The Alberta Wildlifer
Spring/Post-AGM 2003, Vol. 14, No. 2
Editors: Sue Cotterill and Matt Besko
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The Alberta Wildlifer |
Spring/Post-AGM 2003, Vol. 14, No. 2 |
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Editors: Sue Cotterill and Matt Besko |
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Thanks to everyone who helped to make the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual conference in Red Deer so much fun. This conference was a wonderful way to begin my tenure as President of the ACTWS. It turned out that Red Deer was an excellent venue for the conference attracting roughly 200 participants, over 1/3 of whom were students. One thing that impressed me was how everyone sat through each and every talk for both days of the conference. Clearly our membership is very keen to learn about all of the exciting wildlife work underway in Alberta.
A large number of our membership participated in helping to organize the conference. A few of these people contributed an extraordinary effort and merit special recognition. Stephen Taerum, President of the University of Alberta Student Chapter, spent countless hours helping with fundraising, coordinating the auction on Friday evening, and organizing the many ways that students contributed to the conference. Chris Shank kept our books organized and continues to ensure that money flows to the appropriate coffers (I still owe $350 for the beautiful soapstone carving that I bought at the auction). Cathy Shier helped me by organizing the conference agenda, printing the programs, and countless other tasks. Doug Collister assisted with fundraising and helped to ensure the financial success of the conference. Troy Sorenson again coordinated the photo contest and enlisted a number of spectacular photos. Lee Foote convinced his friends to provide free entertainment on Friday evening in a performance by the magnificent Boreal String Band!
The fundraising banquet and auction set a new record, raising $5,600 that goes directly into the scholarship account for students. The list of contributors for the auction was as long as your arm. Thanks to everyone for their support of this effective fundraising venture.
The books would not have balanced had it not been for contributions from our corporate sponsors. These include Alberta SRD’s Fish and Wildlife Division, Axys Consulting, Forem Technologies Inc., Golder Associates, Lotek, Alberta Research Council, AlPac, ARC Wildlife Services and Ursus Consulting. Thanks very much to these generous sponsors.
The Wildlife Society recommends that sponsoring chapters not hold a separate meeting during the year of the annual conference. Therefore, during the next year we will not host another chapter meeting because we are the sponsoring chapter for the big annual conference. Instead we encourage everyone to become involved in the September 2004 Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society to be held in Calgary. There is no greater service to our profession than hosting this crucial meeting, and we are indebted to ACTWS’s former president, Arlen Todd, for organizing this enormous event.
Sincerely, Mark Boyce, President
Photos of all award winners are located at the end of the newsletter.
Our 2003 annual conference had the theme of Integrated Resource Management, reinforced by beginning each session with an invited keynote speaker. We had a full agenda with 33 presentations, and no dead time during two full days of the conference.
Our first keynote speaker was Al Sanderson, who appropriately is the Director of Integrated Resource Management for Alberta Environment, speaking appropriately about “Integrated Resource Management in Alberta.” Alberta has been working for a couple years on the Northern East Slopes Sustainable Resource and Environmental Management Strategy, which is near completion. Al has launched a new initiative for southern Alberta that is progressing rapidly. These planning initiatives are an attempt to consider all of the various demands for Alberta’s land base and to contemplate the consequences of alternative development strategies. Sustainability is the key concept, applied broadly in context of a resource-extraction economy, but also giving attention to fish and wildlife resources.
The contributed paper session kicked-off by Al Sanderson’s keynote address followed the theme of IRM. Jim Schieck spoke about his research on avian community responses to residual tree patches in forest cutblocks. Firman et al. then gave a presentation on constraints mapping for identifying the suitability of the landscape for SAGD development in the oil sands region of NE Alberta. Constraints mapping is a process that fits squarely into the objectives of IRM, affording opportunity for early consideration of wildlife values during energy development. The next presentation by Phil Lee dealt with a sticky issue in IRM related to riparian buffers. Although protected riparian buffers have been established by Alberta SRD regulations, the suitability and effectiveness of these logging buffers requires careful scrutiny to balance a variety of fish and wildlife resource needs. The final paper in the IRM group was by Bradbury et al., dealing with nonvascular plant communities in cutblocks of various sizes and residual tree patches.
The remainder of the morning engaged our “biodiversity” session with two very nice papers on bats (by Patriquin et al. and Lausen), one on long-toed salamanders (by S. Hanus), and a paper on modeling wolf predation on elk at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch on Alberta’s east slopes (by Mark Hebblewhite filling in for Margo Pybus). We were all fascinated by all the glorious natural history presented in these four excellent presentations. We are fortunate to live in a province hosting such incredible animals, despite the low diversity of our chiropteran and amphibian fauna. Hebblewhite tweaked dormant brain cells, forcing us to think outside the box on new ways to deal with spatially structured predator-prey interactions—an unresolved issue in ecology for at least 45 years.
