THE BIWEEKLY

APRIL 15, 2025

Published by the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS:

The Alberta Envirothon Association is hosting the International Envirothon Competition at Mount Royal University in July 2025, and is seeking volunteers to support all aspects of the competition, and are specifically seeking volunteers to judge student oral presentations on July 25, 2025! Learn more HERE.

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

APRIL

Monthly Webinar:

Wetland Knowledge Exchange 

On April 23, 2025, Lelia Tuffner will present "Why can't I grow here?" asked the Black Spruce. This event is part of the Wetland Knowledge Exchange’s monthly webinar series. Registration for this free webinar can be found at: https://www.cclmportal.ca/portal/wetland-knowledge/events/wetland-knowledge-exchange-april-2025-webinar

Lunch-and-Learn on genomics

Jim Davies, a research scientist at InnoTech Alberta, will present a noon-hour webinar on April 23, 2025. Topics to be covered include the demand for biotic monitoring in satisfying environmental regulations in Alberta, the strengths and weaknesses of environmental genomics as a monitoring tool, and the most promising R&D opportunities for environmental genomics as a monitoring tool.

The registration deadline for this free webinar is April 21, 2025. The Microsoft Teams link will be provided upon registration, HERE. 

MAY

Aquality course registration is now open:

Alberta Wetlands: From Classification to Policy”

Course material will include wetland classification, wetland hydrology, and an examination of characteristics of peatlands and mineral wetlands. Federal, provincial, and municipal policies (particularly the Alberta Wetland Policy (2013), will be discussed, as well as wetland assessments including both desktop delineations and field assessments, ABWRET assessments, and economic valuation of wetlands will be examined. Wetland avoidance, mitigation, compensation/replacement guidelines, and WAIR/WAIF applications will also be addressed. This 2-day course will be taking place online via Zoom between 0900 and 1600 on May 6 and 7, 2025. To register please go here: https://www.wetlandpolicy.ca/register

Fishes of Alberta

Field Identification Workshops

Real preserved fish will be identified using a variety of established identification keys in a classroom setting. The workshop will be held in Calgary on Saturday, May 10, 2025 and in Edmonton on Sunday, May 18, 2025, between 13:00 and 16:30 each day. Specific details will be provided for paid participants; the cost is $175 per student, and a copy of the Alberta Field Guide is included.

This course is instructed by Shona Derlukewich, Owner: School of Fish. Payment is due BEFORE the workshop by credit card (include a 3.5% service charge) or by e-transfer to derlukew@ualberta.ca

Moss Identification Workshops

The Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta is offering two 3-day workshops in moss identification this spring.

1. An Introduction to the Mosses of Alberta - May 14-16, 2025

2. Peatland Mosses of Alberta - May 21-23, 2025

Here is the link:

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/renewable-resources/events-and-lectures/workshops.html

Bryophyte ID course

This 2-day course is an introduction to bryophytes (mosses and liverworts), designed for natural resource professionals, to develop the skills needed to detect and identify common Alberta wetland species. The focus of the course is on key features used in field identification (e.g. leaf morphology, microhabitats), and distinguishing species from similar taxa.

May 26 (8:30 am to 5 pm):

Classroom: Introduction to bryophytes

and to the common wetland taxa in Alberta

Location: Vertex Professional Services

161-2055 Premier Way, Sherwood Park

Field: Identification methods and sampling techniques of common marsh and fen bryophytes

Location: Wagner Natural Area (~ 30 minutes west of Sherwood Park)

May 27 (8:30 am to 5 pm):

Field: Identification of common species in wetland (fen) habitats continued

Practical assessment - test of field identification skills

Location: Clyde fen (~ 1 hour north of Sherwood Park)

Instructor: Brittney Miller, P.Biol, M.Sc. Bryology

Cost: $350 per person (+GST) *Transportation responsibility of participants

Includes:

