BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ACTWS | Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.actws.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for ACTWS | Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Edmonton BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20170312T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20171105T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20180311T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20181104T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20190310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20191103T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20200308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20201101T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20210314T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20211107T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20220313T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20221106T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20230312T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20231105T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20240310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20241103T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20190101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20201013T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20201013T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200930T180500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201026T144755Z UID:18378-1602590400-1602594000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - Managing for Caribou Recovery I: A focus on habitat issues DESCRIPTION:Our October webinar was the first part in a two-part series focusing on caribou recovery. Our first round of talks focused on habitat related management research or actions that aim to better understand the effectiveness of habitat restoration and explore different land-use management options to recover caribou populations in Alberta.  \n\n\n\nThis webinar was sponsored by Fuse Consulting Ltd. \n\n\n\nSee the speaker abstracts here. \n\n\n\nWebinar Summary\n\n\n\nOur first speaker was Melanie Dickie from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI). Restoration of habitat has been identified as an essential component of caribou recovery\, but different intensities and forms of habitat restoration haven’t always been tested for efficacy. Melanie’s research explored the predicted success of restoration for recovering caribou using predator-prey simulations\, and empirically testing the effectiveness of restoration treatments. Melanie compared habitat use along restored linear disturbances and non-restored linear features. Through a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach\, she described caribou\, moose\, wolf\, and bear response to habitat restoration treatments. Caribou consistently tended to decrease their use of treated linear features as treatment intensity and cumulative area treated increased. Moose and wolves used linear features treated with high intensity treatments less\, but did not change their overall use of linear features within the restoration area as restoration progressed. Black bears were the least responsive to restoration intensity and the progression of restoration treatments. Melanie stressed the need for continued monitoring to measure restoration effectiveness as questions regarding how big or how intense a restoration effort should be remained unanswered. \n\n\n\nMatt Munson from the Dene Tha’ First Nation and Gillian Chow-Fraser from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society tag-teamed the next presentation sharing their efforts to integrate Traditional Knowledge in a community-based monitoring program with the ultimate goal of informing a management plan for a proposed Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA). Their work focused on the northwest corner of Alberta\, where an IPCA may create an opportunity for leadership by the Dene Tha’ First Nation in caribou recovery actions for the Bistcho herd. Their research approach prioritized collaborations and incorporating a diversity of perspectives in the monitoring program. Through a series of interviews and workshops\, they mapped Traditional Knowledge in the Bistcho Lake area to identify important features\, such as predator refuges\, resting areas\, and traditional hunting grounds. Through this mapping exercise\, they learned to expand their study area and identified critical areas for the Bistcho caribou herd. Using a western-science approach\, they worked with the Dene Tha’ to deploy a series of remote cameras to improve habitat selection modeling efforts and increase our understanding of how Bistcho Lake is used by the herd. Project outcomes include an integrated\, interdisciplinary knowledge base to inform caribou management planning\, and an empowered community that is regaining agency in stewarding their traditional lands and resources. \n\n\n\nOur webinar closed with a presentation about partial cutting by Kirby Smith. Kirby’s presentation focused on a logging method that was experimentally applied more than 20 years ago in west central Alberta with a goal of enhancing terrestrial lichens. This method of logging attempts to address the elimination of lichen habitat essential for caribou that occurs with conventional clear-cut logging\, reduce the creation of new access roads for logging\, and reduce habitat available to alternate prey species. Partial cutting is essentially a logging method that selectively removes a high percentage\, but not all of the trees. With partial cutting\, the timber is processed onsite instead of at roadside\, then the logs are carried to the road rather than skidded. This method experimentally removed up to 80% of the timber volume. This approach is more labour intensive\, thus generating more jobs. Treated areas did not increase moose forage availability and other research results suggest that additional species\, such as grizzly bears and bull trout\, could also benefit from the approach. Kirby is working with various ACTWS partners to recommend a 10-year experiment conducting partial cutting in areas that have already been approved for timber removal within mountain caribou range. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results\n\n\n\nThis webinar was attended by 55 people and 95% of them thought the webinar was useful. Most participants would recommend ACTWS webinars to others\, which is great! \n\n\n\nJoin us in November for Part 2 of Managing for Caribou Recovery where our talks will focus on species dynamics. Details to come on our events page. \n\n\n\nSee the Webinar!\n\n\n\nA video of the webinar is posted in our members area. \n\n\n\nSponsor a webinar!\n\n\n\nWe are always looking for corporate sponsors for our webinar series. Email Sarah if you’d like more information. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-managing-for-caribou-recovery-i-a-focus-on-habitat-issues/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/October-Webinar-Poster-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20201006T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20201006T113000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200930T181041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201015T204323Z UID:18383-1601978400-1601983800@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Workshop - Passing Oral Exams DESCRIPTION:Welcome to the first in the ACTWS fall/winter workshop series! \n\n\n\nDescription: The workshop will cover how a graduate student can prepare for and pass an oral exam (e.g.\, thesis defense\, candidacy)\, as well as how professionals can prepare for job interviews or testifying in the legislature.  \n\n\n\nThe workshop will lay out 6 key essential pieces of information that will pave the way for people to have greater success in passing oral exams. The workshop will involve interactive discussion and exercises.  \n\n\n\nOutcomes: All attendees will come away from the workshop with concrete exercises and skills to improve their oral exam performance.