For the afternoon session our keynote speaker was the University of Alberta’s NSERC ARC Industrial Chair in Integrated Land Management, Stan Boutin, speaking on “A chronosequence approach to cumulative effects management.” Clearly many of the principles of cumulative effects management are central to the forward-thinking approaches of IRM. Stan drove home the point that we must think on large spatial and temporal scales if we are to make decisions that really make a difference.
The remainder of the afternoon was dominated by the ‘Stan Clan’, i.e., students and postdocs from Stan Boutin’s ILM research laboratory. Arin MacFarlane highlighted conclusions from her work on vegetation on seismic lines. Phil Lee took the stage again to explore the appropriate scale for managing forested habitats in Alberta’s boreal forest region. Another ‘Stan Clan’ postdoc, Erin Bayne, summarized studies of cumulative effects of linear features on avian communities near Lac La Biche. Then Nicky Koper from the U of A gave a presentation on her work on habitat edges for waterfowl and songbirds in southern Alberta. Stan’s ‘clan’ dominated the poster session as well with several graduate students presenting research results related to wildlife consequences of the rapidly increasing industrial footprint in Alberta.
The final collection of four papers for the Friday afternoon session dealt with habitat selection studies, fundamental to anticipating IRM for individual species. Scott Nielsen used resource selection functions to explain how grizzly bears in the Yellowhead region use forest cutblocks. Jess Dunford presented surprising results about caribou selecting burned areas where there is little lichen biomass, but apparently a better view to watch for wolves. The final intellectual content for Friday came in the form of a paper by Kuzyk and Schmiegelow on the response by wolves to cutblocks on the NE slopes of Alberta. A clear direction in this habitat-selection session was the increased quantitative rigour and objectivity that now prevails in studies of wildlife habitats.
Remarkably, after the late-night fundraiser, nearly everyone showed up for Brad Stelfox’s early-morning Saturday keynote presentation on access management, stirring the pot on an issue on which Alberta must come to grips. Alberta nearly lost its carnivore biologist recently because he disagreed with the Minister of SRD on access management for grizzly bears. Existing data leave little question about the utility of access management for ensuring persistence of grizzly bears, moose and elk in many areas of the province. Based on resolutions forwarded at the annual conference of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, many people in Alberta are retrenched in the frontier attitude that everyone should have access to anywhere you can drive a 4x4 pickup truck.
Brad’s access-management discussion was reinforced by Jacqui Frair’s presentation on the behavioural responses by elk to roads on the central east slopes of Alberta. New GPS radio-telemetry allows collection of extensive movement data so that behavioural responses to environmental covariates can be modeled in detail. Lana Ciarniello and Saundi Stevens concluded the morning papers with talks on grizzly bear habitat selection; both papers making extensive use of remote-sensing technology to create GIS layers that can be used to predict grizzly bear use of habitats. Although not the focus of these talks, data from both the Parsnip project and the East Slopes Grizzly Bear study again point to opportunities afforded by access management to reduce grizzly bear mortality.
The final afternoon session was led by Ian Dyson’s mile-a-minute presentation on IRM for southern Alberta and the long-standing conflict for land amongst various industrial and agricultural users. Ian’s data-rich presentation targeted water conservation and competing demands on limited freshwater resources in southern Alberta. Dyson’s keynote was followed by four presentations on wildlife research from the prairies of Alberta. Cam Aldridge used statistical models to characterize habitats for lekking by sage grouse in SE Alberta, Alberta’s most desperately endangered game bird. Ernie Ewaschuk proposed a new approach for increasing wildlife habitats in the white zone of southern Alberta by using economic incentives to lever improved habitat stewardship by agricultural producers. And R. B. Stavne demonstrated complex consequences of cattle grazing on wetland bird communities in the aspen parkland of Alberta.
By holding the large mammals session until the concluding session of the day we successfully kept a full-house audience. Anne Hubbs made a presentation on moose distribution in river valleys of NE Alberta. M. Raine and C. Stefan gave an overview of their work on movement corridors in Canmore, with focus on corridors for movement of large carnivores including grizzly bears, cougars and wolves. Movements of Jasper’s wolves in particular were the focus of the final two talks by Brenda Dobson and Bob St. Clair.
Several posters stimulated considerable interest and discussion. The student awards for best posters went to Mark Hebblewhite for his presentation on migratory behaviour of elk at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, and to Cathy Shier for her poster on lagged synchrony between muskrat and mink fur harvests across Canada. Cam Stevens’ poster on beavers drove home how crucial beavers are in maintaining biodiversity in forested habitats of Alberta. Richard Quinlan and colleagues shared professionally prepared posters on Alberta’s recovery program for western blue flag and on the Lethbridge prairie rattlesnake conservation project. We even attracted a fisheries presentation from ACA’s Mike Rodtka on competition between two char species in Alberta: exotic brook trout and native bull trout.
