Conference & Awards
2025 ACTWS Conference
7-9 MARCH 2025
DIGGING DEEPER TOGETHER: BIG DATA INSIGHTS
This year’s conference will explore the transformative power of big data in wildlife management and conservation. As we face increasingly complex ecological challenges, we will explore how large datasets—often referred to as “big data”—can be harnessed to improve decision-making and deepen our understanding of wildlife populations, habitat dynamics, and human impacts on the environment. Big data refers to vast amounts of information that, when analyzed, can reveal patterns that drive more effective conservation strategies.
However, managing and interpreting these massive datasets can pose significant challenges, including issues of data quality, integration, and the need for advanced analytics tools. Throughout the conference, we’ll uncover innovative ways to overcome these hurdles, from enhancing data collection methods to improving resource allocation and fostering collaboration.
Through engaging presentations, interactive workshops, and panel discussions, participants will have the chance to explore case studies, share best practices, and discuss how to integrate big data into policy-making processes. Together, let’s dig deeper into the insights that big data can provide, while addressing the challenges it presents, and pave the way for informed, evidence-based decisions that support sustainable wildlife conservation and management.
Conference Registration Rates
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ACTWS Regular Member: $300
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ACTWS Student Member: $180
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Regular Non-Member: $350
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Student Non-Member: $190
SPONSORS
ACCOMMODATIONS
- Quality Hotel Drumheller
Address: 100 6th Ave SE, Drumheller, AB
Phone: (403) 856-4444 - Canalta Jurassic Hotel & Cretaceous Conference Center
Address: 1103 Highway 9 S, Box 3009, Drumheller, AB
Phone: (403) 823-7700 - SureStay Plus by Best Western Drumheller
Address: 800 680 2nd St Southeast, Drumheller, AB
Phone: (403) 823-8887
- Quality Hotel Drumheller
We encourage you to book early to ensure availability and the best rates.
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, March 6th:
Wildlife, Wisdom & Wild Guesses with Dr. Jason Fisher! This will certainly be an event you won’t want to miss!
Friday, March 7th:
Friday promises to be action-packed with a variety of hands-on events, featuring:
- Field trip (10 am – 2 pm) at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
- Workshops (2 – 6 pm):
- Tooth Aging Workshop with the Wildlife Analytics Lab
- Native Amphibian and Reptile Identification with the Alberta Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy
- A Practical Introduction to Using Drones for Environmental Applications with Falcon & Swift Geomatics Ltd.
- Interactive Bird Study Skin Demonstration with Dr. Corey Scobie (Assistant Curator of Ornithology, Royal Alberta Museum).
- Screening and Discussion of the Medzih Story: Restoring a Caribou Landscape.
- Evening events: AGM, career fair, and mixer.
The day will begin with an opening prayer from an Elder of the Siksika Nation, followed by our keynote speaker, Elly Knight, who will set the stage for a day of presentations highlighting the latest advancements in wildlife research. In the evening, the banquet will offer a memorable experience featuring professional award and student scholarship recognitions, silent and live auctions, and live music to conclude the day on a high note.
Sunday, March 9th:
WILDLIFE, WISDOM & WILD GUESSES WITH DR. JASON FISHER
Thursday, March 6, 7:00 – 9:00 pm. at Yavis Restaurant (249 3rd Avenue West, Drumheller)
Join us for a fun and engaging night of wildlife stories and trivia! Dr. Jason Fisher, a leading researcher on boreal mammals and head of the Applied Conservation Macro Ecology lab at UVic, will share insights from his work and stories from the field. With over 80 published papers, his expertise is sure to spark great discussions! After the talk, put your wildlife knowledge to the test in a lively game of Wildlife Jeopardy. Come grab a drink with us, socialize, and learn something new!
Cost: Free! Be sure to arrive early to grab a good seat!
FIELD TRIP
March 7, 2024, 10a.m. to 2p.m., meet at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Join us for an exciting field trip to the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum, home to one of the most impressive fossil collections in Canada! Explore the rich history of prehistoric life and marvel at the incredible displays of dinosaurs and ancient creatures.