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nResults: We had 13 people attend this workshop and generated some great discussion. Dr. Foote shared some amazing tips and tricks from his book\, Oral Exams: Preparing For and Passing Candidacy\, Qualifying\, and Graduate Defenses. \n\n\n\nSummary: Our workshop focused on the “biggest hurdle in grad school”\, candidacy and oral defense exams. We talked about everything from committee selection to the types of questions you can expect in your exam and ways to answer them. Dr. Foote shared his perspective on the five types of exam questions: \n\n\n\nOnes you know the answer to and can easily provide it.One you don’t know the answer to (Pro tip: admit it honestly. It’s ok if you don’t know).Ones you are unsure of but may have an idea. (Hint: give qualifiers and use probabilities. Draw on the literature).Ones that you know the answer to but cannot answer for various reasons.\n\n\n\nWe also discussed ways to prepare\, study\, and practice to reduce the uncertainty you may feel about your exam outcome. \n\n\n\nDr. Foote shared his strategy for the best prepared 3-minute question answer and his advice for 3 months of preparation before your exam. \n\n\n\nA video of the workshop can be found in our members area\, so don’t worry if you missed it. \n\n\n\nThis was the first in our 2020-2021 workshop series. All workshops have discounted prices for members. Don’t be shy\, sign up and have access to the workshop for less and recordings of any you miss! An annual membership is only $20 – become a member here. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you are a member\, please Login to register for your free ticket.\n\n \n \n \n Username or E-mail\n \n \n \n \n \n Password\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Remember Me\n \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  \n \n \n Forgot Password URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/workshop-passing-oral-exams/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/Passing-Oral-Exams-Ad-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200917T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200917T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200828T173627Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200930T194047Z UID:18349-1600344000-1600347600@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - Understanding Distribution and Selection DESCRIPTION:Our monthly Lunch and Learn Webinars are quickly becoming my favourite thing! Our September webinar: Understanding Distribution and Selection\, was a great way to get back to work after the summer. From bats\, to wolverines\, to little owls\, this webinar discussed distribution and behaviour of animals we know relatively little about. The talks were truly on the front lines of creating new information about some very interesting species (added bonus – this may be the cutest webinar we’ve ever had)! \n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\nErin Low (University of Calgary): Effects of Forest Fire on the Bat Community in Waterton Lakes National Park \n\n\n\nRobert Anderson (Alberta Conservation Association): Characteristics of Wolverine Dens in the Lowland Boreal Forest of North-Central Alberta \n\n\n\nLisa Takats-Preistley (STRIX Ecological Consulting) – Year-Round Northern Saw-Whet Owl Movements Through a Banding Station in Central Alberta\, Canada \n\n\n\nRead the speaker abstracts. \n\n\n\nWebinar Summary\n\n\n\nOur first speaker\, Erin Low\, presented some of her graduate work from the University of Calgary. Climate change is increasing fire risk around Alberta\, and in 2017 a large portion of Waterton Lakes National Park burned in the Kenow Wildfire. There are seven species of bats in Waterton; Erin was primarily interested in habitat selection of little brown bats in burned and non-burned areas after the fire. Fires can have positive and negative impacts on bat habitat; they can increase habitat by creating more burned trees\, which are great for roosts\, but they can also result in extensive habitat loss. Erin radio tagged bats and compared their locations to the extent of known or possible roost trees in burned and non-burned areas. In 2019\, she had 10 little brown bats “on the air”. She found that reproductive females appeared to prefer roosting in buildings around the town of Waterton. Interestingly\, some of the bats in her study would go 20-30 km round trip from their roost to foraging locations! There was no significant difference between roosting availability in burned and unburned areas; buildings were important for maternal colonies. Male bats were tagged in 2020 and appeared more likely to roost in natural roosts and did not fly as far between roosting and foraging locations. Erin’s work sheds light on how little brown bats select habitat after a significant forest fire event. Erin’s work helps us better understand\, predict\, and prepare for the effects of wildfire on bats. \n\n\n\nNext up\, was Robert Anderson from the Alberta Conservation Association. Robert conducted some interesting research about wolverine den selection patterns in the boreal. Wolverines living in the boreal have a very different ecosystem to work with than mountain wolverines\, and their den selection reflects that. Robert’s study is one of the first to look exclusively at wolverines in the flatter\, wetter\, forested lands of the boreal. Although mountain wolverines prefer to den in areas with at least 1m snowpack\, areas in the boreal rarely have that snow depth. With 4 radio-collared females\, Robert captured some interesting data. He found that wolverines were very sensitive to disturbance and gathered most data with remote cameras and site visits after wolverines had left the area. His presentation contains an amazing video of a female wolverine moving her kits to a secondary den in the cover of darkness. Seven of the 8 dens he visited were located in the hollow created by a root-ball from a fallen tree; dens were about 1 m3 with a ~30 cm entrance. He found one den in logging debris in an old cutblock. Dens were located in wetland\, high windrow ecosites. Beaver and snowshoe hare appear to make up a large portion of the wolverine winter diet. Robert hypothesized that the moss covering the dens provides the required insulative capacity\, which may compensate for the lack of deep snow. Robert’s work is being applied by logging companies to plan forestry activities around conserving representation wind throw areas in mature forest. \n\n\n\nOur last talk of the day came from Lisa Takats-Priestley who shared her research on saw-whet owl migration patterns. Previous data efforts on this little owl were focused in the U.S. Lisa aimed to fill in some of the data gaps on the Canadian side of the border. She worked with other banding stations across Alberta and Saskatchewan to great success. In all\, she banded 148 owls in Beaver Hills in Alberta. Those birds have now become part of an inter-provincial research study involving 15\,099 in owls in Alberta and another 9\,000 in Saskatchewan! Her research shows that late September/early October\, around October 2nd  and 3rd\, are saw-whet owl migration prime time. Migrations were mostly in south and south east directions; the largest migration recorded was 1\,411 km! Some saw-whet owls are true migrants in the fall\, traveling various distances and following habitats. The results from the spring were less consistent with lower movement levels and less precision regarding the date of migration. Lisa found that young birds were different from adults\, perhaps being more nomadic. Thus\, there may be individual strategies between young and adults; some owls are true migrants\, others are partial migrants\, and some more nomadic. This research helps to create a more continental understanding of saw-whet owl movements and habitat selection. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results\n\n\n\nThis webinar was attended by 47 people and 96% of them thought the webinar was useful. All participants would recommend ACTWS webinars to others\, which is great! Thank you for that! \n\n\n\nJoin us in October for our next webinar! Details to come. \n\n\n\nSee the Webinar!\n\n\n\nA video of the webinar is posted in our members area. \n\n\n\nSponsor a webinar!\n\n\n\nWe are always looking for corporate sponsors for our webinar series. Call Sarah if you’d like more information. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-understanding-distribution-and-selection/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/September-Webinar-Poster-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200811T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200811T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200730T144832Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200930T194047Z UID:18322-1597147200-1597150800@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - Cascading Impacts: Community dynamics and landscape genetics DESCRIPTION:Speakers:\n\n\n\nBaily McCulloch (University of Alberta) – The New Top Dogs? Mesopredator response to wild removal in a changing landscape.Glynnis Hood (University of Alberta) – Ecological Compromise: Can alternative beaver management maintain biodiversity?Ian Gazeley (University of Lethbridge) – Species Reintroductions and Population Bottlenecks: Conservation genetics of Roosevelt Elk in southwest BC.\n\n\n\nRead the speaker abstracts. \n\n\n\nOur monthly Lunch and Learn Webinar series continues to share the research and work of our members. Each of these webinars focuses on a concurrent session from our cancelled 2020 conference. The August webinar\, Cascading Impacts: Community Dynamics and Landscape Genetics\, offered attendees an opportunity to learn about mesopredator response to wolf removal\, aquatic invertebrate community response to beaver management\, and genetics of reintroduced elk populations in BC. Research spanned from British Columbia to Saskatchewan and really got me thinking about the diversity of ecosystems we work in! \n\n\n\nThis webinar was sponsored by Bighorn Wildlife Technologies Ltd. \n\n\n\nWebinar Summary\n\n\n\nOur first speaker\, Baily McCulloch\, shared her graduate research examining how mesopredators (e.g.\, coyotes\, foxes) respond to wolf removal in Alberta’s boreal. Previous research on trophic cascades had shown that mesopredators are the only group that has a positive response to top predator control management strategies. Baily looked at populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan to compare how different levels of human development might impact this response. Her analysis matrix compared four situations with wolf control/no wolf control and human development/no human development. Her main research objective was to determine how the two management strategies impact mesopredator population density. She found that fishers and red fox populations increased in areas with less disturbance\, but there was no effect of wolf control on mesopredator populations. \n\n\n\nGlynnis Hood then discussed monitoring research that examined beaver ponds in Beaver County\, Alberta\, and then compared these results to previous research in nearby Miquelon Lake Provincial Park and the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. Beavers are recognized for their positive influence on aquatic biodiversity. In areas near human infrastructure\, pond levellers are used to control the depth of beaver ponds to prevent flooding. In areas where pond levellers had been constructed\, Glynnis and her team sampled aquatic invertebrates near beaver lodges\, in beaver channels leading to and away from ponds\, in open water\, and along vegetated edges. They identified 87 aquatic micro invertebrate taxa. Glynnis found that species richness was highest in beaver channel. Omnivorous invertebrates appeared to decrease and shredders increase after pond-leveller installation in beaver channels\, but all other functional feeding groups remained intact. Most importantly\, there were no other significant differences in biodiversity and community composition pre and post leveller installation. This research demonstrated that the levellers were not impacting aquatic diversity\, thus increasing their credibility as a management option to reduce flooding. \n\n\n\nOur last speaker was Ian Gazeley who discussed genetic bottlenecks and a reintroduced population of Roosevelt elk from Vancouver Island to the mainland. Roosevelt elk are Blue Listed in BC and are endemic to the west coast. After some concerning sightings of elk with recessive genetic conditions\, Ian was interested in looking at the genetic diversity of reintroduced populations. His work found that the Vancouver Island South population had a distinct genetic composition from all other populations and the Vancouver Island North population had the highest genetic diversity. When he examined mitochondrial DNA\, he found a distinct separation on Vancouver Island\, with distinct North and South populations\, but that the mainland herd had similar genetic attributes as North Vancouver Island. Ian’s results suggest there is limited connectivity between the Vancouver Island South and all other populations\, which may lead to genetic isolation. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results\n\n\n\nThis webinar was attended by 26 people and all of them thought the webinar was useful. Half of the attendees had been to an ACTWS webinar previously\, which is great! Thanks for coming back! Close to 70% of attendees would recommend an ACTWS webinar in the future. \n\n\n\nJoin us in September for our next webinar! Details to come. \n\n\n\nSee the Webinar!\n\n\n\nA video of the webinar is posted in our members area. (Apologies for cutting the first 2 minutes of the webinar. We had technical difficulties). \n\n\n\nSponsor a webinar!\n\n\n\nWe are always looking for corporate sponsors for our webinar series. Call Sarah if you’d like more information. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-cascading-impacts-community-dynamics-and-landscape-genetics/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/August-Webinar-Poster-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20200727T090000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20200805T090000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200722T171854Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200723T163545Z UID:18307-1595840400-1596618000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:BE WILD: An Experience Auction DESCRIPTION:The ACTWS has always been so grateful to have an array of experienced\, creative\, and supportive members. The support of our members has been integral to the success of our annual conference silent auction. This year\, we’re taking the auction online! We are excited to expand our auction into this new realm and open our fabulous prizes to all Albertans with an interest in wildlife! \n\n\n\nWhat is an Experience Auction?\n\n\n\nEach year\, some ACTWS members donate a guided experience as a prize for our silent auction. These experiences give people an opportunity to engage in an outdoor activity\, learn something new from experts\, and meet other ACTWS members. Examples of past experiences have included a weekend of hunting or fishing\, a weekend on a trapline\, and a day of wildlife photography. \n\n\n\nSelling experiences is a great way for the ACTWS to do what we do best – go outside and share our expertise with each other and our broader community. This is a great opportunity to get outside\, make new friends\, and learn new outdoor skills\, all while supporting your ACTWS! \n\n\n\nWhat are the prizes?\n\n\n\nSo far\, this year’s online auction features: \n\n\n\nAn Alberta Trapline ExperienceHunting with Dumb and DumbererA day of fly fishing in Montana or YellowstoneA weekend of fly fishing in Southern AlbertaA guided bear safety and behaviour hikeA wildlife photography lesson\n\n\n\nHow will the auction work?\n\n\n\nThe auction will launch on July 27\, 2020 at 9am and run until August 5\, 2020 at 9am. Detailed item descriptions can be found at: https://www.32auctions.com/BeWildACTWS. Each day we will highlight items on our social media and you can read more about each item through the links above. \n\n\n\nFollow these steps to bid on an item: \n\n\n\nGo to https://www.32auctions.com/BeWildACTWClick on “View All Items” on the left sidA yellow banner will appear at the top of the screen that says “You need to be logged in to participate. Would you like to login now or create an account?” You can either create an account or click on items to learn more about them.The items are all listed below an ad banner. Click on an item to see its bidding information. Scroll past another ad banner to read the complete item description.To bid on an item\, you’ll need to create a free account. Enter your email address and create a password. An email will be sent to you from 32 Auction to confirm your account.Bid on items at will!Cross your fingers and hope you are a winner!32Auctions will notify you if you are the winner once the auction ends on August 5. You can pay for your experience through the 32Auctions website. The ACTWS will email your prize to you and connect you with the donor to arrange the details.