• 20x hand lens (an essential tool for bryophyte ID)
• An illustrated field guide booklet of common wetland bryophytes with detailed key features and microhabitats

       (excerpt from of The Common Mosses and Liverworts of Alberta by Brittney Miller tinyurl.com/CommonBryophytesofAlberta)-

• Certificate of Completion

To register and for more information contact: bryophytes@vertex.ca

Limited space is available – Registration closes May 16^th

Boreal Wetlands Field Course

Vertex is offering a course on May 28-30, 2025 designed for natural resource professionals and ecologists looking to deepen their understanding of boreal wetland ecosystems and management. This 3-day course is designed for natural resource professionals looking to develop their expertise in wetland assessments and delineation. Segments of the course will take place at the Edmonton area, at the Vertex facility at Sherwood Park and at the Wagner and Clyde Fen Natural areas. For more information and to register please contact wetlands@vertex.ca

SOIL230 Pedology Field School

Montrose Environmental will provide the following In-Person soil course from May 28-30, 2025. This beginner-course will enable 24 hours toward Professional Development. The cost is $600 (+GST). Previous foundational soil knowledge is recommended; more details and links to register are found here: https://go.montrose-env.com/learning-series.

TRAINING PROVIDERS

NATURAL RESOURCES

TRAINING GROUP

Please find copied below the NRTG’s courses for April 2025:

Species at Risk – Online, April 15th – 16th, 2025

Species at Risk – Online, April 15th – 16th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Water Quality Sampling in Lakes – Online – April 21, 2025

Water Quality Sampling in Lakes – Online – April 21, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Construction Monitoring — Principles of Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites – Online – April 22nd, 2025

Construction Monitoring — Principles of Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites – Online – April 22nd, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cranbrook, April 25th,2025

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cranbrook, April 25th,2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Fish Sampling Techniques in Lakes – Online – April 28th, 2025

Fish Sampling Techniques in Lakes – Online – April 28th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

For the full calendar of upcoming courses, and course details, follow this link:

https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/

KEEPING TRACK

with

FIERA BIOLOGICAL CONSULTING

Introduction to Wildlife Tracks — Online Study Session, May. 8, 2025.

6pm MST | 2-hours | Online via Zoom 

The study session will focus on impactful tracking tips aimed at improving performance at a future Track & Sign Certification, or give you a jump start at one of our other in-person tracking workshops.

Open to anyone interested — you do not have to be signed up for a Certification or in-person workshop to participate.

Learn more and register here 

Track & Sign OnLine – Study Session, Aug. 26, 2025.

6pm MDT | 2-hours | Online via Zoom 

The study session will focus on impactful tracking tips aimed at improving performance at a future Track & Sign Certification, or give you a jump start at one of our other in-person tracking workshops.

Open to anyone interested — you do not have to be signed up for a Certification or in-person workshop to participate.

Learn more and register here 

Track & Sign Certification – Sep. 9 & 10, 2025, Hinton, Alberta

Hinton Area | September 9 & 10, 2025 | Ages 18+ | Register before September 1 | Limited Space

This 2-day field-based workshop in Alberta’s wildlife rich foothills offers the opportunity for participants to earn certifications in Track & Sign from Levels 1 to Professional (Level 4). This is an extremely challenging and engaging workshop designed to find the edges of your abilities and propel you past them. Participants must obtain at least 70% during the evaluation — 

All abilities welcome.

Learn more and register here

GRF

GRASSLAND

RESTORATION FORUM

GRF WEBINAR IV 

Choosing flower species for restoration of beneficial insect biodiversity Presented by: Dr. Carol Frost 

Thursday April 24th, 2025 12:00 - 1:00pm MST

DFO CANADA

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES & OCEANS

LEARNING SERIES

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Partnerships team from the Ontario & Prairie region will be offering a learning series on DFO’s Organization and Legislation, Regulatory Review Process, Tools, and Forms/Information Requirements and 2 targeted sessions for Heavy Equipment Operators and Site Managers.