As part of this visit, you’ll experience the Scary Specimen Program, a thrilling 45-minute presentation featuring some of the museum’s most intimidating fossils. You’ll come face-to-face with a crocodile skull the size of a Smart car, the largest dinosaur claw ever discovered, and a creature with teeth bigger than a T. rex! A museum science educator will guide you through these awe-inspiring specimens and answer your questions in an engaging Q&A session.
Lunch is included, giving you time to relax and discuss the fascinating discoveries of the day. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive into the prehistoric past and uncover the mysteries of Alberta’s ancient world!
Cost: $55 (price includes your museum admission, the scary specimens program, and lunch).
WORKSHOPS
Please click ‘Register’ to learn more.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Minimizing data waste for improved wildlife conservation
Presented by Elly Knight
The field of ecology is undergoing a shift towards new technologies like remote sensing that have the potential to help us tackle wicked problems. However, those new technologies produce new data types, which complicates their use and can lead to data waste. Careful attention to old and new methods not only ensures compatibility, but can also offer opportunities to make better use of traditional data types. I’ll present two of the major tools for minimizing data waste: 1) deep learning classification models to maximize the information that can be obtained from remote sensors like acoustic recording units, and 2) statistical tools that allow for the integration of traditional survey methods with new technologies. I’ll use existing examples from my research and others to summarize how these two tools can improve our understanding of ecology, particularly for acoustic species, and where future research is still needed. I’ll then put these tools together with multiple data types to look at what minimizing data waste might look like in an adaptive monitoring and management framework. I’ll end by highlighting the concurrent shift in ecology towards collaborative, cross-disciplinary research that makes minimizing data waste in the era of big data possible.
Presenter Bio: Elly Knight a Quantitative Ecologist with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute and Boreal Avian Modelling Project and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. She is an applied ecologist interested in how environmental variation across temporal and spatial scales affects the ecology, distribution, and abundance of wide-ranging species. Her motivation in understanding that variation is to inform when and where wildlife conservation efforts will be most effective. Elly believes strongly in collaborative, integrative research because it facilitates knowledge transfer, standardizes datasets, and maximizes funding available for conservation.
BIG DATA PANELISTS
Please click on each panelist’s photo to read their abstract and bio.
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 execdirector@actws.ca, who will provide you with more details on available positions and how you can become an essential part of our conference planning team.
Notes:
A one-year regular Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society (ACTWS) membership is $20.76, and $5.42 for students. Please login or purchase a membership to obtain member registration rates.
If you are interested in becoming a Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society (CSTWS) member, a regular one-year membership is $20, and $10 for students. You can purchase your membership here.
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.
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:
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.
Workshop Presentation: High-level sponsors may also have the opportunity to present a workshop to showcase your products or work, further enhancing your visibility and connections with participants.
To explore sponsorship options and discuss the benefits, please contact us at sponsorship@actws.ca. We look forward to the opportunity to work together and make this conference an outstanding success.
SPONSORS
Awards & Scholarships
The ACTWS annually administers four professional awards, four student scholarships, and several student travel awards.
Larry Norman Comin Photo Contest Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025
Call for Poster Abstracts Extended!
The call for oral presentations for the 2025 ACTWS Conference has officially closed, but there’s still an opportunity to showcase your work! We have extended the deadline for poster abstract submissions. The submission portal will remain open until February 1st, 2025, or until all spaces are filled.
Submit your poster abstract as soon as possible to secure your spot. Presentations on all aspects of wildlife are welcome including ecology, management, research, monitoring, species biology, genetics, and new techniques.
Poster Session Details
The poster session will take place on Saturday afternoon and evening and is open to all conference participants.
Abstract Requirements
Please ensure your submission includes the following:
- Lead author name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number(s), and e-mail address
- Names and affiliations of additional authors
- Title of abstract
- A concise summary of the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions (250 words max)
The abstract you submit will be the final version printed in the program booklet, so please review it carefully before submission.
