History of the ACTWS

In 1988, the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society emerged with a vision to foster collaboration and excellence in wildlife science and management within the province. The founding committee, comprised of passionate individuals dedicated to advancing the understanding and conservation of Alberta’s wildlife, in conjunction with a cadre of enthusiastic charter members, played a pivotal role in shaping the foundation of the chapter.

The founding committee members included: Morley Barrett, Mike Dorrance, Bill Glasgow, and Bill Samuel.

These visionaries shared a commitment to the principles of wildlife conservation and recognized the need for a dedicated platform that would bring together professionals, researchers, students and enthusiasts in the field. Building on sporadic previous attempts to try to organize wildlife professionals, their collective efforts laid the groundwork for a new organization that would serve as a hub for knowledge exchange and research collaborations associated with Alberta’s diverse wildlife.

Their collective energies paved the way for the establishment of a dynamic chapter that continues to thrive today. The Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society remains steadfast in its mission to promote the stewardship of wildlife and their habitats through science-based approaches, building upon the legacy set forth by the dedicated individuals who founded it in 1988 and those who have actively taken up the ongoing challenge since then.

Please see the ACTWS timeline, below, for our history highlights. If you’re interested in learning more, please click here.

Click here to view our historical list of Executive Board Members, Award Winners, and Scholarship Recipients.

1988-1989
Founding the ACTWS

Founding Committee:
Morley Barrett, Mike Dorrance, Bill Glasgow, Bill Samuel

The charter was proclaimed in April 1989 at the Northwest Section TWS meeting in Banff, Alberta. The Founding Committee conducted the business of the Chapter through 1989, established Bylaws for the Chapter, provided a slate of nominees for the 1990 Executive, arranged for the development of our logo, and organized the first Annual Meeting of ACTWS.

November 1989: the first issue of the Alberta Wildlifer was published (M.J. Pybus, Editor). Click here to read the first publication.

There were 61 registered members.

1990-1995
First Annual Meetings & Establishment of Awards and Scholarships

William Rowan image (credit:UofA Trail Magazine)  

1990

First Annual Meeting ACTWS: January 19 & 20, Black Knight Inn, Red Deer

1991

Second Annual Meeting ACTWS, March 23 & 24 – Convention Centre, Edmonton. Meeting held in conjunction with the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.

Establishment of the William Rowan Award for Distinguished Service. First Recipient: William Fuller, University of Alberta (retired), Edmonton.

1992

Establishment of the ACTWS Student Scholarship Fund. Initially, this was to be a Northwest Section project. However, the Section withdrew and the Chapter carried on. 

1993

Establishment of Student Presentation Award ($100) to recognize the best student presentation at the ACTWS Annual Meeting. Recipient: Doug Collister, University of Calgary.

First ACTWS Auction. Proceeds ($1024.75) deposited in Student Scholarship Fund.

ACTWS was represented by Blair Rippin on a Citizen’s Advisory Committee dealing withthe issue of feral horses at Canadian Forces Base Suffield.

As of June 1993, there were 93 regular members in good standing and 17 student
members.

1994

First ACTWS Dedicated Service Award presented to Margo Pybus, Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Edmonton.

First ACTWS Student Scholarship ($500) competition was opened to students entering 4th year of a university program in the fields of Environmental Design, Biological Sciences, Forest Sciences, Animal Sciences, Zoology, or a related field.

As of September 1994, there were 158 registered members of ACTWS.

1995

A committee was established to develop protocols for a scholarship for students enrolled in a technical field of the profession.

A promotional brochure was developed for ACTWS and the Chapter display was
upgraded.

Committee guidelines and protocols were developed.

1996-2000
Expanding Our Reach

1996

A Student/Mentor program was incorporated into the conference.

First offering of a scholarship for students in a wildlife technical program, The Bob Goddard Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Melissa Richholt. 

Extended membership drive within a wide range of organizations/industries/ businesses throughout Alberta, B.C., Yukon, and Northwest Territories. As of November 6, 1996, ACTWS membership is 240, including 79 students. Approximately 70% of the members are male and 33% list government as their primary affiliation. University, college, and consultants were listed in similar proportions (10-15%).

1998

ACTWS was involved in establishing a working committee on Endangered Species in Alberta, review of a development strategy for the Bow Valley, review of proposed federal endangered species legislation and proposed provincial policy towards public lands. 

2000

Due to past successes, increased participation and interest, and by demand, the Annual Meeting was extended to two full days. This meeting was coordinated with the Lethbridge Community College Student Chapter of TWS. Establishment of a student chapter TWS at the University of Alberta also was recognized. Fundraising for student scholarships broke new ground by including a fun casino in conjunction with the traditional auction. Auction proceeds were $4107. The first-ever photo contest was added to the fun. Registered attendance was 201, including 68 students.

The ACTWS website was upgraded and contains all ACTWS newsletters, ACTWS brochure, A History of ACTWS (the first ten years), job notices, links to a wide range of wildlife-related sites including TWS, and ACTWS membership application.

