entrance to Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery
  • Lunch
  • Donation to Nature Calgary 

 

Purchase your Field-trip ticket here

Sponsorship Opportunities: Elevate Your Organization at Our Conference!

We are excited to invite your esteemed company to become a valued sponsor for our upcoming conference. Your support will not only help us deliver a successful event but also provide your organization with a unique platform for visibility and engagement with a diverse audience of industry professionals. We offer a variety of sponsorship packages to suit your needs and can tailor opportunities to align with your organization’s goals and values. 

Here are some key highlights of our conference sponsorship opportunities:

Tax Receipts for Donations: Your generous donation to our conference qualifies for tax benefits as per applicable tax regulations, allowing your organization to maximize its philanthropic impact while benefiting from tax deductions.

Complimentary Memberships and Registrations: Sponsors will receive complimentary memberships to our organizations, free conference registrations, and various other benefits tailored to meet your organizational goals.

Prominent Recognition: Sponsors will receive prominent recognition on our conference marketing materials, on our official conference website (www.actws.ca/conference), and during the conference, to ensure that your organization’s commitment to wildlife conservation reaches a broad and engaged audience.

Engagement Opportunities: You will have the opportunity to host live exhibitor booths, providing direct engagement with conference attendees, including wildlife professionals, students, and researchers from across Canada.

Student Scholarships: High-level sponsors will have the honor of personally rewarding well-deserving students with scholarships during the conference banquet, fostering the next generation of wildlife leaders.

To explore sponsorship options and discuss the benefits, please contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to the opportunity to work together and make this conference an outstanding success.

Bid for Success: Call for Auction Item Donations!

As an integral part of our conference fundraising efforts, we are excited to host an auction on the evening of Saturday, March 9th. This presents an exceptional opportunity for businesses and organizations to contribute by providing items or monetary donations for attendees to bid on. Along with your generous offering, we offer the chance to prominently display your business card next to the donated item, offering unparalleled exposure. Your contribution, regardless of its size, not only assists in keeping costs manageable for hosting this significant event but also allows local businesses to showcase uniquely Canadian items.

If you are interested in providing an item for our 2023 auction, please contact [email protected].

Join Us in Shaping Our Annual Conference: Call for Volunteers!

We’re excited to invite passionate individuals like you to join our team in planning our upcoming annual conference. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a dynamic group and make a significant impact on the success of our event.

We have a range of roles available, from planning captivating plenary sessions to coordinating memorable field trips and assisting in judging student presentations. Your unique skills and expertise can help shape an unforgettable conference experience for our members.

If you’re interested in getting involved and contributing to this event, please reach out to our Executive Director at [email protected], who will provide you with more details on available positions and how you can become an essential part of our conference planning team.

Conference Agenda

Thursday, March 9

4:30 – 6:00 pm : Virtual ACTWS Annual General Meeting 

6:00 – 7:30 pm : Virtual public talk on “How the Wild Things Flow,” presented by Sofie Forsström of Oldman Watershed Council

Friday, March 10

9:30 – 4:00 : Field Trip to Bow Habitat Station & Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

6:30 – 8:30 :  Student Conclave

7:00 – 10:00 : Mixer

Saturday, March 11 

8:30 – 9:30 : Plenary on “The role of private lands in conservation” presented by Lorne Fitch a retired provincial Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Norine Ambrose with Cows and Fish, and Michael Gibeau with Southern Alberta Land Trust.

9:30 – 4:40 : Open paper program & poster session

5:00 – 12:00 : Reception, banquet, auction, live music & dance

Sunday, March 12

8:30 – 9:30 : Keynote speakers, Wes Olson & Johane Janelle, “The Ecological Buffalo: On the trail of a keystone species”

9:30 – 10:00 : Keynote speaker, Justin Bruised Head, on the rematriation efforts of the plains bison (iinii) within Kainai/Pikanii

10:00 – 2:30 : Open paper program

2:30 – 3:00 : Awards, scholarships, and closing remarks

COVID-19 Mitigations 

This will be our first in person conference since 2019 and we want to ensure people feel comfortable and welcome. Please protect yourself and others by choosing not to attend the conference if you are not feeling well. We encourage mask wearing and maintenance of good hand hygiene by all conference attendees. We will have disposable masks and sanitizer available on site on an as-needed basis. The conference venue also has COVID-19 protocols in place, find out more here.

The Ecological Buffalo: On the trail of a keystone species

Bio

Johane Janelle

Ever since Johane’s childhood in the small Quebec village of Cap Sante, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, Johane has loved being in nature and capturing special moments and places on film. This passion for wild places brought her west on a backcountry horse trip in 1983, and from then on she was hooked on the west.