The conference agenda, including scheduled talks, will be released on February 7th, 2025.
Student Opportunities
Monetary awards are available for all presentation types, including posters and travel to the conference. Don’t miss this chance to gain recognition for your work! For more details, visit our Awards page.
We look forward to seeing your research at the conference!
Deadline: January 8, 2025
You are invited to submit titles and abstracts for oral presentations and posters at the 2025 conference of the Alberta Chapter 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:
- Traditional oral presentations – 12 minutes in length + 3 minutes for questions. Abstracts will be grouped into common themes and placed into concurrent sessions.
- Speed talks – 4 minutes in length.
- 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 endeavor to honor 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.
If you do not have results for your research, please consider submitting for a poster presentation, rather than oral.
Abstracts must include:
- Lead author name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number(s), and e-mail address
- Names and affiliations of additional authors
- Title of abstract
- 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 January 22, 2025. The agenda, including scheduled talks, will be released on February 7th, 2025.
Students: Monetary awards are available for all presentation types, posters, and travel to the conference. See details at Awards.
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
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 student@actws.ca.
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.
NERD NITE JASPER
March 7, 7:00-9:00 PM (doors open at 6:15), Jasper Legion, 400 Geikie St.
Join us at Jasper’s first Nerd Nite, for an evening of wildlife talks from wildlife nerds. Guest speakers include:
- Dr. Glynnis Hood – Beavers, more than just a great set of teeth.
- Dr. John Wilmshurst – Humboldt’s Legacy and our disappearing grassland wilderness.
- Eve Smeltzer – Primate politics: A story of dominance, coalitions, and coups
Secure your spot by registering HERE.
Cost: $7
WORKSHOPS
Please click on the workshop poster to learn more.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Panelists
Please click on each panelist’s photo to read their bio.
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
ACTWS Annual General Meeting
When: Friday, March 8th, 6:00 – 7:00 pm; Where: Sawridge Ballroom A
CSTWS Annual General Meeting
When: Sunday, March 10th, 1:30 – 2:30 pm; Where: Sawridge Ballroom
Join us for an engaging discussion on the ACTWS & CSTWS activities over the past year and discover exciting plans for the upcoming year. We encourage all members to attend and actively participate in shaping the future of our organizations. Your insights and contributions are essential as we reflect on our achievements and set the course for the year ahead.
The Bison Cultural Study, From Reintroduction to Reconciliation
Presented by William (Bill) Snow
The Bison Cultural Study is about returning a culturally important species to a culturally important landscape. The Plains Bison, or Tatanga, is a part of our origin stories, our ceremonies, our understanding of the world; including its past, present and future. The Bison Cultural study utilizes an Indigenous methodology, “Biculturalism” and an Indigenous process, “Cultural Monitoring” to combine Western Science and Traditional Knowledge, to bring forward knowledge that will add to our current understanding Bison history, cultural significance, and management. In this time of climate change, we hope to reconnect a keystone species to its landscape, while restoring a fractured relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups, in a process that may lead to meaningful reconciliation.
Presenter Bio: William (Bill) Snow is a member of the Goodstoney First Nation of the Stoney Nakoda Nations, and is the Acting Director of Consultation at Stoney Tribal Administration. This work involves the assessment of industrial resource projects within Stoney Nakoda Traditional Territory, of Southern Alberta, that involve consultations with government and industry.
Bill is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge – Business Administration, and since 2012, Bill has been an advisor & presenter for the University of Alberta “Thinking Mountains” Conference, the “Mountains 101” online program, and Canadian Mountain Network initiative. In 2018, Bill became a “Director at Large” with Canadian Wildlife Federation, and is currently the Chair of the Indigenous Relations Committee. In 2022, Bill helped to complete the “Bison Cultural Study” that offers Traditional Knowledge regarding the Bison Reintroduction to Banff National Park, as well as the Bison Cultural Study video that was completed in 2023.
WILDFIRE PANELISTS
Please click on each panelist’s photo to read their bio.