\n\n\n\nWe need your help!\n\n\n\nIf you have something you’d like to donate\, don’t be shy! Donate your experience before July 31\, 2020! Email Sarah with your donation or to brainstorm one! \n\n\n\nShare this post and the auction with your friends and family. The more people we have spreading the word\, the more interest and bids we can generate for these unique prizes. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/be-wild-an-experience-auction/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/Title-image.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20200716T120000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20200716T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200623T130941Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200930T194121Z UID:18258-1594900800-1594904400@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - A Shifting Climate: Changes in environmental and social conditions DESCRIPTION:Speakers:\n\n\n\n1. Cesar Estevo (University of Alberta) – A Hill Has Many Faces: The influence of topography on microclimates\, vegetation\, and boreal songbirds \n\n\n\n2. Alexandre Caouette (MacEwan University) – Elucidating the Distribution of a Non-Native Species of Katydid in Alberta Using Bioacoustics \n\n\n\n3. Howie Harshaw (University of Alberta) – The Human Dimensions of Waterfowl Hunting Participation: Understanding Albertan waterfowl hunting retention\, recruitment\, and reactivation \n\n\n\nOur Lunch and Learn Webinar Series continues to offer great opportunities for our members to share their important research. Our third webinar discussed how the Alberta landscape is changing with climate change\, a new non-native species\, and the human dimensions of waterfowl hunting. The diversity in topics kept me engaged well beyond the hour of the webinar!   \n\n\n\nWebinar Summary\n\n\n\nCesar Estevo presented a great talk about how climate change is impacting boreal birds and vegetation distribution. By examining topography and other landscape features\, he compared the potential for climate refugia between four sites across Alberta (2 in the northern boreal\, 1 in central Alberta\, and 1 in Cypress Hills). Cesar assessed species specific responses to fine-scale topographic variation by using a combination of models to explore how terrain influenced songbirds and tree distribution. He found that topography and local temperature were positively correlated with solar radiation and negatively correlated with terrain roughness. While all areas will get warmer with climate change\, they will also likely retain their heterogeneity. There were some mixed effects between birds and vegetation; in some cases\, birds seemed to display niche plasticity and were able to adapt to changing vegetative structures. Even though local refugia may be too small to accommodate all bird populations\, there is still good refugia potential in boreal ecosystems. \n\n\n\nOur second speaker\, Alex Caouette\, presented his work measuring the distribution of a new species of Katydid in Alberta. Alex used bioacoustics monitoring and audio recognition software to measure the presence of the Katydid across Alberta. His used data from ABMI monitoring sites across Alberta and his own sound recordings from sites known to contain this novel Katydid. By recording the Katydid in known locations\, he was able to test for that same call from other areas of the province. He first tested the effectiveness of his approach and technology and was able to identify 51 recordings of the Katydid in Alberta. His results did not find any Katydid calls outside of its known range\, but some new populations have been found using other methods. Alex is working to refine bioacoustics as a monitoring tool. His work may prove valuable for tracking insect distribution changes with climate change. \n\n\n\nIn a topic twist\, the webinar shifted with Howie Harshaw’s presentation detailing the human dimensions of waterfowl hunting in Alberta. He aims to understand peoples’ preferences so they may be incorporated into management. Howie found that barriers to hunting for existing hunters included access to good sites and time constraints. His research also showed\, however\, a disconnect between non-hunters and hunters. Some people didn’t hunt because of a lack of interest or a moral opposition to hunting. He compared various scenarios to better understand when people would choose to hunt and found three drivers: 1) competition from other hunters (people liked less competition); 2) travel time (people liked to hunt closer to home); and 3) harvest (people wanted to catch more birds). Waterfowl hunters strongly identified as conservationists and valued being in nature. Howie’s work contributes to broader conservations about waterfowl hunting and management. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results\n\n\n\nThis webinar was attended by 23 people and all of them thought the webinar was useful.   \n\n\n\nWe are happy that our webinars are being so well received! \n\n\n\nSee the Webinar!\n\n\n\nA video of the webinar is posted in our members area. \n\n\n\nSponsor a webinar!\n\n\n\nWe are always looking for corporate sponsors for our webinar series. Call Sarah if you’d like more information. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-a-shifting-climate-changes-in-environmental-and-social-conditions/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/Webinar-Flyer_July.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200609T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200609T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200601T041519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200615T184734Z UID:18213-1591704000-1591707600@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - Sharing the Landscape: Ecology of Human Infrastructure DESCRIPTION:Speakers:\n\n\n\nDee Patriquin (WSP Canada) – From Butterflies to Bears: Developingstandards for road ecology across Canada.Taylor MacLeod (University of Alberta) – Effects of FlowAugmentation: Are species selective towards a threatened benthic fish?Colleen Cassady St. Clair (University of Alberta) – Railway Mortalityfor Several Mammal Species Increase in Areas with Poor Sight Lines and Escape Terrain\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis FREE webinar was part of our monthly lunch and learn webinar series. Thank you to WSP for sponsoring this webinar! \n\n\n\nWebinar Summary\n\n\n\nOur first speaker\, Dee Patriquin\, gave an overall review of road ecology in Canada. Her meta-analysis examined best practices in road ecology from across Canada that could be applied by transportation agencies to improve connectivity. Although there are some standardized practices for design and construction\, they typically focused on environmental impact assessments. Some emerging topics she introduced included roadside vegetation management\, pollinator habitat\, caribou management\, as well as the aesthetics of crossing structures. It is clear that we are still at the beginning of understanding the multi-disciplinary impacts of crossing structures across Canada. There is\, as always\, so much to learn. \n\n\n\nTaylor MacLeod discussed the plains sucker in the Milk River in Alberta and Saskatchewan. They compared the plains sucker holding ability between the Milk River\, which has augmented flow based on a river diversion upstream\, to control sites without man-made fluctuations in flow. With videos\, they demonstrated how the plains sucker has adapted to hold station in lotic (stream) environments. Their research found that the plains sucker has an increased capacity to maintain its position during augmented flows in the Milk River\, and that other fish in the same family cope with high flows in different ways. They concluded that the effects of flow augmentation are species selective towards the plains sucker\, and that follow up work should look for evidence of energetic trade-offs.    \n\n\n\nColleen Cassady St. Clair shared the latest results from her lab’s multi-year project with Parks Canada and CP Rail examining mitigations for wildlife mortality on the railway through Banff National Park. Mitigating wildlife-train mortality is best accomplished at the site-specific level. Their model showed that mortality risk was related to the top speed of the train\, distance to water\, and curvature of the railway. They found different results for different guilds\, suggesting that high collision locations may be species and season specific based on habitat requirements. This research highlights the importance to consider why mortality occurs. You can find out more about this large research project here: https://uofastclairlab.wordpress.com/. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results\n\n\n\nSixty-seven people attend the webinar. Of those who answered our closing poll\, 35% and 65% thought the webinar was very useful and useful respectively; 95% of them would attend a future ACTWS webinar. \n\n\n\nWe are happy that our webinars are being so well received! \n\n\n\nSee the Webinar!\n\n\n\nA video of the webinar is posted in our members area. \n\n\n\nSponsor a webinar!\n\n\n\nWe are always looking for corporate sponsors for our webinar series. Call Sarah if you’d like more information. \n\n\n\nEmail us if you’re interested in sponsoring future webinars. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-sharing-the-landscape-ecology-of-human-infrastructure/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/Webinar-Flyer_June.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200522T165120 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200522T165120 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200522T225119Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200522T230513Z UID:18142-1590166280-1590166280@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Dee Patriquin Webinar DESCRIPTION:Dee Patriquin is going to present an amazing webinar \n\n\n\n\n\n\nLog in to your ACTWS account to view the webinar link! Become a member with the Join tab at the top of the page. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/dee-patriquin-webinar/ CATEGORIES:Webinars ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/blanchard-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200521T215700 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200521T215700 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200522T035659Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200522T035703Z UID:18132-1590098220-1590098220@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Test2 DESCRIPTION: URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/test2/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200521T214413 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200521T214413 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200522T033553Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200522T034416Z UID:18120-1590097453-1590097453@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Test Webinar DESCRIPTION:this is merely a test URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/test-webinar/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200513T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200513T130000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200601T041405Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200601T041408Z UID:18211-1589371200-1589374800@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Webinar - Cumulative Effects of Land Uses in Alberta's Southern East Slope Watersheds DESCRIPTION:Speakers:\n\n\n\nSarah Milligan\, ALCES: Cumulative Effects of Land Uses and Conservation Priorities in Alberta’s Southern East Slopes. See the abstract.Sarah Elmeligi\, ACTWS – The C-5 Report and the ACTWS: Organizational perspectives and implications.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWebinar Summary:\n\n\n\nLast year\, the ACTWS commissioned ALCES to conduct a cumulative effects assessment of the Southern Eastern Slopes to model long term impacts of human use across the landscape. The model compared “business as usual” to “increased protection” scenarios. The purpose of this project was to provide scientific analyses and modeling that could inform land use planning along the Eastern Slopes. The results from this work will be used by several ACTWS partners to ensure that the best-available science is part of decision-making processes and land use plans in the study area. \n\n\n\nSarah Milligan discussed the project objectives\, results\, and implications. The lands with the highest conservation potential lie to the west of the study area. Results show that conservation efforts in the headwaters have the best potential to conserve native trout habitat with the least economic impacts. The full report is available here. \n\n\n\nSarah Elmeligi discussed the implications of projects like this for the ACTWS. Funding new research is something the ACTWS has not explored before. Although this kind of work isn’t our normal stream of work\, research results are helpful and timely for various land use planning process that are happening right now. There could be other models to explore future projects like this. \n\n\n\nWebinar Results:\n\n\n\nForty-one people attended the webinar and were asked a few closing questions. Here are those results. \n\n\n\n51% and 46% of participants found the webinar “very useful” and “useful” respectively.94% of participants said they would attend future ACTWS webinars.63% and 31% of participants answered “yes” and “maybe” respectively when asked if the ACTWS should pursue projects like this in the future.\n\n\n\nSee the webinar!\n\n\n\nA recording of the webinar can be found in our members area. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/webinar-cumulative-effects-of-land-uses-in-albertas-southern-east-slope-watersheds/ CATEGORIES:Webinars END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200320T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200320T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200224T033150Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210129T000546Z UID:14824-1584703800-1584705600@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Graduate School Oral Exams DESCRIPTION:How to Prepare for and Pass Graduate School Oral Exams (qualifying exams and defenses)\n\nPresented by Dr. Lee Foote\, Professor\, University of Alberta\n\nAuthor of Oral Exams: Preparing for and passing candidacy\, qualifying\, and graduate defenses (2016)  Academic Press\n\nFriday\, March 13\, 2020\n\n11:30AM-12:00PM\n\nNorsemen Inn\, Salon A1\n\nMost graduate students worry about their graduate oral exams – particularly\, how to best prepare\, how to manage nervousness\, what they will be asked\, how to frame answers appropriately\, and basically what their committee considers satisfactory. Unfortunately\, the available advice thus far has consisted of highly variable guidance from professors\, scary internet tales\, and graduated students’ horror stories.  In this short workshop we will change all of that with insights and compiled advice from many faculty members across a dozen disciplines and universities. This information is available in my recent book\, the contents of which will be outlined in workshop format to address the most common exam concerns.  This casual and interactive ½ hour presentation will give you the tools to understand committee selection and dynamics; recognize the types of questions you can expect; give specific advice on framing oral answers; describe techniques for handling  baffling questions; describe preparation time frames and techniques; and provide a description of “the bar” over which successful students must pass. By following this advice it is unthinkable that you won’t succeed in defending a worthwhile proposal or thesis. The information is crucial for both qualifying exams and defenses as well as expert testimony\, board oral exams\, and framing answers in a courtroom.\n\nHow to select a good committee?\n\nHow to prepare for questions?