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THE BIWEEKLY
NOVEMBER 1, 2025
Published by the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists
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The voting platform for
ASPB Board Elections
closes at 1700, November 1st (today).
The voting results will be announced at the Annual Meeting on the morning of Nov. 28, 2025.
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MRU Approves
ASPB Scholarship
The Alberta Society of Professional Biologists Scholarship will be awarded to a full-time Mount Royal University student who will be enrolled in the second, third or fourth year of the Bachelor of Science (biology major), in the upcoming fall semester. It will be based on academic achievement, and applicants must be a student member of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists.
The Mount Royal University student awards application process opens on November 1, 2025 (for Fall 2026 distribution). To apply, students must log into their MyMRU account and complete a single awards application form. From there, the system automatically matches them with the awards for which they are eligible.
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ASPB JOB BOARD
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control
Intermediate Biologist
Technical Lead: Landscape Ecologist Restoration Specialist
Wildlife Programs Coordinator
Environmental Manager
Intermediate Environmental Planner
Junior & Intermediate Environmental Specialists
Senior Environmental Scientist - Risk Assessment
Environmental Planner (QAES)
Vegetation and Wetlands Specialist
FIND INFORMATION ON
THESE AND OTHER POSITIONS ON THE
JOB BOARD
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Details of Joint Irrigation Project
Announced by EPA Director
The final terms of reference for the MD of Acadia and Special Areas Joint irrigation Project were issued on October 10, 2025. The Joint Irrigation Project has been established to increase irrigation capacity within the MD of Acadia and Special Area No. 2. More information about the project and the final terms of reference are available at: https://www.alberta.ca/environmental-impact-assessments-current-projects.aspx
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & COURSES
NOVEMBER
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Environmental law in focus
Join this webinar series on habitat law and management, and water law, in Alberta. Each part will consist of a short webinar dealing with a specific aspect of the law, followed by a question-and-answer portion where you can ask an ELC lawyer your questions related to this topic.
The Environmental Law in Focus mini-webinar series targets key environmental law and policy issues with a focus on building understanding, exploring the possibilities, and promoting law reform. The fall series focuses on habitat and water: two ongoing areas of environmental challenges. Join us for our bite-sized webinars (to go along with lunch)!
HABITAT:
Webinar 3: Habitat Management on Private Lands – November 27, 2025. Register Now.
WATER:
Webinar 3: Water Management Planning – November 20, 2025. Register Now.
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DFO
Fall Learning Series:
Projects Near Water
There will be four presentations delivered in the Fall Learning Series, each one unique while building from the previous session. To attend any of the sessions, click on the respective date link and allow the link to open in your web browser (please use Chrome or Edge).
These sessions will not be recorded and will only be presented in English. Each session in the series will have a presentation by DFO, followed by a question and answer period. The time of the presentation is based on the time zone you are in; all sessions will all start 12:30 – 2:00 pm Eastern time, please adjust based on the location/time zone you are in.
