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Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship Through Science and Education |
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Presidents Corner |
I recently returned to sunny Winnipeg
after flying around North America with my wife in her open cockpit biplane.
During the past summer we flew over 9,000 miles between Victoria and Sault Saint
Marie. When the sun shined we flew, but when the weather turned sour we parked
the plane and enjoyed the landscape from lower altitudes - kayaking among the
Gulf Islands, hiking in Grandby Wilderness Area, salmon fishing off St.Joseph’s
Island, canoeing in Land O’Lakes Wilderness Area, visiting with old and
new friends and family, and of course participating in the Oshkosh airshow in
Wisconsin.
While sitting in the cramped cockpit, listening to the roar of the engine and
navigating, I had plenty of time to contemplate the landscape (and my navel)
as it slipped beneath us. One thing I noticed was that I didn’t need my
goggles, and when we landed there were very few insects on our windscreens.
As we hiked or paddled through rain forests, mountain trails, coniferous forests,
marshes, bogs, mighty rivers and the Great Lakes we were constantly struck with
the lack of mosquitoes. Only one day, outside of Saskatoon, did we encounter
the hordes of mosquitoes which in earlier years usually plagued the Winnipeg
summer. Even more striking than the absence of the little demons was the lack
of concern from the local folks. We visited with many fishermen, trappers, hunters,
biologists, cottage owners, and campers, and none of them ever mentioned the
missing fauna, nor did they wonder how the insectivorous passerines were surviving
without the insects.
I wonder why there is little or no concern about the missing bugs. What I did
hear were the concerns expressed by everyone about Chronic Wasting Disease,
Mad Cow Disease, TB, West Nile , Lyme Disease, Hantavirus and of course SARS.
I guess mosquitoes just are not sexy enough to be seen on TV or read about in
the news paper unless they are causing death and carnage to humans. From the
media we hear about the influence of CWD on elk farms, about the West Nile plagues,
death to cottage owners by deer mice carrying Hantavirus, and about TB and Mad
Cow Disease destroying the cattle industry. People become paranoid - in the
northeastern quarter of southern Michigan the Conservation Department has unsuccessfully
tried to eliminate the deer herd which is infected with TB. Why are we inundated
with news about these diseases and pests? Are these new diseases? I don’t
believe they are all new, many of them have probably been around a long time,
but they were unnamed and unknown by the media. In the past people died of pneumonia,
or consumption, or even ‘old age’. Now every death is analyzed to
death and the media makes a killing. Fear runs rampant among the public over
any report of a new disease.
It’s about time we slow down, turn off the TV, put down the newspaper and
as wildlife biologists evaluate the situations more reasonably. Dr. Terry Whiting,
from the Manitoba Veterinary Services Branch, one of the speakers at the Delta
Getaway last January, put things in a more reasonable context. He said that
in a one year period 30 people died from SARS around the world. During that
time 60 people died while falling out of bed, and 120 persons died from a ruptured
blood vessel while straining on the toilet. So the next time you are out in
the bush be sure to leave your insect repellent at home - those little demons
need a blood meal as well as we do!
Best regards, Rick Riewe
URBAN WILDLIFE- A MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE
Winnipeg is blessed with populations of a wide variety of wildlife. Mature riparian forests attract many nesting and migrant species of passerine birds, woodlands harbor white-tailed deer, red fox and raccoons, and rivers, creeks and retention ponds are home or stopover points for many waterfowl. As in many cities, some species reach populations that may become problematic. Deer feeding on backyard ornamental shrubs, birds nesting in airport areas or raccoons invading garages or attics are situations that can be viewed as a nuisance, or a major safety concern in the case of airports, aircraft and birds, as just one example.
Canada geese are an issue in many cities, as populations of residents and/or migrants can inflict crop damage on nearby farm fields and pose threats to aircraft and their occupants particularly when the birds are flying to and from fields to feed in fall. Within the urban setting, fecal material accumulates on public areas and in urban lakes raising the potential for disease transmission, over-grazing of parks and golf courses and noise. In Manitoba, the three levels of government and the Winnipeg Airport Authority have an Urban Goose Management Committee reviewing the situation in Winnipeg. They provide information for businesses (eg. golf courses) and the public on the issue of how to deal with geese, that covers the gamut from habitat management to encouraging the public not to feed these birds. According to the Manitoba 2003 Hunting Guide this fall will mark a new means of helping to deal with the burgeoning population of migrant Canada geese. In the north west quadrant of Winnipeg, where they pose concerns related to agricultural crop damage and public safety (Winnipeg Airport), private lands in a specified area of the RM of Rosser will be open to waterfowl hunting. The expectation is that hunter activity will reduce goose numbers and their activity in this area and mitigate some of the potential problems the birds cause.