All sessions will start at 12:30 and run to 14:00 Eastern time. The Spring Series (all of which will be replicated in a Fall Series) are as follows:

Duty to Consult – Thursday, April 17, 2025 Join the meeting now

Operating Safely in and Around Water: Navigating Legislation and Protecting Fish and Fish Habitat

The spring session will be offered for site managers and Heavy Equipment Operators engaged in work in or near water. It provides an overview of DFO’s key legislation, focusing on the responsibilities and regulations surrounding the protection of fish and fish habitat. The session will introduce site managers and operators to common threats that fish and fish habitat face due to construction and excavation activities. Participants will learn best practices to avoid impacts to fish and fish habitat, thus ensuring compliance with the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act. Lastly, we will go over DFO’s project review process and provide advice on what types of projects should be reviewed by DFO prior to the start of any in water work. The same presentation and content will be delivered at the autumn session.

• Thursday, May 8, 2025 Join the meeting now

For more information please email: DFO.OPAEPOE-PSEEAOP.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

ESTI

The Environmental Sciences Training Institute

Please contact efishing@esticanada.com with any questions or to book a custom delivery. Learn about our Efishing program here. 

View our in-person course calendar at

https://esticanada.com/shop/

Nest Sweep Protocol: Online – Self-Paced

Online Courses

SALMTEC

 COURSES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

******

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's ABWRET-A Blended Course (W25) Offering Online,

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI) Blended Course (W25) Offering Online,

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's Biophysical Bootcamp (S25) Offering Bragg Creek, AB, May 29

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's ABWRET-A One-Day Field Course (S25) Offerings Calgary, AB June 2

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's ABWRET-A One-Day Field Course (S25) Offerings Red Deer, AB June 3

Registration Now Open for SALMTEC's Catchment Delineation Seminar

SALMTEC also offers several self-paced courses:

VISIT THE SALMTEC CONNECTOR 

THE SALMTEC CONNECTOR is a compilation of applied science and land management event listings, across a variety of sectors and disciplines, published monthly.

You can find the SALMTEC CONNECTOR HERE.

I was recently featured on the Maskwa Environmental Consulting LinkedIn page for the International Day for Women and Girls in Science. The article highlighted some of the talented biologists I work with and reflected on the diverse backgrounds and experiences that shape our industry. It’s been a rewarding experience to work alongside such thoughtful, smart, and innovative people — many of whom, like me, share a deep connection to the outdoors, nature, and the environment.

Today’s environmental professionals look different than the stereotypes of the past. We’re now in an age where we’re shaping change through our daily work, the way we live, and how we teach the next generation. One of the most meaningful parts of my role — both as Maskwa’s renewable energy lead and as a professional biologist — is mentoring new biologists and ecologists. Whether they are just starting out, or are a few years in, I learn as much from them as (I hope!) they learn from me. The natural world still surprises me, and I’m always humbled by how much more there is to discover.

Springtime is one of my favourite times of the year. It marks the shift from winter office days to those early chilly field mornings, watching the sunrise at a reasonable time. These are the days when I get to see the younger biologists -- specially our summer students and juniors -- head out into the field and experience those moments that made me fall in love with this work. Not every day, of course, was picture perfect. But even the worst day in the field was usually full of adventure, troubleshooting, or testing one’s “grit”!

More recently, new opportunities have come my way. I’ve joined the ASPB Board of Directors, and it feels like a brand-new experience again, learning how the organization operates and contributing to our profession in new ways. The passion and dedication of the ASPB team is inspiring, and I’m grateful to be part of the work they do!

