ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

Are you interested in contributing

to the important work of the ASPB?

The Discipline Committee is looking for a recruit to fill one vacancy:

• You will be an integral part of the fabric of the ASPB.
• You would participate in hearings before the committee.
• There are opportunities for training in professional conduct review, running hearings, jurisprudence, and what is going on in the Canadian landscape of professional oversight.

Experience in hearings, and time as a regulated professional, are assets. You must be a professional member in good standing to be considered. Please contact the Executive Director for more information.

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

FEBRUARY

Wetland Knowledge Exchange:

Monthly webinar

On February 19th, 2025, Dr. Michelle Gordy will present Building a Strategy for Wetlands. This event is part of the Wetland Knowledge Exchange’s monthly webinar series; registration for this free webinar can be found HERE

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

MARCH

Alberta Native Plant Council Webinar:

Permaculture Design

Join ANPC on Zoom for the LAST webinar of the 3-part mini-series on March 11, 2025 at 12 PM MST as Jenn MacAusland and Cynthia Acebo share more Fun with Permaculture Design! In this final part of the series, we’ll learn how we can create depth and design using plants and trees and inspire meaningful change on our properties, no matter the size. Register HERE or on the ANPC website.

SOIL410 Soil Classification Short Course

Montrose Environmental will provide the following Zoom-based soil course from March 12-13, 2025. This advanced course will enable16 hours toward Professional Development. The cost is $400 (+GST). Previous foundational soil knowledge is recommended; more details and links to register are found here: https://go.montrose-env.com/learning-series.

Wetland Knowledge Exchange Webinar

On March 18, 2025, Dr. Irena Creed will present Wetlands as Fast-acting and Sustainable Natural Climate Solutions. Registration for this free webinar can be found at:

https://www.cclmportal.ca/portal/wetland-knowledge/events/wetland-knowledge-exchange-march-2025-webinar

GRF Workshop:

Grassland Restoration Forum

Brush up on your grassland assessment skills before field season. The GRF is offering a one day course, "How to Use the Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies Manuals for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands" - Thursday March 20th, 2025, 10:00 – 16:30 at the Glenbow Ranch Schoolhouse, Cochrane. To learn more and register, contact: Jane Lancaster - GRF Coordinator, janelanc@telusplanet.net

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

MAY

Fishes of Alberta

Field Identification Workshop

Real preserved fish will be identified using a variety of established identification keys in a classroom setting. This workshop will be held at Mount Royal University on Saturday, May 10, 2025 between 13:00 and 16:30 (MDT). 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

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

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

NRTG’s courses for February 2025:

Construction Monitoring — Wildlife Mitigation – Online – February 18th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Fish Habitat Restoration — Prescription Development – Online, February 19th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Construction Monitoring — Water Quality and Assessment – Online – February 21st, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Avian Nest Sweeps and Monitoring Methods – Online – February 24th – 25th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Introduction to Fish Habitat Measurement and Assessment – Online – February 24th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Field Safety — Survival & Medical Emergency Self-Treatment – Online – February 25th & March 4th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Amphibian Survey and Collection Methods – Online – February 25th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Construction Monitoring — Principles of Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites – Online – February 26th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Fish Habitat Restoration — Primer on Stream Hydrology – Online – February 27th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Courtenay, February 28th, 2025 Natural Resources Training Group

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

https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION

ACTION PLAN

Webinars and Conferences

Native Prairie Speaker Series:

March Topic: Cranes

Speaker: Paityn Macko, Outreach Biologist, International Crane Foundation

March 4th, 2025 12 PM

Register Free

KEEPING TRACK

with

FIERA BIOLOGICAL CONSULTING

Track & Sign OnLine – Study Session, Feb. 27, 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 

Snow Tracking Field Essentials – Mar. 1, 2025, Edmonton, AB

Elk Island National Park | March 1, 2025 | Must be aged 18+

Snow Tracking Field Essentials is a one-day, field-based workshop focused on identifying tracks in snow. Learn to recognize key characteristics in track patterns, and apply your knowledge of the character and physical attributes of each species as a crucial first step to identifying the track-maker. Participants will reduce their dependance on footprint features to confidently match track makers to species. Perfect for ecology students, wildlife researchers, and environmental consultants with any level of tracking knowledge or experience. Ideal training for those working towards a Track & Sign Certification.

Difficulty is Intermediate to Advanced, but all abilities are welcome. 

Learn more and register here

Track & Sign Certification – March 12 & 13, 2025, Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton Area | March 12 & 13, 2025 | Ages 18+ | Register before February 26 | Limited Space

This 2-day field-based workshop offers the opportunity for participants to earn certifications in Track & Sign from Levels 1 to Professional (Level 4). Participants must obtain at least 70% during the evaluation — it won’t be easy!

All abilities welcome.

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). Participants must obtain at least 70% during the evaluation — it won’t be easy!

All abilities welcome.