So, what is IRM, anyway? This year’s Einarsen Award winner, Morley Barrett, once told me that several MLAs had the impression that IRM was one-stop shopping for provincial permitting and clearance on environmental regulations. I think that we all perceived IRM to be more along the lines that Al Sanderson explained in his presentation, i.e., big-picture planning for competing uses of the land. Inspired by Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, in a sense, IRM is a reincarnation of ecosystem management—which has been in vogue during the past decade. Or perhaps, IRM is more akin to multiple-use management of the previous decade. Have we made any progress? This isn’t clear to me. Surely our techniques are getting more sophisticated. Today we wouldn’t think about making large-scale management decisions without basic spatial analysis tools of GIS and simulation modeling.
Yet, we remain encumbered by barriers such as the arcane spatial data warehouse for provincial remote sensing imagery, and by the failure on the part of SRD to implement its wildlife inventory and monitoring database. We continue to do battle with the “Alberta Advantage” that views jobs and economic growth to be more important than our environment and quality of life, despite widespread views to the contrary by the people of this province. Perhaps the recent Royal Ascent of federal species at risk legislation will provide the political leverage necessary to save sage grouse and caribou in Alberta.
Wildlifers in Alberta have much work ahead. And there is no better time to show our colours. During September 2004 the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society will host North America’s biggest wildlife event: the annual conference of The Wildlife Society. If the 2003 AGM was any indication, we are well poised to offer the best annual conference ever.
Mark S. Boyce, ACTWS President
ACA Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Alberta
Congratulations go out to the 2003 ACTWS Service Award winners:
William Rowan Distinguished Service Award - Gordon Kerr
Dedicated Service Award - Arlen Todd
Comments from the award presenters and the recipients are profiled below.
Born and raised in Alberta, Gordon’s distinguished career in wildlife conservation stretches over 40 years. He received his B.Sc. from University of Montana and M. Sc. from the University of Alberta.
He began his career in 1963 as one of the first wildlife biologists hired by the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division. Over the next 18 years Gordon progressed through positions of Regional Wildlife Biologist, Chief Wildlife Biologist, Director of Wildlife, and finally Assistant Deputy Minister.
Under his leadership, F&W developed many of the major programs we have today. Examples include the various initiatives to protect and enhance habitat, the forensic science program, the Buck-for-Wildlife Program, the hunting license authorization system that was the precursor to the present draw and priority system, and the compulsory hunter training and testing program, to mention only a few.
In 1981 Gordon left F&W to join the Federal government and served for 13 years, holding senior positions of Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Prairie and Northern Region; Assistant to The Director General, and Acting Director General of Canadian Wildlife Service. In 1991 he became Director of Corporate Affairs, Western and Northern Region for Environment Canada. His final position with government was as Executive Director of Alberta Center for the North America Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) where he was assigned to international negotiations within Special Inter-Change Canada.
Gordon’s primary focus during this time was on program integration and land use issues that related to environmental sustainability. His public policy presentations contributed significantly to discussions and negotiations at the inter-provincial, national and international level. In this capacity he served on the Canada Parliamentary Committee and on Government of Alberta Cabinet Committees. Among his most significant successes was as Chairman of the Board of the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture of NAWMP. Here he played a lead and pivotal role in delivering $500 million into wetland habitat conservation in the Canadian prairies as well as initiating important redirection of governmental agriculture funding programs.
Gordon’s official “retirement” occurred in August 1994, however he continued over the past 9 years to make a number of additional significant contributions to the field of wildlife conservation. Recently, Gordon served as a director for the Alberta Sports, Recreation, Parks, and Wildlife Foundation and Alberta Society of Professional Biologists. He has been president of the Land Stewardship Centre of Canada since 1998 and is a director of the Woodlot Association of Alberta, and Co-chair of Environmental Stewardship Action Team on the Ag. Summit 2000.
As president of Kerr and Associates, he is still very active in projects that contribute to environmental education, as well as in land management integration and sustainable land management. In his several roles with the Woodlot Association of Alberta, Gordon has been instrumental in developing methods to encourage a sustainable woodlot industry through innovative taxation incentives and education. For example, he has prepared and delivered presentations related to income potential from Conservation Easements and Woodlot Resources Inventory Values in Alberta’s agricultural region. He received the Woodlot Owner’s Forest Stewardship Award last fall.
Gordon’s long and distinguished record of promoting sound, sustainable wildlife conservation programs in Alberta and elsewhere in North America speaks for itself and there is no question that he is very deserving of the ACTWS William Rowan Distinguished Service Award. Please join me in congratulating Gordon Kerr.
Thank you Blair.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues; it is a great pleasure to be here today to accept the William Rowan Distinguished Service Award. I can think of no greater honour than to be recognized by one’s peers and associates.
I have been fortunate to have experienced and worked with wildlife issues in all 10 provinces and the three territories of Canada. It has taken me from Florida to Alaska and from California to the Magnetic North Pole. It has been a great ride. I would not change much if I had the choice, and the best part is that the ride continues.