Her photography has graced the covers of dozens of equestrian magazines from across North America, in Journal articles, in books and museums. Her first collaboration with Wes was the publication of their first book, Portraits of the Bison in 2005, and then A Field Guide to Plains Bison in 2012.

www.johanejanelle.com

Wes Olson

Wes grew up in Black Diamond, along the east slopes south of Calgary. Wes has been drawing and painting from an early age, but writing is a talent he began to explore only later in life. Following a 40 year career working with wild species in wilderness areas he has been provided with a lifetime of experience upon which he draws inspiration for his art, books, and presentations. He and Johane travel extensively to give presentations to a wide range of audiences, with the goal of helping people understand the complexities of nature, and how inter-related all wild beings are to each other, and how incredibly important it is for us to help protect these places and the species that inhabit them.

www.wesolson.ca

Temperate Mountain Bird Responses to Climate Change influences

Bio

Dr. Kathy Martin is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and a Senior Research Scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.  Kathy has always held a fascination for how species persist and cope in extreme and challenging environments. She conducts research on population ecology and life history variation of alpine, arctic songbirds, and grouse across elevation gradients, and in relation to climate variation in these increasingly unreliable habitats.  She and her students have written over 200 scientific papers and book chapters on ecology, behaviour and conservation of birds. Kathy Martin is currently President of the American Ornithological Society, the largest member-based ornithological society globally. She is also a Past President of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, and a member of The Wildlife Society and the International Ornithological Union.  Dr. Kathy Martin received the Doris Huestis Speirs Award for Lifetime Research Contributions to Ornithology from the Society of Canadian Ornithologists (2008), the Ian McTaggart-Cowan Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the understanding, conservation, and/or management of wildlife in Canada by The Wildlife Society, Canadian Section (2016), and the Godman Salvin Prize for Lifetime Contributions to Ornithology from the British Ornithologists’ Union (2018).  

Abstract

About 24% of the North American land base is classified as mountainous, including over 75% of the British Columbia and Yukon land base. One-third of bird species breeding in continental North America use mountain habitats for at least one critical period of their annual life cycle (breeding, migration or winter). In addition to the specialist and generalist birds breeding in mountains, many birds use high elevation habitats for stopovers during fall migration. One quarter of these species are on lists of conservation concern. Temperate mountain birds are considered to be particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts in the short term given the increasingly variable temperature and precipitation regimes, and also from habitat loss or change in the longer term.  I examine the potential impacts of environmental variability for the reproduction and survival of grouse and songbirds in mountain habitats. Factors enabling birds to cope with climate change include flexibility in their reproductive phenology and behaviour, as well as a shift towards a slower life history. However, species differ in their abilities to cope with more variable seasonality, and thus even congeneric and sympatric species experience different reproductive outcomes after storms and extreme delays in breeding. Climate change models predict habitat losses will exceed gains, and alpine patches will decrease in number and size likely resulting in higher costs to conduct seasonal and dispersal movements. As climate change is only one of multiple stressors, the potential of birds to adapt to changing climates will depend on the extent to which their adaptation abilities are constrained by other disturbance processes. Understanding the life history and year-round ecology of species will be critical to predicting responses of mountain birds to climate change.

An accidental icon: climate change and polar bears

Bio

Andrew E. Derocher is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He holds a B.Sc. in Forest Biology (Hon.) from the University of British Columbia and a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Alberta. After graduating, he worked with Environment Canada, B.C. Ministry of Forests, and then the Norwegian Polar Institute before returning to Canada. Andrew is a member and past chair of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group. His research has studied polar bears across the Arctic over the past 35 years. Andrew has published >100 peer reviewed papers on polar bear ecology, ecotoxicology, and the effects of climate change.

Abstract

Habitat loss is the major threat facing ursids across their range and in the Arctic, rapid warming has fundamentally altered and degraded polar bear (Ursus maritimus) habitat. Polar bears are an accidental icon and became the poster-species for climate change because long-term monitoring revealed the links between sea ice loss and population impacts. The changes in polar bear life history are influenced at several life history points. Energy stores are the primary affected link and the key to understanding the effects of habitat loss on polar bears lies on the balance between energy intake and energy use. Energy use is influenced by habitat conditions and ice-free period duration. Past monitoring of polar bears focussed on abundance estimates, yet the inventory intervals have failed to evolve to the changing ecological conditions. As the Arctic sea ice ecosystem disappears, a new one is emerging, but polar bears are unlikely to retain their top predator status in much of their current range. 