Using recreational hunting to help regulate urban wildlife populations and behavior is applied in many jurisdictions as an effective and low cost management practice. A nearby example is the city of Minneapolis which uses a special hunting season and other management techniques to control resident Canada goose populations, and white-tailed deer. Managing urban wildlife to provide for public viewing, while preventing damage to property or danger to the public is a challenging and complex problem that more urban centres will face in future.
Don Sexton
Summary of CMPS Annual
General Meeting
South Sioux City, Nebraska
Aug 6-9,2003
Don Sexton
The CMPS meeting was attended by Don Sexton and Alex Miller, representing the Manitoba Chapter. In attendance were approximately 70 biologists and land managers from all states in CMPS, Manitoba, Iowa and Oklahoma. The theme was "Wildlife Conservation Issues in Riverine Systems" (check out the CMPS website for the Agenda items). This particular meeting was also the Nebraska Chapter’s annual meeting, hence at least partly responsible for the good attendance numbers.
The CMPS business meeting focused on financial matters, the need for a longer term (5 year) strategic plan, and a host of smaller issues. Terry Messmer was still on military service in Iraq and the balance of Executive ran the business meeting. See upcoming CMPS newsletters for the Business meeting Minutes.
The CMPS meeting field trips were very informative and well attended and focused on Tall Grass Prairie management or Missouri River issues. Included in the latter was a boat trip on the river and a discussion of fish and wildlife habitat problems associated with the river’s flow and water levels regulation. The Technical Session consisted of a variety of papers and a panel on Managing Managed Rivers – specifically the Misssouri River. Robert Warren (President, The Wildlife Society), gave the opening presentation in the Technical Session, on TWS - Past, Present and Future. Highlights were the new direction of TWS including certification, policy and education, electronic publications, and the update of TWS’s strategic plan.
The auction on the first night likely set a record in moneys raised (rumor was $1600 US was raised!). The last night’s BBQ included entertainment with a local actor in costume and character recounting the voyage of Lewis and Clark from the viewpoint of their Hunter and Scout, George Droulliard. A few members of the audience including yours truly had a chance to participate in part of the presentation as ‘bit part‘ actors !
Overall the Nebraska Chapter is to be commended for putting together a terrific meeting. Next years CMPS is tentatively slated for Utah.
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Our good friend and colleague Dr. Rick Baydack has recently been promoted to the position of Associate Dean in the new Faculty of Environment! For about 25 years Rick has been teaching at the Natural Resources Institute where he has taught a variety of courses and has advised literally scores of students working on wildlife research projects. Rick has also taught courses on wildlife management and biological resources management with me in the Zoology Department, and has participated in courses in Agriculture, Arts and Architecture, City Planning, and Geology.
Rick has also worked at a senior level with the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ducks
Unlimited, the Delta Waterfowl Research Station, International Institute of
Sustainable Development and The Wildlife Society. Rick is highly regarded as
a leader in the field of wildlife management in Canada and the US.
For over 20 years Rick has made important contributions to the field of wildlife
management and is particularly well known for his research on grouse, in the
prairie and aspen parkland of Western Canada, and more recently with biodiversity
and integrated resources management. He has made close to 200 scientific presentations
at conferences on a wide range of resources management topics. Rick has chaired
several working committees in the Professional Association of Wildlife Biologists
and is known in the US as Canada’s most active member.
Congratulations Rick - we all look forward to your continued participation in The Wildlife Society!!
Don Sexton
Past
President
Don has been a member of The Wildlife Society since 1976 and has served as Member at Large, Secretary- Treasurer and President for the Manitoba Chapter. Presently, and for the past 25 years, he works for Ducks Unlimited Canada in various biological capacities primarily in Manitoba, but also in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and for a brief period in the Northern Great Plains of USA. His professional interests relate to habitat management for aquatic wildlife, primarily waterbirds, and integrating management of water and wetlands with other land use practices. In addition he maintains a keen interest in prairie grouse and has served on a number of student practica and thesis committees involving sharptailed grouse and sage grouse, as well as being a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for Sharptails Plus. His recreational interests involve a variety of consumptive and non consumptive pursuits.
Derek
Kroeker
Student Representative
Hello fellow wildlifers. I am honored to be serving the Manitoba chapter of TWS as the student representative on the executive committee. If my name does not sound familiar to you, I have spent the past few years in Northern Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta pursuing educational and professional opportunities. Last year I returned to Manitoba to further my education at the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba. I am currently studying fish communities in managed wetland systems near The Pas, Manitoba. Other research interests include native prairie ecology, impacts of exotic species, and upland game bird populations. My personal interests include most outdoor recreational pursuits. I have been married for 6 years to my lovely wife Lisa, and am the proud father of my one-year-old son, Justin. I look forward to meeting as many members as possible through the upcoming TWS events. Students, please feel free to contact me at to discuss any ideas or concerns you may have.