Throughout my professional career, which began in 1960, I have worked with many, many people. My experience has been that not much of consequence is accomplished by an individual, but rather by a group. I have had the pleasure to work with good people who made me look good, such as John Stelfox, Martin Paetz, Bill Wishart, Jim Patterson, Sandy Macaulay and Ernie Ewaschuk, to name a few. I also thank my family, from my parents to my children, for their support, encouragement and tolerance throughout.
I listened with interest to the discussion earlier today as to whether or not this chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS) should join other groups in conferences and review of issues, should speak publicly about resource management proposals, etc. May I suggest to you that it is the responsibility of an organization such as TWS to work as a member of society and to provide professional comment on issues. How else will the expertise of this TWS be known, and how will it add to management solutions? Of course you should take an active and constructive role. Constructive input by TWS is vital to good solutions.
We all know most wildlife biologists don’t really manage wildlife. Rather the presence and condition of habitat is the key to management and dictates population well being. Therefore it is the land manager/manipulator who really manages wildlife. It is the agriculture industry, forest industry, petroleum industry and related land use efforts that determine the presence and abundance of wildlife and the state of biodiversity. And it is money, jobs and family well-being that are the bases for land manipulations. Let me relay a most insightful quote:
“There is no more beautiful place than where the prairie meets the mountains in southwest Alberta. The people are strong and self-reliant. Where it mattered more what a person could do than where they came from. We didn’t have much money; we struggled, but like so many Canadian farm families, we lived on the land we loved and we did what ever was required to make a living from it”.
(Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin, Supreme Court of Canada, at the occasion of her appointment)
Let us look at that again, “…lived on the land we loved and did whatever was required to make a living from it…”
Through my experience I have found that there are only two fundamental powers in the universe:
If land managers could profit from burrowing owls, would the owls be endangered? If one could make a living from watershed management would we have unhealthy streams? If income could be realized from biodiversity would we have degraded ecosystems?
Why do governments support forestry, farming, petroleum and other industries that strive to maximize what they can market, while often degrading the environment by default? If they were able to profit from supporting Environmental Goods and Services (EGS) would they manage differently? Support should be for enhancement of EGS rather than loss or destruction of them.
Why do we support farmers who are forced to maximize production and sell their products at a near loss, thus forcing them to often manage at a cost to the environment? Should we not be paying fair value for food and rewarding land mangers for the EGS that they could and should provide? Should food production not be able to stand on its own in a free market? Other countries, European Union, Australia, and the USA, are supporting rural conservation and EGS’s while Canada lags behind.
If TWS wishes to really contribute to wildlife management and related society benefits I challenge it to join with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists, Registered Professional Foresters, ASPB, petroleum industry engineers, economists, private landowner groups, etc., to contribute to the solutions.
Our ancient and outdated economic system no longer fits our present and future needs. Let’s join with others to bring environment and wildlife to the Sustainable Development table and make wildlife and EGS part of a new economic process.
Again I thank you for the honour of the William Rowan Distinguished Service Award. I accept it on behalf of the team of many people and groups with which I have worked. I urge The Wildlife Society to take on the challenge moving beyond the confines of biological sciences to become more publicly visible. Alberta needs you.
Thank you very much.
Gordon Kerr
Arlen was one of the Chapter's charter members and allowed his name to stand for president in the Chapter's first election in 1990. He was not successful in that bid, but he agreed to chair a committee that would develop recommendations for short and long-term Chapter goals. He provided some excellent recommendations that still guide the Chapter today. He was quiet for a few years on the executive front. However, he helped with mailing out newsletters at the O.S. Longman Building, served on the first scholarship committee (1992) and chaired the Audit Committee during 1992-1994. He served on the Executive Board when he became a Director for 1997-1998 and 1998-1999. Directorial duties included chairing the Nominations Committee. After a one-year hiatus, Arlen jumped right back in and was elected to the President-Elect executive position in 2000-2001. He organized an excellent joint Chapter/Northwest Section Meeting in Banff in the spring of 2001. Also during his tenure as president-elect and president, he worked with Elston Dzus to put together the successful Chapter bid for the 2004 TWS Annual Conference. Following his very successful year as Chapter President for 2001-2002, Arlen was confirmed by the Chapter as the Chair of the Arrangements Committee for the 2004 TWS Conference in Calgary and is busy building a team to deliver the local arrangements for the 2004 TWS Conference.
Thank you very much for this award. Thank you, as well, Bill, for those kind and sincere remarks. It is truly an honor to be acknowledged by one’s peers! It is kind of ironic to receive an award for the things done in service to the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society (ACTWS). That is because the things undertaken for the chapter have been among the most enjoyable and fulfilling that I have done in my career. Involvement in the leadership of the chapter has provided me with opportunities to utilize leadership skills that I have, and to fine-tune and develop those skills even further.