\n\nHow to frame a 3-minute descriptive answer?\n\nHow to address the impossible/unfair/trick/unknown question?\n\nWhat about antagonistic questioners?\n\nWhat are committee members really looking for to pass you?\n\n \n\nI will also invite questions and discussion afterward about your specific conundrums. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/graduate-school-oral-exams/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T164500 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T230000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200131T115335Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200202T075111Z UID:13152-1584117900-1584140400@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Owl Field Techniques DESCRIPTION:Presented by Lisa Takats-Priestley and Chuck Priestley\, STRIX Ecological \nThe first part of this workshop will kick off with an introduction to Alberta’s owls and their ecology. There will be an overview of standardized protocols used to monitor and research diurnal and nocturnal owls. Local owl research and monitoring efforts will be described and Lisa and Chuck will share ideas about how you can get involved. \nFor the second part of the workshop\, the group will travel together out to one of the Alberta Nocturnal Owl Survey routes where you will conduct surveys at ten long term monitoring stations. The roadside surveys are surrounded by some of central Alberta’s best owl woods. Data have been collected for more than a decade at these locations.\nPlease note: the workshop will begin in the Norsemen Inn Salon A1\, then a bus will transport workshop participants to the off-site owl survey locations. Please prepare for being outside at night for (possible) cold winter temperatures. Dress warm and carry a flashlight. A good motto for all owl enthusiasts!! \n\n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 25 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/owl-field-techniques/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200202T074131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200202T074131Z UID:13252-1584104400-1584115200@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Wildlife Necropsy DESCRIPTION:Presented by Dayna Goldsmith\, University of Calgary \nAugustana Miquelon Lake Research Station \nThis workshop will include instruction on proper necropsy/tissue collection procedures of small wildlife. An overview of the procedures will be presented with a hands on demonstration. Safe handling procedures will be emphasized. \n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 25 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/wildlife-necropsy/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T150000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200202T072959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200202T073245Z UID:13243-1584104400-1584111600@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Aquatic Invasive Species DESCRIPTION:Presented by Cindy Sawchuk\, AIS Operations/K9 Program Lead\, Alberta Environment and Parks \nAquatic Invasive Species are one of the greatest threats to our biodiversity. Alberta estimates that invasive mussels alone could cost the province $75 million annually if introduced into the province. In 2015\, the Government of Alberta introduced a team of K9s as an innovative tool for prevention of invasive mussels\, and their role has since expanded. This workshop will highlight the work of the Conservation K9 unit\, and a four-legged member of the team will be on hand to showcase his skills. \n\n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 50 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/aquatic-invasive-species/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/ais_k9.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T153000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200205T204930Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200205T204930Z UID:13689-1584091800-1584113400@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Miquelon Provincial Park and Ministik Bird Sanctuary Field Trip DESCRIPTION:Presented by Margo Pybus\, Alberta Fish and Wildlife\, and Glen Lawrence\, County of Strathcona \nFriday\, March 13\, 2020 \n9:30AM-3:30PM \nLocation: Surrounding Camrose area\, meet at Norsemen Inn registration desk \nCost: $10 – this includes bus transportation and a bagged lunch \nVisit our Shop to buy your ticket – limited to 53 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/ministikfieldtrip/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Field Trip ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200202T073721Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200211T095742Z UID:13247-1584090000-1584100800@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Winter Mammal Tracking DESCRIPTION:Presented by Joseph Litke\, P.Biol\, Fiera Biological Consulting and Stephen Olson\, Wildlife Biologist\, STRIX Ecological \nAugustana Miquelon Lake Research Station \nThis workshop will begin with a one hour indoor session to discuss tracking fundamentals\, including photos of wildlife track and sign from the Camrose area. The outdoor portion will be approximately two hours\, and will apply the participants tracking skills in a practical winter setting. \nPlease note: the workshop will be held at the Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station (location here)\, approximately a 30 minute drive from Camrose. Please arrange for your own transportation to and from the Research Station. Please prepare for being outside for the majority of the workshop and dress for (possible) cold winter temperatures. Please bring your own snowshoes\, if possible. Some snowshoes will be available to borrow. \n\n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 30 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/winter-mammal-tracking/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200313T110000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200129T021324Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200205T203654Z UID:13089-1584086400-1584097200@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Alberta Trapping DESCRIPTION:This workshop will review regulations\, methods and guidelines for trapping in Alberta. Canada leads the world in humane trapping standards\, standards that have been integrated into regulations for trapping in Alberta. Dr. Boyce will bring traps\, snares and fur-handling equipment to demonstrate how to make sets for various species. He will cover fur handling methods\, sales and markets. Finally\, Dr. Boyce will summarize how individuals can trap in Alberta in Registered Fur Management Areas (RFMAs) or with a Resident Fur Management Licence.\n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 50 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/alberta-trapping/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200312T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200312T210000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20200205T101012Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200205T102959Z UID:13560-1584039600-1584046800@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:Public Talk: Bison DESCRIPTION:In association with the ACTWS conference in Camrose\, AB\, we are hosting a public talk on bison. Join us for an evening of two interesting presentations by Bill Snow and Wes Olson. Bill Snow will be presenting a talk and a short film on the cultural perspective on the bison reintroduction in Banff National Park. Wes Olson will be presenting on the ecological buffalo: following the trail of a keystone species. \n  \nCultural Perspective on the Bison Reintroduction \nThe Bison Reintroduction in Banff National Park\, represents over 140 years exclusion of Bison in mountain landscapes. While there are many environmental benefits to having Bison on landscapes\, there are also cultural impacts to the Bison Reintroduction project. Bill Snow\, a Consultation Manager\, will cover the cultural and ceremonies that have been conducted in relation to the Bison Reintroduction since 2015\, and will discuss the historical and current importance that Bison have in Stoney Nakoda culture. A short film of place names in the Canmore and Banff area will also include