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3rd North American Duck Symposium
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As the theme for the 3rd North American Duck Symposium, organizers propose to look back – and reflect on the lessons provided by the pioneers of North American waterfowl management – and to look forward, to the changing dimensions of our profession in the 21st century. The next decade may present the greatest challenge to the waterfowl resource since the dust bowl of the thirties, and the greatest changes to the profession. It is appropriate, at the turn of the century, to consider accomplishments, to learn from past success, and to plan creatively for the future. Please check the symposium website at http://www.ducksymp3.com/pages/1/index.htm for more information and online registration.
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64th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference
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You are invited to attend the 64th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference to be held December 7-10, 2003, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The website, http://www.Midwest2003.com, provides the most current information available. The pre-registration deadline is October 31, 2003 at a cost of $175 (US) for regular registrations and $75 (US) for students.
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11th
Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society Call for Symposium, Workshop, and Special Poster Session Proposals Deadline: October 31, 2003 |
Proposals for symposia, workshops, and special poster sessions are invited for the 11th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. Symposia, workshops, and special poster sessions should be technical in nature and focus on topics of wildlife science, management, education, or policy within the broad theme of Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship through Science and Education.
Symposia are comprised of a series of presentations that address aspects of a single topic. Symposia usually are a half day; however, requests for a full day may be considered depending upon available space.
Workshops provide training on a specific skill, technique, or process and may involve one or more instructors. Workshops should not promote a commercial product, product line, or company. If the nature of the workshop requires demonstration of specific products, then at least two companies must be invited to participate. These companies also would be expected to participate in the trade show at regular booth fees. Workshops are intended to emphasize learning through participation, discussion, and "hands-on" activities. For this reason, workshop organizers must specify an upper limit on attendance. A lower limit also is required if a special registration fee is charged. Workshops may request a half or full day. Workshops are scheduled on Saturday, the day before the other sessions begin.
Workshops may charge a special registration fee upon approval of The Wildlife Society. Fees typically are to cover the expense of workbooks, materials, or special equipment. Workshop organizers who are requesting a special registration fee must submit a budget with a detailed estimate of allowable expenses (see previous sentence), projected income from outside sponsors, and a proposed registration fee. The Wildlife Society will add a handling fee onto the proposed registration fee. Workshops sponsored by TWS working groups also may include an administrative fee for the working group.
Special poster sessions are similar to symposia, but presentations are by poster rather than oral. Special poster sessions provide an opportunity for one-on-one dialogue between presenters and attendees. Space for special poster sessions is very limited. Special poster sessions are scheduled for a half or full day, depending upon available space. Organizers should plan on approximately 30 posters.
Session Scheduling: Symposia and special poster sessions are scheduled to run concurrently with contributed paper and poster sessions. Workshops are scheduled the day before the main conference.
Responsibilities of Session Organizer: Organizers are responsible for coordinating with the Program Committee Chair, planning their sessions, selecting instructors or presenters, soliciting abstracts from all presenters (symposia and special poster sessions only), collating and submitting abstracts to the Program Committee Chair, communicating with all instructors or presenters, moderating their sessions, and meeting all deadlines. Guidelines for preparing and submitting abstracts will be posted on TWS's website by December 1, 2003. Final session agenda and abstracts will be due by February 27, 2004.
Please note that The Wildlife Society does not pay registration fees, travel expenses, or honoraria for symposium, workshop, or special poster session organizers or presenters. Organizers may seek outside sponsors for these expenses, if necessary.
Proposal Requirements
All proposals must include a cover page with the following information: (1) session type (symposium, workshop, or special poster session), (2) preferred session length (half or full day), (3) session title (nine words maximum), (4) organizer(s) (name, affiliation, city, state/province), (5) sponsor(s) (institution/group sponsoring the session, if appropriate; for example, a TWS working group), and (6) contact information for the person responsible for the session (name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail). The body of the proposal should begin on a new page and should include: (7) a statement of purpose and (8) a detailed description of the session including a list of proposed topics and speakers. The body of the proposal may not exceed four pages.
Workshop proposals must include the following additional information on the cover page: (9) workshop registration fee, if needed, (10) minimum attendance (required only if a workshop registration fee is to be charged), and (11) maximum attendance (required for all workshops). Workshops that propose to charge a registration fee must attach: (12) a budget.
Proposal Submission
Send a MS Word (preferred) or Rich Text Format (RTF) file of the proposal via e-mail to the Program Committee at tws2004@ms.umanitoba.ca by October 31, 2003. Proposals received after the deadline date will be considered only if space is available. A notice of receipt will be sent by e-mail. If you do not receive notification of receipt within 7 days or have any questions about proposal submission, please contact Program Committee Chair Rick Baydack at baydack@ms.umanitoba.ca.