I acknowledge the contributions by many chapter members, indeed all of you present today, for making those contributions enjoyable, and for helping me to look good at times. I also acknowledge and thank the support of my employer, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, and key staff members in it for encouragement to be involved in chapter activities. The success of an organization like the ACTWS can be attributed substantially to the support of its partners in conservation, including organizations that employ its members, and its leaders.
I look forward to working with many of you in the chapter, and many others, over the next year and one-half to help ensure that the 2004 Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society is a great success.
Thank you again for the Dedicated Service Award.
Arlen Todd
Congratulations to the 2003 student scholarship winners listed below, and thank you to all those who applied.
Once again, the quality of student presentations and posters at the AGM was excellent. It was difficult to narrow the selection to just two presenters in each category. Many thanks to all who provided an overview of their research.
Best Student Oral Presentations were awarded to Jackie Frair (1st) Jesse Dunford (2nd), both from the University of Alberta.
Best Student Poster Presentations were awarded to Mark Hebblewhite (1st) and Cathy Shier (2nd) both from the University of Alberta.
Second place winners received cheques for $75 and first place winners received cheques for $100.
We had 28 submissions of excellent photos this year which can be viewed at www.albertadirectory.net/actws. As usual, all photos will be used to spruce up the website, newsletters, and chapter posters. We encourage all members to get out their camera and start building up their submission for next year's contest. We also know that there are a lot of biologists out there with excellent photos collecting dust in their offices. Dust them off and help out the chapter.
Election ballots were mailed to 219 chapter members on January 18, 2003. A total of 78 completed ballots were returned by February 26, 2003. Five ballots were returned as undeliverable or incorrect addresses. The results of the election are as follows. New members appear in bold:
The meeting was called to order by Jack Nolan, ACTWS President, at 10:30 am.
Arlen Todd noted that Agenda Items #6 (2004 TWS conference) and #11 (Joint meeting with ASPB in 2004) were closely related. Jack clarified that the Item #11 should refer to 2005, not 2004, and therefore the items are separate.
Ernie Ewaschuk indicated that he wanted to update membership on the Endangered Species Conservation Committee (ESCC). Jack agreed to add this under Agenda Item #5.
Jack individually recognized members of the 2002 Executive and those members who chaired committees. These included:
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Arlen Todd; Past-President |
Mike Norton; Director, Nominations |
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Mark Boyce; President-Elect |
Tory Sorensen, Webmaster |
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Chris Shank; Secretary/Treasurer |
Sue Cotterill; Newsletter |
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Anne Hubbs; Director, Education and Info |
Matt Besko; Newsletter |
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Blair Rippin; Director, Conservation |
Evie Merrill; Membership |
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Ron Bennett; Director, Scholarships |
Harry Stelfox; Awards |
Chris Shank, ACTWS Secretary/Treasurer, presented the Minutes of the last Annual Business Meeting and requested comments and/or corrections. Ken Crutchfield moved that the minutes be accepted as presented. Chris Olsen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Chris presented the financial statement and audit for 2003 and requested comments and/or corrections. Arlen Todd moved that the financial statement be accepted. Seconded by Christine Found. The motion carried unanimously. [The financial statement and audit are profiled on pages 13-15.]
Jack requested comments on the committee reports circulated. Harry Stelfox noted that the Awards Committee report failed to acknowledge the assistance of Ken Crutchfield, Bill Glasgow and Elston Dzus. Anne Hubbs noted that about 50 wildlife organizations were contacted and asked to mutually link with the ACTWS website. Ken Crutchfield moved that the committee reports be accepted. Seconded by Jan Ficht. Carried unanimously.
Mark Boyce reported on the on-going 2003 conference. He noted that there are 192 registrants and that approximately $5800 was raised in the auction. He thanked Catherine Shier for doing much of the organization, Stephen Taerum for organizing the auction, and many others for the contributions to making the conference a success. He reported that there have been corporate sponsorships from SRD, ARC, AlPac, CWS, Forem, and Lotek and that coffee breaks have been contributed by Axys, Golder, Ursus and Arc. Bill Samuel added a word of thanks to the U of A Student Chapter that has been so active over the past year.
Ernie Ewaschuk briefed members on the ESCC. ACTWS has been represented by Ernie and Ian Ross. Jack noted that Ian is in Africa and that his role will be taken over by Doug Collister.