the scenery of the Bison herd at Stoney Indian Park\, on the Stoney Indian Reserve. \nAbout the speaker: \nBill Snow (Stoney Nakoda / Yuma Quechan) is a Consultation Manager with Stoney Tribal Administration\, as well as a Director at Large for the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Bill has coordinated ceremonies for the Bison Reintroduction since 2014\, and will be conducting a cultural study on the Bison Reintroduction area in 2020\, as part of the Canadian Mountain Network initiative. Bill Snow is a member of the Wesley First Nation\, of the Stoney Nakoda Nation\, as well as a Dual Citizen of Canada / United States of America. \n \n  \nThe Ecological Buffalo: Following the trail of a keystone species \nFor more than 130\,000years bison have roamed the ecosystems of North America\, and while doing so\, have influenced the lives of every other species they shared space and time with. This presentation looks at some of the intricate\, and often unexpected relationships bison have with these species across their former range\, with an emphasis on the northern mixed-grass prairie. Reintroducing bison populations to areas of their former historic range re-establishes that relationships and improves ecological diversity. \nAbout the speaker: \nWes Olson was raised in the rugged foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. There\, on family camping\, hunting and fishing trips he began a life-long association with wild places and wildlife that live in them. Following graduation from college Wes worked for several years as a Wildlife Technician for the Yukon Government\, and in 1981\, began a career with Parks Canada as a National Park Warden in Banff\, and later in Waterton Lakes\, Elk Island\, Prince Albert and Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan. For over two decades Wes managed the plains and wood bison populations in Elk Island National Park\, and participated in the translocation and establishment of almost every free-roaming plains and wood bison population in Canada. Wes retired in 2012 and rather than stop working with bison\, established his own bison consulting company and continues to work in the field of bison conservation. \nWes’s passion for bison spills over into his creative side and he and his wife Johane have written the books\, “Portraits of the Bison; An Illustrated Guide to Bison Society”\, and “A Field Guide to Plains Bison.” These captivating books take the reader through bison society with rich illustrations\, photographs and descriptive text. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/public-talk-bison/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Public Talk ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20230309T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20230312T150000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20230103T231550Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230103T231554Z UID:20305-1678386600-1678633200@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:ACTWS 2023 Conference DESCRIPTION:This year’s theme:\nWhere The Wild Things Meet\n \n\nFind details about the conference on our Conference page. \nClick here to purchase tickets. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/actws-2020-conference-2/ LOCATION:Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre\, 1316 33 St NE\, Calgary\, T2A 6B6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200312T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20200315T170000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20191102T050015Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221214T043009Z UID:9874-1584036000-1584291600@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:ACTWS 2020 Conference DESCRIPTION:This year’s theme:\nSpecies on the Move\n\n\n\nFind details about the conference on our Conference page.\n\nVisit our shop to purchase tickets. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/actws-2020-conference/ LOCATION:norsemen inn\, camrose\, 6505 48th Ave\, Camrose\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T170000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181217T041954Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221214T043142Z UID:4306-1553259600-1553274000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Intro to Telemetry & Winter Tracking DESCRIPTION: A basic introduction to telemetry and winter wildlife tracking\, geared towards students and early career professionals. The workshop will start off with a classroom presentation on telemetry fundamentals and snow track identification\, followed by an outside component to practice the skills learned in the classroom. Participants should bring appropriate clothing and footwear to spend a couple hours outdoors. \n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 60 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/intro-to-telemetry-winter-tracking/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181217T042717Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190126T043102Z UID:4316-1553259600-1553270400@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Defeat the dark side: how to use social media like a SciComm Jedi DESCRIPTION:Social media are more than just sharing photos of cats or food – the majority of online adults use social media as a news source\, and nearly 80% of social media users see science related content in their newsfeeds. Given the prevalence of pseudoscience and misinformation\, how can a scientist make their content stand out? Both facts and emotions go into decision-making however\, science communication typically relies on the communication of facts alone\, overlooking the influences of emotion on engagement and dissemination\, especially down social media networks. Indeed\, as a means of maintaining apparent neutrality\, scientists do not prioritize communication strategies that seek to build trust or establish public resonance however\, scientific information presented in an emotionally compelling way is given more consideration and weight than information that may be statistically more valid\, but emotionally neutral. We’ll workshop the use of techniques for creating social media posts that are both engaging and accurate\, to expand post reach and audience engagement for workshop participants. Bring a laptop or smartphone! \nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 60 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/workshop-defeat-the-dark-side-how-to-use-social-media-like-a-scicomm-jedi/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T084500 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T170000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181217T042311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181217T182839Z UID:4303-1553244300-1553274000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:FIELD TRIP: Bow Valley Corridor DESCRIPTION:This all-day field trip will focus on exploring wildlife corridors and connectivity issues in the Bow Valley around Canmore and Banff. We will visit several key areas including wildlife crossing structures\, wildlife corridors\, wildlife habitat enhancements and habitat mitigations. Although you will be travelling by bus we will be taking several short walks/hikes throughout the day.  Sensible sturdy shoes will be required as well as snacks and a water bottle. Lunch is not provided\, but we will be stopping in the Town of Banff so bring a bag lunch or plan to buy lunch. Space is limited to 50 people. Cost is $10. \n0845 Meet at the Coast Hotel in Canmore.