2001-2005
Supporting Our TWS Community

2001

The first ACTWS Post-graduate Scholarship was awarded to Curtis Stambaugh, University of Alberta.

The ACTWS Executive Guide was completed. The document provides an overview of the structure and function of ACTWS, summary of previous Executive decisions, current ACTWS bylaws, and documented history of the chapter.

2004

The Chapter hosted the 11th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society in Calgary – the first time this meeting has ever been held outside of the USA. This massive undertaking, headed up by TWS staff and Local Co- Chairs Terry Kowalchuk and Arlen Todd, required years of planning and concerted effort by many volunteers. The conference attracted some 1300+ delegates to downtown Calgary and provided a somewhat bewildering array of 49 sessions of Symposia (invited speakers) or Contributed Papers, in addition to three separate poster sessions of 60 at a time.

The Conservation Committee was active with issues associated with public access management and a questionable land deal made by the provincial government involving potato farms [spudgate]. In recognition of his significant contributions to the Chapter, the Scholarship Committee awarded the first Ian Ross Memorial Scholarship (formerly the ACTWS Undergraduate Scholarship). Members of Ian’s family watched as the first recipient accepted her reward.

The Executive also accepted a recommendation from the scholarship committee that each of the three scholarships be raised from $1000 to $1500.

2006-2019
Beyond Annual Meetings

2007

A new Canadian Section TWS is in the works and once established, ACTWS will move from NWS to CSTWS.

2011

A strong effort from Chapter members in Lethbridge saw the initiation of a series of public information sessions entitled Wildlife
in the Wind. The series is hosted by the Chapter and is quite popular.

2012

The Chapter entered the world of social media by initiating a Facebook site.

2013

The chapter outreach committee came up with a new initiative for added fun and proceeds by selling Species At Risk beer and T-shirts.

2016

In 2015/16 ACTWS was beneficiary of a substantial contribution from the estate of Mr Larry Norman Comin, these funds were used to support our chapter and to develop an annual photo contest to honour Mr. Comin.

Also in 2016 formal approval process was completed on all fronts (ACTWS Exec, ACTWS members, TWS, and AB Corporate Registry) and the revised Chapter Bylaws (April 2015) were fully ratified. The Chapter continues to thrive with nearly 300 current members, 440 followers on Facebook, and over 400 followers on Twitter.

2019

The highlight of 2019 was an amazing recognition from our parent society. TWS chose the Alberta Chapter as their Chapter of the Year (2019)! The news went public at the TWS conference in Reno, Nevada and Evie Merrill (Canadian Rep on TWS Executive) was on hand with a warm smile and much gratitude to accept the plaque on behalf of all current and past members of ACTWS. It speaks volumes on an international stage that the Chapter efforts and activities are so well received among wildlife professionals.

2020-2024
A New Era

2020-2021

The conference that almost happened. Instead, annual conferences were held virtually. This also led to the development of our online workshops and webinars throughout the year to educate our members and the public on current wildlife research. 

2023

The Canadian Section TWS signed a formal affiliation agreement with the parent TWS in January 2020. The formal chapter relationship and role was buttoned up in January 2023 in a signed affiliation agreement with CSTWS [chapters affiliate with Can Section rather than parent TWS]. This provides for the relationship to be tailored to Canadian needs and legal processes.

The ACTWS was awarded a grant by the Alberta Conservation Association to establish the Hunting Mentorship Program and Fish Conservation Programs to provide hands-on learning opportunities about the role hunting and fishing plays in wildlife conservation. 

The ACTWS was also awarded the Multi-culturalism and Anti-racism grant by the Government of Alberta to help broaden our community and provide education on inclusivity. 

2024

Our largest conference to date that sold out our venue with 250 attendees. We also had one of our best ever auction events and were able to garner a total of $15,788. It was also our best year for sponsorship, raising over $30,000.

Also in 2024, the Executive board established a new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Scholarship. 

Our membership is the highest it has been to date with over 520 members.

PO BOX 4990
Edmonton AB
T6E 5G8

info@actws.ca


“Rooted in Wisdom: Deer Aging Techniques”

Embark on a journey of precision and insight with the Lethbridge College Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL) at the ACTWS Conference in Jasper! Join our workshop, ‘Rooted in Wisdom: Deer Aging Techniques‘, to explore the secrets hidden within wildlife teeth. Explore both the field technique of ‘tooth eruption and wear’ and the laboratory marvel of ‘cementum analysis’ – both dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of ungulate ages. Delve into the heart of these techniques, comparing their accuracy and precision, with a revelation of the superior accuracy of cementum analysis. Learn the art of tooth extraction and witness the seamless process of submitting your own wildlife teeth to the WAL for aging through cementum analysis. Elevate your understanding of deer populations and contribute to the advancement of wildlife knowledge and bolster your resume with applied experience. Participants will gain hands-on familiarity with the field technique of jaw aging, and the lab process of tooth extraction, inspection, preparation, and cementum analysis. Join us in Jasper for a transformative experience at the intersection of field expertise and cutting-edge laboratory analysis!

Facilitated by the Wildlife Analytics Lab, Lethbridge College

Cost: $15

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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