Arlen Todd informed members that The Wildlife Society will hold its conference in Calgary from September 18 – 22, 2004. This will be the first TWS international meeting to be held in Canada in 10 years. Elston Dzus was instrumental in Calgary being chosen. ACTWS, under Arlen’s leadership, is providing the hosting arrangements. Dan Decker, TWS’s incoming president, will work closely with Arlen. So far, the Arrangements Committee has had one conference call, with the second scheduled for April. Things will pick up momentum in June with the site visit by TWS staff. The Arrangements Committee is primarily an idea-generating body, and forum to deliver volunteers, with much of the work actually done by TWS staff and the professional conference planner. The Committee is comprised of:
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Co-Chairs; Terry Kowalchuk, Arlen Todd |
Merchandise; Linda Cerney |
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Audiovisual and Computers; Dale Eslinger, Joel Nicholson |
Photography Contest; Troy Sorensen |
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Field Trips; Laurie Buckland, Jon Jorgenson |
Local Information; Carol Stefan |
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Fundraising; Todd Zimmerling |
Student Activities; Shane Roersma |
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Meals, Entertainment; Kirby Smith |
Volunteers; Jim Allen |
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Media/Public Relations; Elston Dzus |
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Arlen appealed for members to contact Jim Allen to become volunteers, and pointed out an opportunity to move the Student Quiz Bowl up to subcommittee status. Contact Arlen, Terry Kowalchuk, or Shane Roersma, if interested. Linda Cerney has been in touch with logo designers. A logo contest will close 15 April and anybody is encouraged to submit a design.
Arlen noted that TWS gives the ACTWS US$7500 for conference organization. At other conferences, some of this money has been allocated to refunding registration for student volunteers. Arlen requests the incoming Executive to make a decision regarding subsidizing student volunteers.
Bill Glasgow asked about the 2004 ACTWS conference. Jack explained that the Executive decided not to hold a conference in Spring 2004, but that the 2004 Annual General Meeting will be held in conjunction with the TWS Conference. The 2005 conference was tabled for a decision by the 2003 Executive. Margo Pybus asked when the Executive Board would turn over. Jack indicated that it could be at the AGM while Margo and Bill Glasgow suggested that it might be simpler for the Executive to change in the Spring. Troy Sorensen noted that the new Executive would have a short time to get ready for the TWS meeting. Arlen suggested that the Arrangements Committee will be handling most of this anyway, although the business meeting would have to be organized by the chapter. The 2003 Executive will decide when the 2004 Executive will assume office and plan for the 2005 Conference.
Petra Rowell reported that 20-25 people are working on the book. Over the past year, there have been $23,000 in donations which allows researchers to be hired. Currently, there is a lot of archival research going on. There are now 200 pages of text. It is planned to finish the book for Alberta’s Centennial in 2005. At completion, the book will be approximately 350 pages in length. Petra requested members to assist by providing information, photographs, and papers, complete the survey in the Newsletter, and tape interviews. The photos do not have to be old, but should be of wildlifers in action. If someone has a burning issue, they should write it up.
Arlen reported that awards were given to ACTWS members at the recent meeting of the Northwest Section of The Wildlife Society. Lorne Fitch received the Wildlife Administrator Award. Lorne noted that this is a “delicious irony” since he has spent his career thwarting administration, but that he appreciates it because it comes from friends, colleagues, and peers. Arlen also announced that Morley Barrett had received the Arthur S. Einarsen Award Award. Arlen indicated that he was stepping down from the Einarsen Award Committee. Jack requested that any members interested in taking over this role should contact any member of the Executive.
Blair Rippin noted that the ACTWS By-Laws indicate that the organization is to be an “advocate” for wildlife and habitat and that the Conservation Committee will review any issues affecting wildlife. However, ACTWS has been somewhat inconsistent in its approach to, and support of, advocacy. At the conference, Blair circulated about 50 questionnaires and received about half back. There was a wide spectrum of opinion and suggestions in the responses. Blair asked what our role in conservation advocacy should really be. Lee Foote noted that this is a hot topic in many wildlife societies and that it is important to keep the discussion going. Arlen suggested that some view ACTWS as too closely related to government. Elston noted the difference between “inform” and “influence”. We have been informing but not effectively influencing and we need to consider how to better do the latter. Access is a major issue and we can play a role in “awakening the sleeping giant” (in Brad Stelfox’s terminology). Blair asked how we select issues and how we handle what we select? Ken Crutchfield noted that there are not many avenues for government biologists to express themselves fully. Blair suggested that ACTWS does provide some protection to government employees. Margo Pybus noted that ACTWS has had success in the past by representing the profession on various committees. The problem is that there are many committees and people have little time. Robert Anderson suggested that ACTWS use the media to raise the profile of wildlife issues. Petra Rowell sees a role for ACTWS in protecting biologists and taking a stand for wildlife. Blair suggested that perhaps what we need is a series of subcommittees (e.g., oil/gas. forestry, professionalism) under the Conservation Committee. He will summarize this discussion for the next Newsletter.
Jack noted that membership dues have never been increased and asked if members would support an increase. Several members noted that dues should be increased if there is an actual need for more money, but perhaps not otherwise. The incoming Executive will address this issue.
Jack reported that the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB) approached ACTWS regarding a joint conference in March 2003. The Executive decided to decline since ASPB was well along with their planning and we wanted to do more than just tag along for the ride. He asked if members would support joint conferences in the future. Bill Glasgow and Ken Crutchfield suggested it would be a good idea if the conference theme is relevant. Petra Rowell noted that she is a member of both organizations and that both need to widen their constituencies and combine forces. Blair Rippin noted that the student involvement in ACTWS conferences is unique, and that we should consider combining with ASPB only occasionally. Troy Sorensen suggested that they could be held back-to-back. Margo Pybus suggested that perhaps there could be a common plenary for both organizations and break-out sessions relevant to each organization. Mike Norton predicted that there will be burnout after the TWS conference, and perhaps we should pursue a joint conference for 2005.