Conservation and management of western boreal birds in a changing climate: What do we expect, what have we observed, and what do we do about it?

Bio

Diana Stralberg is a research scientist at the University of Alberta, working with the AdaptWest Project for climate-change adaptation and the Boreal Avian Modelling Project. Her work has primarily focused on predictive modelling and multi-species conservation planning questions at multiple scales, from landscape to continental, with an emphasis on climatic drivers and responses to climate change. Her recent research has involved the development of avian abundance models for the boreal region, which she has used to develop future projections of climatic suitability, and to identify potential refugia from the effects of climate change. She has also worked on modeling vegetation responses to changes in climate and wildfire activity in the western boreal region. Her current focus is on understanding the landscape features and ecosystem characteristics that confer resilience to climate change in the rapidly changing boreal region. Prior to moving to Alberta in 2010, she worked as a researcher at Point Blue (founded as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory) in California. She holds a BS from UCLA, an MS from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from the University of Alberta. 

Abstract

Climate change is expected to bring rapid and dramatic changes to the boreal forest region of North America, challenging boreal birds and other organisms to keep pace by adapting in place or tracking changing environmental conditions. The magnitude of expected change means that bird conservation and management activities must consider increasingly larger geographies, often spanning multiple jurisdictions. This creates new challenges for conservation research, as scientists struggle to address broad-scale ecosystem transitions across large geographies while also addressing local and regional management needs. Conservation planners and managers are also confronted with high-stakes decisions and trade-offs, given large remaining uncertainties. This begs the related questions: “What are anticipated direct and indirect consequences of climate change on boreal bird populations and communities? What changes have been observed to-date? and How does this information influence conservation planning and management decisions?” With an emphasis on Alberta and the western North American boreal region, I will review results from various types of predictive modeling efforts, including correlative niche models as well as landscape change simulations. I will compare these results with new population trend estimates and present a recently developed vulnerability-adaptation framework to guide bird conservation based on species’ individual vulnerability and exposure to climate change. Finally, I will address ways in which climate-change information and predictions can be synthesized to inform conservation and management of boreal species.

Avian passerines on the move

Bio

Dr. Geoff Holroyd’s interest in birds developed as a teenager when he was an active volunteer and subsequently, chairman of the Long Point Bird Observatory.  He earned his MSc and PhD from the University of Toronto for his studies of the foraging strategies and diet of swallows. During his 36 year career with the Canadian Wildlife Service he supervised Ecological Wildlife Inventories of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Glacier and Mt Revelstoke National Parks, and was Head of the Threatened Wildlife Section; then as a research scientist he studied Burrowing Owl and Peregrine Falcon and chaired their Recovery Teams. He was an adjunct professor in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. He is now chair of the Beaverhill Bird Observatory which he co-founded in 1984. During his variety career he has published articles as diverse as Green Sea Turtle biology to dung beetles in the diet of Burrowing Owls.

Abstract

As our climate changes and becomes more volatile, the effect on small birds varies considerably. While average annual temperatures are warming in Alberta, the seasonal and even monthly changes are more important than the annual average. Averages mask variability particularly for temperature which is getting warmer faster in the winter than it is in the summer. This presentation will present species trends from 50+year databases that show Mountain Bluebirds are arriving earlier, Tree Swallows are nesting later and less successfully, Purple Martins appear to be dispersing westward and severe weather event are negatively impacting a variety of avian species, including burrowing owls and peregrine falcons. 


Co-authors: Myrna Pearman and Glen Hvenegaard

Of hosts, parasites, migration and climate change: what can long term studies tell us?

Bio

Kathreen Ruckstuhl: I have studied the behaviour and ecology of ungulates for the past 30 years, from work on alpine chamois (MSc), and bighorn sheep (PhD) to a variety of species including ibex, chamois, gazelles, goral, wild and feral sheep, deer, oryx, equids, etc. Since June 2004, I have been a professor for wildlife ecology, department of biological sciences, at the University of Calgary. While my main research focus is on the behaviour and ecology of wild ungulates, my students, collaborators and I, have also worked on rodents of all sorts, fish, canids, and not to forget, their parasites. What I particularly love about my profession is the possibility to gain a deep understanding of an individual’s behaviour and life history, and more directly to be with and observe these magnificent animals in the wild. My long-term (26 years) research on individually marked bighorn sheep in Sheep River Provincial Park allows me to follow each individual’s ontogeny of behaviour in greatest detail, from their first summer as lambs to the time they disappear or die. Over the decades, I have worked both on applied and fundamental studies, investigating human impacts, climate change, behaviour and sociality in a variety of species, and on different continents. We have explored the impact of social networks on individual survival and LRS, group dynamics and sexual segregation, cooperation, feeding ecology, decision-making, mate choice and mating tactics. 