Learn more and register here 

FIELD LAW

Because Clarity Matters

Historically, our annual "Labour + Employment Year in Review" sessions provided key legal updates on topics like off-duty conduct terminations, employee privacy, and changes to the Canada Labour Code. This year, we’re taking a forward-thinking approach, focusing on how 2024's legal developments will shape your business in 2025. These sessions will help you anticipate challenges, adapt policies, and stay compliant.

Part 1: (February)

Labour, Employment, Intellectual Property

WEBINAR Tuesday, February 25 Cost: Complimentary

IN-PERSON SEMINARS Wednesday, February 26

Cost: Complimentary

Calgary full, Edmonton available

Part 2: (March)

Occupational Health + Safety, Privacy, Human Rights

WEBINAR Monday, March 17 Cost: Complimentary

IN-PERSON SEMINARS Tuesday, March 18

Calgary and Edmonton

Cost: Complimentary

www.fieldlaw.com

GRF

GRASSLAND

RESTORATION FORUM

Pre-Field-Season Training Workshop

How to use the

Range Plant Community Guides and

Recovery Strategies Manuals

for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands.

The workshop will be held Thursday March 20, 2025, from 10:00 to 16:30, at the Glenbow Ranch Schoolhouse in Cochrane, AB.

Register via the website: here or by emailing Donna at: corpirate@shaw.ca.

GRF WEBINAR III

Local Adaptation of Select Prairie Plant Species Presented by: Dr. Sean Asselin Date TBA March, 2025 12:00 - 1:00pm MST

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

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.

Updating Alberta's Grassland Vegetation Inventory:

A Call for Stakeholder Input

(Contributed by Laurie Hamilton, P. Biol.)

The Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI) serves as a comprehensive land use and biophysical land cover inventory extending beyond Alberta's Grassland Natural Region. Originating from Alberta's Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) to assess changes in the native vegetation of Alberta's prairie landscape, the GVI relies on digitized and manually interpreted data, primarily acquired through digital color infrared photography by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development since 2006/07.

Call for Input continued...

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):

Bats have built-in anti-virus defence

Patterned rich fens in southeastern Yukon: comparisons with boreal and montane fens in Alberta

Hopeful insights from wildlife recoveries in Canada

Insights-on-coal-development-from-five-retired-Fish-and-Wildlife-biologists

Data fusion of modelled and-measured deposition in the US and Canada, Part I: description of methodology and validation of wet deposition of sulfur and nitrogen.

Sulfate and Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations Drive Distinct Microbial Community Patterns in Prairie Wetland Ponds

Microbial surveillance versus cytokine responsiveness in native and non-native house sparrows

American Beaver Habitat Suitability Tied to Lotic Waters Using Both Nuisance Reports and iNaturalist Crowdsourced Sightings

Winter diet of five sympatric ungulates in west-central Alberta, Canada—inference from DNA metabarcoding of fecal pellets

Wetlands happen: the delineation and classification of opportunistic wetlands in the Athabasca oil sands region of Canada

Smart Farming for Farm Security: Mitigate Wild-Birds Intrusion in Agriculture Farms

A Critical Review on Phosphorus Recovery from Source-diverted Blackwater

A Sustainable Vitalization Framework for Calgary's Back Lanes

Wildfire Smoke Contributions to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Loadings in Western Canadian Urban Surface Grime

Drivers of soil carbon variability in North America's prairie pothole wetlands: A review

Analysis of EA as an instrument for wetland protection: insights from the mining sector in western and northern Canada

How America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic

Temperate forests of high conservation value are successfully identified by satellite and LiDAR data fusion

Strychnine poisoning in nontarget species in western Canada: A retrospective case series (2014 to 2023)

Recovery rates of white spruce and balsam fir on seismic lines in NW Alberta, Canada

Evaluating the method reproducibility of deep learning models in biodiversity research

Provincial diffusion, national acceptance: the transfer of conservation easement policy in Canada

The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point?

Distribution, sources, and fate of nitrate in groundwater in agricultural areas of Southern Alberta, Canada

Using Behavioral Ecology to Minimize Human-Wildlife Conflict in a Major Metropolitan Area

To Protect Prairie Swallows, We Must Conserve Prairie Wetlands

Living with Coyotes: Exploring Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Alberta

The Extent of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Wetland Area in the Oil Sands Region of Alberta, Canada Between 2000 and 2018

Gaps and opportunities in on‐host winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) surveillance in North America

It’s really hard for native English speakers to see, let alone experience, how not being fluent in English is commonly viewed as the same as being inferior as a scientist.

A Stewardship of Land and Creatures

Lupin (Lupinus spp.) Breeding and Biotechnology: New Perspectives and Methods

Quantifying rosy-finch migration with stable hydrogen isotope feather markers highlights the need for inter-state collaboration to reach conservation goals

A fire deficit persists across diverse North American forests despite recent increases in area burned

This week’s banner photo:

This American Pika was captured having a short rest high in the mountains of Kananaskis, by photographer Myrna Pearman, P. Biol. Myrna writes that "Pikas face an uncertain future so this image represents the species "clinging" to their always-warming, ever-changing mountain homes."

(Photo cropped.)

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.