Mike Norton presented the results of the election to Jack Nolan. He sent out 219 ballots of which 78 were returned. The new Executive will be:
Mark Boyce; President
Jack Nolan; Past-President
President-Elect; Kirby Smith (by acclamation)
Secretary/Treasurer; Chris Shank (by acclamation)
Director; Ron Bennett (continuing)
Director; Mike Norton (continuing)
Director; Dale Eslinger (Elected)
Director; Christine Found (Elected)
Arlen moved that the ballots be destroyed. Seconded by Ken Crutchfield. Carried unanimously.
Jack then turned the meeting over to the new President, Mark Boyce, who thanked Jack Nolan for his work over the past year.
Mike Norton moved that the meeting be adjourned. Evie Merrill seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 12:00.
Chris Shank
Secretary/Treasurer
Interested in communication and outreach? Wondering how to get involved with the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society? Look no further! After two years as newsletter editors, Sue Cotterill and Matt Besko are moving on to other pursuits, and the ACTWS is looking for a replacement(s). If you are interested, or would like to find out more about the position, contact Mark Boyce (boyce@ualberta.ca), Christine Found (new E/I director) (christine.found@gov.ab.ca) or Sue Cotterill (sue.cotterill@gov.ab.ca).
Lorne Fitch recently received the Wildlife Administrator Award from the Northwest Section of The Wildlife Society. Lorne’s acceptance notes are profiled below.
I am honoured and more than a little surprised with this award. I feel honoured because the most meaningful acknowledgement of an individual’s efforts is received from one’s peers. I thank you for that acknowledgement. I am surprised since my sense is that I am the most unlikely candidate for a “Wildlife Administrators Award” given my disdain for administration throughout most of my career. In fact I am probably a poster boy for how to avoid, manipulate and circumvent administration. Although I appreciate this award I think both you, The Wildlife Society, and I are taking a risk with my acceptance. If administration is a process of meekly following instructions, chanting the vacuous mantras of the latest vision statement or producing the fodder for the terminological inexactitudes of the agency, I’m not your man. If, however this award is about adhering to a long-term vision, exercising persistence to make it reality, and creating a foundation to allow others to succeed in the most important task biologists have- to maintain and restore landscape health and integrity- then I thank you and humbly accept. In the slow process of learning and the acquisition of wisdom I have, however, accepted the role of administration. I believe the rudiments were taught to me by an early wildlife mentor, Dave Neave, who I worked for briefly. Dave took me with him to survey sharptail grouse in east central Alberta. We unloaded two trail bikes, the purpose of which wasn’t clear at the time. One was a conventional motorcycle, the other a strange little device that looked like a child’s ride-em toy, but with an engine. It had tiny little tires, about the size of small pies. Its only attribute seemed to be you could quickly lift it over obstructions. It was called a “Tote-Goat”, and was built so low to the ground any deviation from vertical caused you to fall over and do a ground survey. We coined many new names for it, including “Tote-Pig”. Dave initially liked this strange amalgam of engine, pie-sized tires and small size. As we rode through tall grass, from my vantage point I could only see Dave’s head and shoulders. Unfamiliar with the concept of flushing counts I was amazed to see Dave diving forward, with arms and legs flailing, I assumed to catch a grouse I couldn’t see. I learned subsequently that this acrobatic display was not part of sharptail grouse surveys, but is an occupational hazard when your front tire is the exact size of the average badger hole. Dave and I then traded trail bikes, I suppose so I could learn this technique, which as it turns out I did, many times that day. From this I took it that to succeed in any endeavour, you need big wheels and little wheels. Clearly, administration is one of the “wheels”.
Thank you again for honouring my efforts.
Lorne Fitch
By
Arlen Todd
Co-chair, Arrangements Committee
It is a privilege to report on the early organization of the TWS Annual Conference in Calgary for next year. Calgary is a vibrant, stimulating city. Situated near the edge of the Canadian prairies, it offers a panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains from the downtown core. The city offers many and diverse attractions, and is only 1-2 hours away from other world-class attractions, which include Banff National Park and Lake Louise to the west, and the W. W. Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, and badlands along the Red Deer River to the north east. Opportunities for birding, outdoor walks, and cultural experiences abound locally as well. So, put the dates of September 18-22, 2004 on your calendar and plan to come to Calgary for some unique, western Canadian hospitality! Look for more details in “The Wildlifer”, at regular intervals over the ensuing months.