1. Detailed review of the Application for Authorization/Permit form and Application Process
November 5, 2025 Join the meeting now
2. Duty to consult
November 12, 2025 Join the meeting now
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Land Guardian Program - November 3rd - December 5th, 2025 - Online
Land Guardian Program – Nov 3 – Dec 5, 2025
Field Safety — Preparation - Online - November 4th & November 7th, 2025
Field Safety — Preparation – Nov 4 & 7, 2025
Identification and Control Methods of Common Weeds in Western Canada - Online - November 4th, 2025
Identification and Control Methods of Common Weeds – Nov 4, 2025
Wetland Assessment – Online, November 5th-6th, 2025
Wetland Assessment – Nov 5 – 6, 2025
Ichthyology - Online, November 6th-7th, 2025
Ichthyology – Nov 6–7, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Spill Prevention and Response at the Construction Site - Online - November 7th, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Spill Prevention – Nov 7, 2025
Winning Proposals — Writing to Secure Funding - Online - November 10th, 2025
Winning Proposals — Writing to Secure Funding – Nov 10, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Wildlife Mitigation - Online - November 12th, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Wildlife Mitigation – Nov 12, 2025
Field Safety — Survival & Medical Emergency Self-Treatment - Online - November 13th & November 19th, 2025
Field Safety — Survival & Medical Emergency Self-Treatment – Nov 13 & 19, 2025
Advanced Electrofishing - Online - November 14th, 2025
Advanced Electrofishing – Nov 14, 2025
Avian Nest Sweeps and Monitoring Methods - Online - November 17th-18th, 2025
Avian Nest Sweeps and Monitoring Methods – Nov 17–18, 2025
Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring - Online, November 18th-21st, 2025
Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring – Nov 18–21, 2025
Environmental Project Management - November 19th - 21st, 2025 - Online
Environmental Project Management – Nov 19–21, 2025
Monitoring Groundwater - Online - November 20th, 2025
Monitoring Groundwater – Nov 20, 2025
Fish Habitat Restoration — Identification of Factors Limiting Fish Productivity - Online - November 21st, 2025
Fish Habitat Restoration — Identification of Factors Limiting Fish Productivity – Nov 21, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Water Quality and Assessment - Online - November 28th, 2025
Construction Monitoring — Water Quality and Assessment – Nov 28, 2025
For the full calendar of upcoming courses, and course details, follow this link:
https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/
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KEEPING TRACK
with
FIERA BIOLOGICAL CONSULTING
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Track & Sign Certification — Feb. 7 & 8, 2026, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan
Ages 18+ | Register by Jan. 18 | Limited space
Join us for this exploration of Saskatchewan’s boreal forests, frozen lakes, and snow-covered wetlands through the lens of wildlife track & sign identification and interpretation. This 2-day field-based workshop offers participants the opportunity to earn certifications in Track & Sign, ranging from Level 1 to Professional (Level 4). All abilities welcome.
Learn more and register here
Track & Sign Specialist Certification — May 23 & 24, 2026, Lardeau Valley, British Columbia
This 2-day field-based workshop offers participants the opportunity to earn a Track & Sign Specialist Certification, the highest level of Track & Sign certification available within the CyberTracker system. Sage Raymond and David Moskowitz will lead the Workshop. This workshop is meant for expert trackers.
Learn more here
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AAFMP
Association of Alberta Forest Management Professionals
Professional Development Events for Natural Resource Professionals
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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
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GRF
Grassland Restoration Forum
Website grasslandrestorationforum.ca
Transboundary Grassland Partnership Workshop
November 5-6, 2025
Milk River, AB
GRF Fall Information Session
"Home on the Range: Our Commitment to Grassland Restoration"
The one day Fall Information Session gathers a variety of industry and grassland stakeholders to exchange current information on grassland restoration and conservation through a variety of presentations, panel discussions and mini updates. - November 20, 2025 8:30 – 16:30 at the Claresholm Community Hall.
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Alberta’s Biology Legends:
OUR PEOPLE
AND A HALF-CENTURY OF EXCELLENCE
In 2025, the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists proudly celebrates 50 years of advancing the profession of biology in Alberta and beyond. What began in 1975 with a small group of visionary founders, determined to see biology recognized as a profession, has grown into a vibrant community of more than 3,000 members. Since securing exclusive use of the Professional Biologist (P. Biol.) designation in 1991, the ASPB has continually championed integrity, accountability, and excellence in biological practice. With labour mobility across Western Canada and the upcoming transition to the Professional Governance Act, the ASPB remains firmly committed to protecting the public interest while celebrating the lasting contributions of its members to science, society, and the environment. This milestone year will be marked with special highlights and celebrations at our 50th Anniversary Annual Conference in November, hosted at the Banff Springs Hotel.
And of course, as we celebrate this fiftieth anniversary, we want to celebrate our profession and its people. In each edition of THE BIWEEKLY, through December 2025, we will publish short personal reflections of some of those who have served the society over many years . (They will be presented in no particular order!)