Abstract

My talk will be a synthesis of various research projects, focusing on the behavior and ecology of wild sheep but also some recent research on parasites and climate change. Long-distance seasonal and breeding migrations are very common in many species of insects, birds, fish, and mammals. While most of these migrations are undertaken to track the phenology of food and water, and to avoid predation on neonates, or parasites, many species also have partial breeding migrations in search of potential mates. During the breeding season, some of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) who winter in Sheep River Provincial Park remain with their natal subpopulation, while others migrate to breed elsewhere. Rams often go on breeding migrations, but we have observed that a subset of ewes also leaves their range to breed elsewhere. The purpose of this study was to determine the proximate and ultimate causes of breeding partial migration. The second part of my talk will concentrate on parasites and how they can affect the behavior and ecology of their hosts, from affecting body condition, sociality to behaviour. Lastly, I will briefly talk about climate change and what potential problems that will entail in regard to parasites and their hosts, and conclude with a remark on the importance of long-term research on marked individuals. 

Bio

Lee Foote is an applied ecologist who uses scientific approaches for solving real-world problems.  He holds degrees in Forestry, Wildlife Management and has a PhD in Wetland Ecology from Utah State University.

He has been a professor of Conservation Biology at the U of A for 21 years and his publications and his student’s topics range from wetland reclamation to Botswana biodiversity, to Nunavut peregrine falcon habitat to philosophy of wildlife use.  

Lee is an avid photographer, hunter, and folk musician.  He is married to Dr. Naomi Krogman, Dean and environmental sociologist at Simon Fraser University. Lee retires on 30 June and moves over to join her.  They have two daughters, a Labrador retriever, and a house for sale.

Bio

Matt Besko is currently the Director of Wildlife Policy for Alberta Environment and Parks, Resource Stewardship Division. During the course of his career, he has worked as a Landscape Ecologist, Wildlife Habitat Biologist, Game Biologist, Species at Risk Specialist, and Director of Fisheries Policy over a period of 27 years in 3 Provinces. He is especially interested in wildlife ecology, conservation of forested landscapes, and the management of game species. He dabbles in the philosophy of human-dimensions in wildlife management and the concept of wildness, as well as the practical application of novel approaches to wildlife allocation and use.

Matt lives in Edmonton with his family and Scouty the Longhaired Weimaraner, and when not working he is reading, writing, hunting, bbq’ing meats of many origins, and eating. Especially eating.

Bio

Dr. Brad Stelfox started the ALCES modeling platform and Group in 1995, which focuses on the interface between human land uses and regional landscapes. The major development stream has been ALCES Online© (A Landscape Cumulative Effects Simulator) a simulator rapidly gaining acceptance by government, industry, the scientific community, and NGOs to explore issues between landscapes, land uses, and ecological and economic integrity. Today, the ALCES Group is a collection of ecologists, landscape planners, and resource analysts whose mission is to be a world leader in the delivery of land use cumulative effects simulation modelling tools, strategic land use planning advice, and the provision of practical strategies to assist government, business, and society in making balanced, informed decisions. 

Dr. Stelfox received the William Rowan Award (The Wildlife Society) in 2011, the Outstanding Leadership Award of the Canadian Boreal Initiative (2009), the Alberta Emerald Foundation Award (2004), and the Alberta Science and Technology Award (2003) for his contributions with the ALCES model in advancing understanding of land use sustainability issues, and in seeking solutions that balance economic, social, and ecological indicators.

Dr. Brad Stelfox is an adjunct professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta and.  He and his wife Sarah live in Calgary.

Bio

Todd Zimmerling has an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Alberta and an M.Sc. and PhD. in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. He is a Professional Biologist with 29 years of experience working on a wide range of wildlife and fisheries related projects across western and northern Canada. In 2007, after 14 years as an environmental consultant, Todd took over the role of President & CEO of the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), where he oversees a staff of 85 dedicated conservation professionals. In his spare time Todd enjoys hunting and fishing with family and friends.

PO BOX 4990
Edmonton AB
T6E 5G8

Professional refers to someone who works with wildlife and/or their habitats in a professional setting.

In this context, it is not in reference to a legal professional designation.

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