It is a pleasure to be working in partnership with the Program Committee, TWS staff, and many others on the 2004 Conference. The Program Committee is chaired by Rick Baydack in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Rick can be reached at baydack@ms.umanitoba.ca (e-mail) or 204-474-9081 (phone). Dan Decker chairs the Council Steering Committee for the 2004 Conference (djd6@cornell.edu; phone: 607-255-2559). Terry Kowalchuk (t.kowalchuk@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca; phone: 403-320-3232) and myself (arlen.todd@gov.ab.ca; phone: 403-297-7349) co-chair the Arrangements Committee in Alberta. The Alberta Chapter of TWS is hosting the conference, with the support of many other organizations and agencies including the student chapters of TWS in Alberta.
Other key individuals on the Arrangements Committee include the following members of the Alberta Chapter of TWS:
If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact the individuals identified above, Terry Kowalchuk, or myself for more information. If you are interested in helping out with the conference as it approaches, please contact Volunteers Subcommittee Chair, Jim Allen (403-845-8237; e-mail: James.Allen@gov.ab.ca).
It is both a pleasure and a privilege to be helping to make the 2004 Conference a great success! I look forward to seeing you in Calgary during September 18-22, 2004.
May 11-16, 2003 / Victoria, British Columbia
For more information:
http://www.sampaa.org/sampaa_conference.htm
July 3-6, 2003 / Victoria, British Columbia
For more information:
http://www.landtrustalliance.bc.ca/public/Conference%20Announcement%20August%2002%20(1).htm
The annual international scientific meeting of the Wildlife Disease Association will take place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on August 11 - 14, 2003. This conference will consist of presentations and posters on all aspects of wildlife disease, with special sessions on the population effects of disease, immune function and other bioindicators of disease, and cervid diseases. For complete information, please visit the conference web site at http://wildlife.usask.ca/WDA2003.
As an added bonus to the conference, on August 15, 2003 there will be an International Workshop on CWD at the same site in Saskatoon.
Please send any references of recently published articles to sue.cotterill@gov.ab.ca. Articles of interest include those authored by ACTWS members on Alberta wildlife.
The Alberta Society of Professional Biologists’ newsletter is available at: http://www.aspb.ab.ca.
Next IssueExpect the next newsletter in your mailbox September 1, 2003. You are encouraged to submit any type of article (letter to editor, research, stories, humor, poetry, conservation issues, etc.) for the next newsletter by e-mailing it to sue.cotterill@gov.ab.ca by August 15, 2003. |
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ALBERTA CHAPTER OF THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY |
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT - 2002 |
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Prepared by Chris Shank |
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Opening balance of chequing account |
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as of December 31, 2001 |
10,720.65 |
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Income - 2002 |
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Membership dues |
1,560.00 |
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Conference registrations and extra meals |
14,670.00 |
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Auction |
3,625.00 |
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T-Shirt and Mug Sales |
615.00 |
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Corporate donations to 2002 Conference |
3,940.00 |
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GIC interest paid to account |
0.00 |
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Withdrawal from GICs |
0.00 |
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Memberships post conference |
65.26 |
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Deposit error |
200.00 |
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Conference float deposit |
300.00 |
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Reimbursement for 2001 returned cheque |
4.50 |
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Reversal of bank fees |
19.51 |
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Total Income |
24,999.27 |
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Expenses - 2002 |
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Student travel subsidies |
510.00 |
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Photo contest expenses |
194.42 |
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T-shirts |
414.63 |
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Display boards |
338.12 |
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Hotel Services |
9,651.22 |
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2002 NWS Conference |
2,345.46 |
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Scholarships |
3,000.00 |
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Student awards |
350.00 |
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Donation to TWS |
401.50 |
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Donation to Fur, Fish and Feathers book |
5,000.00 |
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Bank charges |
103.74 |
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Bank debit; deposit added incorrectly |
200.00 |
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Reimburse overpayment of membership |
50.00 |
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Conference float withdrawal |
300.00 |
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Award Plaques |
210.78 |
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Postage |
51.36 |
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Miscellaneous Supplies |
190.47 |
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MSFrontpage |
149.79 |
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P.O. box rental |
190.46 |
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Purchase GIC |
2,625.00 |
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2003 Conference - deposit |
500.00 |
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Total Expenses |
26,776.95 |
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Closing balance as of Dec. 31, 2002 |
8,868.47 |
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Opening balance + Income - Expenses |
8,942.97 |
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Difference |
-74.50 |
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Total GIC Assets Dec.31, 2002 |
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Principle |
41,733.81 |
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At Maturity |
50,027.24 |
February 28-March 1, 2003 Red Deer Alberta
Rowan Award presented to Gordon Kerr by Blair Rippin. (to left)
Dedicated Service Award presented to Arlen Todd by Bill Glasgow. (to right)
Student Scholarship Awards presented by Mike Norton (at left) to:
Student Presentation and Poster Award (from left to right)
Photo Award Winners (from left to right)
Liam Dunn, Steve Hanus, Matt Pyper, Paul Frame, Troy Sorensen (presenter)
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