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Matthew Koehli
Matthew Koehli joined the Board as President Elect in 2019 and served a three year term, transitioning to Director in 2022, where he has now served one term and is currently serving a second year. He also joined the registration committee in July of 2020, where he has served for the past five years and is currently the committee chair.
With nearly 15 years at TerraLogix Solutions Inc., Matthew leads as the Northern Operations Manager, supporting a wide range of reclamation and remediation projects. Outside of work, Matthew is an active community volunteer, coaching his children's hockey and baseball teams year-round.
Drawing on his experience as both a regulated professional and an established employer, Matthew identified a disconnect between post-secondary students and the regulatory community, often leaving graduates uncertain about how to achieve their own professional designation. During his term as President, he prioritized removing barriers to registration by creating a clear, consistent, and repeatable pathway to professional regulation, including a well-defined equivalency process. During his tenure, and during his current role as chair of the registration committee, this vision became a reality: the ASPB now has a formal equivalency framework and enhanced student outreach efforts, offering future biologists a clear path to professional registration and helping to shape the next generation of P. Biol.s.
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Jay White
Jay White became a student member in 1995 and attended his first ASPB conference, becoming a full member in 2000.
He writes: “I really got interested with the ASPB with the wetlands workshops in early 2010s. Those were very well attended and managed (by volunteers, I might add). Following that, my interest in the board grew until I was asked to join.
I served as ASPB President in 2019 and provided some leadership through COVID. Past-presidents were generous with their time and kindness while “showing me the ropes”. It was a wild time having Dean in my ear so much and on speed dial for the duration of my term. (Dean just called me as I wrote this—LOL). We had a really great time with whatever we were getting up to back then, and it was an honour to represent the ASPB with ASET, BC CAB, and other PROs.
The best term was the “Past President” role, just riding off into the sunset. And it makes me smile when I think of a whole year’s worth of P. Biol.s who have my signature on their certificates!
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Peter Kingsmill
Serving as the Editor of Publications for the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists for over a decade has been an enormous source of pride and pleasure for me. And, following the organization as it morphed from its academic roots to the new realities of professional regulation has been fascinating.
Over a decade ago, I was introduced to the ASPB by the late Dr. Robin Leech, often referred to as Alberta's Spiderman. Robin, a gentleman who I believe served the ASPB in each and every elected and appointed capacity at one time or another in his career, taught me many things about the society and its genesis. Of course, he also taught me many forgettable things about spiders but far more importantly, Robin demonstrated every day the special nature of this man who believed so fiercely in the value of his profession and in sharing it with the biologists of the future. And above all, he helped me to understand that biology in Alberta is about far more than bugs, birds and bunnies; biology is about people, and there are so many good ones at the ASPB!
When I am not annoying my colleagues on the ASPB staff by being their grouchy old wordsmith, I remain marginally involved with the Redberry Lake UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Saskatchewan, which includes the little town of Hafford where I live with my wife Valerie. Together, we boast a half-dozen children, and over another half-dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren, scattered from B.C. through Saskatchewan and from Alberta to Australia.
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Maire Luoma
I joined the ASPB the year after I got my first real job in the field of aquatic ecology and the start of my career in Calgary. In 1980s I became a Board Member, as I strongly believed in a professional organization for biologists. I spent two years as a Director and two years as Secretary before stepping down, as my career evolved and I got married (and started a family with another ASPB member at the time!)
At the start of my career I joined Stantec Consulting Ltd and am still working with a great company which has supported me over the years, even as I start to wind down my 45-year career.
I greatly valued working with a group of dedicated professional biologists in the infancy of the organization, which was a wonderful opportunity for me early in my career. As I remember the challenges we faced trying to be recognized as a professional organization, I am happy to see how far the organization has come and being recognized for what it is today!
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This week’s banner photo:
Juvenile Lake Trout
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.
2025
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