Proposal Evaluation and Notice of Decision
Proposals will be judged on timeliness of the subject, importance to the profession
and/or contribution to science, and the overall quality of the written proposal.
Submissions from TWS working groups are especially encouraged and receive an
extra point in the ranking process. Applicants will be notified whether their
proposals have been accepted or not by December 15, 2003.
Want to get involved...?
Planning has begun for the 2004 Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, to be held
in Calgary, but its not too late to get involved. The Arrangements Committee
is still seeking subcommittee co-chairs in a number of areas. This is the first
time TWS has held the Annual Meeting in Canada and it will likely be several
years before it gets back this way again. Organization of these events takes
a lot of work but can also be fun. So, here’s a chance to get involved
. For further information contact Rick Baydack at baydack@ms.umanitoba.ca
or (204) 793-0247.
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Program Committee Chair Rick Baydack |
| Contributed and Special Posters Subcommittee CO-Chairs Cory Lindgren Don Watson |
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Contributed Papers Subcommittee Chair Merlin Shoesmith |
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Symposia Subcommittee CO-Chairs Jonathan Haufler Rique Campa, III |
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Plenary Session Subcommittee Chair Daniel Decker |
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Workshops Subcommittee CO-Chairs L. Jean O'Neil Robin Bown |
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Program Committee Assistant David Walker |
*Search
for Subcommittee Members
Merlin Shoesmith
As Chair of the Contributed Papers Subcommittee for the 11th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, I am seeking the assistance of Manitoba Chapter members to review abstracts of contributed papers. The Alberta and Manitoba Chapters are co-sponsoring this annual conference with Alberta handling the arrangements and Manitoba the program component.
For the Contributed Papers area, I will need about 30 to 35 wildlifers to help and it would be great if at least half of them were from Manitoba. You must be a member of The Wildlife Society and have some time to review and rank anywhere from 10 to 30 abstracts of submitted papers. Most of this review will have to be done between February 15, 2004 and March 10, 2004. Your specific duties would be to evaluate, rank and make recommendations on which papers should be accepted, those that might be best suited for a poster session or those that should be rejected. Selection of contributed papers is made based on their technical merit, importance to the profession and/or contribution to science, timeliness, clarity of presentation and adherence to published application procedures.
Some of you may also be prepared to chair/co-chair one of the sessions in Calgary and I would invite an indication of interest from any of you so inclined.
This is a great opportunity to get involved in the business of the annual conference
and to play an active role that will be both enjoyable and rewarding. Please
indicate your interest by e-mail to me at 109mejo@mts.net
or phone at 222-4651.
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3rd International Wildlife Management Congress
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The beautiful coastal city of Christchurch, New Zealand will be the exciting setting for the 3rd International Wildlife Management Congress. December 1-5, 2003 is early summer, the perfect time to visit New Zealand!
Programme highlights:
The Congress will have a strong Pacific and Southern Hemisphere flavour, but
the main focus will be on contrasting perspectives on wildlife management in
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Within the theme of the Congress (Ki
te takikite Tonga - ki uta kitai: From the north to the south - from mountains
to sea) we will bring these contrasting perspectives together for a fascinating
global focus on wildlife management issues in the 21st Century.
Principal themes will be:
Hosts:
The Wildlife Society (USA)
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research (New Zealand)
Australasian Wildlife Management Society
Ngai Tahu (Maori tribe of New Zealand's South Island)
New Zealand Department of Conservation
For more information, visit the conference website at http://www.conference.canterbury.ac.nz/wildlife2003/
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7th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference
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The 7th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conferences is coming the Calgary February 26-29, 2004. This conference has a tradition of excellence due to strong support and attendance from a broad cross-section of society including conservation groups, industry, government, and academics. More than 600 people are expected to attend. Keeping the Wild in the West will focus on sharing information and ideas on conserving prairie ecosystems, both big & small. The conference will be interest to a wide range of participants from the agricultural community, First Nations, energy industry, government agencies, municipalities, universities and conservation groups. For more information visit the conference website at http://www.PCESC.ca.
The Manitoba Chapter of The Wildlife Society believes that it is critical for biology students to have field experience in order to become competent wildlife biologists. With that in mind the Chapter is compiling a list of potential volunteer positions for its membership (many of whom are students).
Do you have any field studies involving wildlife which could incorporate a volunteer for a few days or longer? If so please send me a short description of the position and I'll post it in our Newsletter. If you have any questions please drop me an e-mail or give me a call 204-474-9768.
Best regards,
Rick Riewe
President, Manitoba Chapter of The Wildlife Society
Volunteer Opportunities
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President |
President Elect |
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Jacey Scott e-mail: umscot23@cc.umanitoba.ca |
Garth Ball e-mail: gball@gov.mb.ca |
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Student Representative: |
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