At the ASPB, we regularly receive notifications from Google Scholar and other sources which we select and share below in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):

Need for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in securing effective Global Climate Governance

Beaver Versus Human: The Big Differences in Small Dams

Geology and Geomorphology Drive Polycyclic Aromatic Compound Concentrations and Composition in Rivers Draining the Alberta Oil Sands

Self‐sustaining populations are a conservation vision, not an operational objective

Enabling participatory monitoring and evaluation: Insights for conservation practitioners and organizations

Dispersal limitation and temperature restrict plant invasion in a subarctic treeline environment

Disturbance synergies of bark beetles, woodborers and wildfire: investigating post-fire insect outbreak potential in the dry interior forests of British Columbia

Why male birds work it so hard

How to clean up ‘forever chemicals’

A five-year ambient aquatic ecosystem health monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) plan (2025-2030) for lakes and reservoirs in Alberta

Paws on paths: Dog walking behaviour and behaviour change interventions

Rebuilding a KINShip Approach to the Climate Crisis: A Comparison of Indigenous Knowledges Policy in Canada and the United States

Signs of dementia in seabirds that eat plastic

Can ‘forever chemicals’ be destroyed?

The minerals at the heart of geopolitics

Social information use increases with decreasing winter temperature in a passerine bird

Climate change mitigation through woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) habitat restoration in British Columbia

Clearcuts-Came-Martens-Lynx-Left

Evaluating virtual fencing as a tool to manage beef cattle for rotational grazing across multiple years

Road Network and its Impact on Urban Socio-ecological Systems: A Network Perspective

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii (Types I, II, III and 12) and Sarcocystis spp. in the brains of river otter (Lontra canadensis) from Alberta, Canada.

Success of two methods for long distance transport and fertilization of Bull Trout

Why does animal home range size decrease with population density?

International academics ‘living in fear’

How to lighten your dog’s environmental footprint

Development, Validation, and Implementation of eDNA‐Focused qPCR Assays to Detect and Distinguish Between Goldfish (Carassius auratus) and Prussian Carp …

Salt tolerance as a factor in determining suitability of northern grasses for revegetation of oil sands sites affected by tailings release water

Pining for change: effects of fire and fire surrogates on whitebark pine ecology, growth, and regeneration in Glacier National Park, BC

Rediscovery of the Columbia Plateau pocket mouse at the northern extent

Propagule Pressure and Soil Disturbance Diminish Plant Community Resistance to Invasion Across Habitat Types

Retrospective analyses to understand how wolf territory density impacts moose quotas, harvest and observation rate

Environmental Justice and Indigenous Communities: A Study of Alberta's Oil Sands, Treaty 8, and the Role of Biodiversity in Indigenous Worldviews

Climate change, caribou protection and Canada’s timber supply

Live Rotavirus Vaccine Safe for Newborns of Biologic-Treated Moms With IBD

Beyond binoculars: Increasing relevancy of state fish and wildlife agencies by investigating facilitators of and participation in wildlife viewing

Thresholds of Area Burned and Burn Severity for Downstream Riverine Systems to'Feel the Burn'

This week’s banner photo:

Endangered on the Prairies:

Natalie Vieira-Lomasney, P. Biol., encountered this

Chestnut-collared Longspur on the lookout for a mate,

while she was conducting breeding bird surveys in Saskatchewan.

Camera: Nikon D5500

PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGISTS PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST

In Alberta, Professional Biologists are registrants of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB), and are subject to a code of ethics, continuing competency requirements, and a disciplinary process. The ASPB is a self-regulated organization under legislation in the Province of Alberta, meaning its purpose is to protect the public of Alberta by ensuring biologists are qualified to practice biology in accordance with that legislation. The society is governed by a Board of Directors elected by its registrants.

You are probably receiving this newsletter because you are an ASPB Registrant. This newsletter provides relevant information and professional development opportunities for our members, as well as essential member-related society business; if you are registered with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists, please DO NOT unsubscribe.

For more information about the Society or to contact the administration, please visit the website: https://www.aspb.ab.ca

Opinions and general news published in this e-newsletter

do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Society or its Board of Directors.