\n0900 Explore the Bow Valley near Canmore\n1200-1300 Lunch in Banff\n1300-1600 Parks Canada tour near Banff\n1700 Return to the Coast Hotel in Canmore \nIf possible preview this link before coming on the field trip:\nhttp://livingwtwildlife.ca/ \nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 50 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/field-trip-bow-valley-corridor/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Field Trip ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181217T042219Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181217T182823Z UID:4309-1553241600-1553256000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Boreal Wetlands 101 DESCRIPTION:Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has over 80 years of experience delivering wetland conservation programs across Canada and over 20 years of experience working in Canada’s boreal forest. DUC’s National Boreal Program delivers introductory wetlands training geared towards industry\, government\, and other practitioners with the goal of raising awareness and understanding of boreal wetlands. This workshop will introduce participants to Canada’s boreal wetlands with a focus on the Canadian Wetland Classification System’s five major wetland classes. The workshop will cover topics including wetland ecology\, hydrology\, functions\, and values. Participants will learn about regional wetland classification systems\, such as the Alberta Wetland Classification System and DUC’s Enhanced Wetland Classification System for the Boreal Plains ecozone\, as well as vegetation and soil indicators that can be used to assist with classification. The workshop will address approaches to incorporating wetland knowledge into decision-making and will provide participants with opportunities for discussion. We will use new technologies\, such as 360 degree imagery\, to bring wetlands into the classroom. \n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 20 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/boreal-101/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190322T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181217T041604Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181217T182823Z UID:4299-1553241600-1553256000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Certified Wildlife Biologist DESCRIPTION:The CSTWS Certification Committee is hosting a ½ day workshop dealing with TWS Certification. The first part of the agenda will be dominated by a series of speakers dealing with certification: an overview of the program; efforts to model university/college curricula to conform to TWS standards; and testimonials by male and female Certified Wildlife Biologists about why certification has been important for them in their wildlife careers. Mid-way through\, there will be a working session designed to provide participants an opportunity to discuss certification. To end the workshop\, a panel of male and female Certified Wildlife Biologists will talk about issues facing TWS Certification in Canada and some thoughts on its future. \n\nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 60 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/workshop-certified-wildlife-biologist/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190322 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190325 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20181215T053825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241030T001848Z UID:4288-1553212800-1553471999@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:ACTWS 2019 Conference DESCRIPTION:This year’s theme:\nCONNECTIVITY\n\n\nFind details about the conference on our Conference page (more details coming soon).\n\nVisit our shop to purchase tickets. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/actws-2019-conference/ LOCATION:Coast Canmore\, 511 Bow Valley Trail\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190321T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20190321T210000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20190215T175503Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190222T192857Z UID:5669-1553194800-1553202000@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:PUBLIC TALK: Colleen Cassady St. Clair DESCRIPTION:Attractants\, adaptation\, and learning in bear-train collisions\n\n\nColleen Cassady St. Clair is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. She and her students study the way wildlife use and move through human-dominated landscapes\, which frequently involve human-wildlife conflict. They seek novel solutions to those problems by combining ideas and methods from animal behaviour\, wildlife management\, and conservation biology. Recent projects address coexistence between people and coyotes in urban areas\, train strikes on grizzly bears\, and bird mortality at industrial sites.\n\nRoads and railways create foraging and travel opportunities that attract wildlife\, as well as risk of mortality from collisions.  Over the past two decades\, train strikes appeared to threaten a vulnerable population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff National Park resulting in the Joint Initiative for Grizzly Bear Conservation by Canadian Pacific and Parks Canada.  My team at UofA addressed its goals\, to identify the root causes of this mortality and recommend potential mitigation\, with core contributions by Jonathan Backs\, Alyssa Friesen\, Aditya Gangadharan\, Jack Hopkins\, Patrick Gilhooly\, Maureen Murray\, Scott Nielsen\, Sonya Pollock\, and Julia Put.  We measured forage opportunities associated with the rail\, monitored habitat and rail use of bears fitted with GPS collars\, and examined spatial and temporal correlates of past mortality. We found that the rail generates substantial food attractants as well as mortality of many species. Rail use by bears was highly variable among individuals and appeared to have diverse motivations\, but did not predict sites of past mortality.  For bears\, rail strikes may sometimes result from inadequate or maladaptive learning that might be mitigated with warning devices similar to those employed on railways for people. We support existing mitigation to minimize rail-side attractants and enhance alternative travel routes\, but also emphasize the role of animal learning to reduce collision risk. This approach could increase the speed and reduce the costs of mitigation for railways around the world\, relative to conventional mitigation used for roads based on exclusion fencing and crossing structures. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/public-talk-colleen-cassady-st-clair/ LOCATION:Canmore Opera House\, 400 Spring Creek Dr.\, Canmore\, AB\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Public Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.actws.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Colleen-Office-January-2019-e1550628797846.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20180309T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20180309T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20180109T050100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181217T182823Z UID:3170-1520600400-1520611200@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Spatial Capture-Recapture Modelling in R DESCRIPTION:Brief introductory lecture on spatial capture-recapture modelling followed by an interactive session where participants will work through an example dataset using the statistical program R and the package ‘secr’ and ‘scrbook’. Prior knowledge of R is recommended.  Participants will be required to bring their own laptop\, with R or R-Studio installed.  \nVisit our Shop to pick up your free ticket – limited to 25 participants. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/workshop-spatial-capture-recapture-modelling-in-r/ LOCATION:Lethbridge Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre\, 320 Scenic Drive South\, Lethbridge\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20180309T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20180309T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T223818 CREATED:20180109T044633Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181217T182823Z UID:3161-1520600400-1520611200@www.actws.ca SUMMARY:WORKSHOP: Remote sensing - Cameras and ARUs DESCRIPTION:Interactive workshop detailing how to program and deploy acoustic recording units (ARUs; eg. Wildlife Acoustic Song Meters+ and Anabat)  and camera trap (eg. Reconyx). The workshop will include a field component to show participants proper in-field set up techniques. \nTHIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL. URL:https://www.actws.ca/event/workshop-remote-sensing-cameras-and-arus/ LOCATION:Lethbridge Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre\, 320 Scenic Drive South\, Lethbridge\, Alberta\, Canada CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshop ORGANIZER;CN="ACTWS":MAILTO:info@actws.ca END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR