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THE BIWEEKLY
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
Published every two weeks by
The Alberta Society of Professional Biologists
| | Brook Trout, from the ASPB Collection | | |
Supporting Biologists:
In the Field and Beyond
The ASPB Annual Conference will be held
November 4-6, 2026
at Edmonton's Fantasyland Hotel
REGISTRATION IS OPEN HERE
(EARLY-BIRD PRICING ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 18th!)
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SPONSORSHIPS ARE STILL AVAILABLE
FOR THE ASPB 2026 CONFERENCE!
CLICK HERE
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ASPB MEMBERS!
Sign up to help on one of our most important committees:
(Regulatory, Practice Review, and Disciplinary)
Be part of leading the growth of your professional organization!
More information is available HERE, and you can contact
Registrar Dean Falkenberg or Director of Operations Jessica Koehli for more information and to volunteer.
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Artificial Intelligence:
Coming Soon to a Business Near You
“What should an effective workplace AI-use policy include to support responsible and consistent implementation?” Join Laura MacFarlane, Joël Michaud, Evie Maldonado and Austin Ward at Field Law for a complimentary session on artificial intelligence, which is moving into the workplace faster than many policies and processes can keep up.
From drafting emails and summarizing documents to screening candidates and supporting day-to-day decisions, AI can improve efficiency, but it can also create legal and operational risks for employers.
This session will be of interest to employers, HR professionals, executives, in-house counsel, managers, and operational leaders responsible for workplace policies, people management, privacy, risk, or technology adoption.
The session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, between noon and one p.m. mountain time. The session is being recorded; if you are unable to attend at the scheduled time, please register to receive a link to the recording.
REGISTER
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Opportunities for Students
at the ASPB 2026 Conference!
Don’t miss your chance to take part in this year’s student activities, connect with Alberta’s professional biology community, and make the most of the
ASPB 2026 Conference & AGM!
View Conference Details
Student Ticket Draw — Last Day to Enter!
Today is your final chance to win one of five complimentary student tickets to the 2026 ASPB Conference & AGM. Enter by the end of today; winners will be drawn September 16.
Enter the Ticket Draw
Student Scholarship Essay Contest — Deadline October 5
Submit an essay for a chance to receive one of three student awards: $2,000 from AltaLink, $2,000 from ASPB, or $1,500 from Ecosis. Each award also includes complimentary conference registration and two nights’ accommodation. Students may submit separately for all three opportunities.
View Essay Contest Details
Student Photo Contest — Deadline October 5
Show us biology through your lens! ASPB student members can submit up to five photos taken this year, with top entries showcased at the conference and prizes awarded to winning submissions. You do not need to attend the conference to participate in the photo contest!
View Photo Contest Details
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At the ASPB, we gather snippets of relevant biology information from a variety of sources such as The Conversation (Canada), Nature (UK) and Scholar Alerts (Google), which we select and share in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):
WETLANDS, WATERSHEDS & FISHERIES
Scaling up valued ecosystem components for use in watershed cumulative effects assessment
Analysis of Selenium Tissue Concentrations in Multiple Fish Species of the Oldman River
The occurrence of microcystins in Alberta recreational waters
Consultations on the potential listing of twelve designatable units of Fraser River sockeye salmon on the List of Wildlife Species at Risk, pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
Preserving Wetland Vitality: Safeguarding Ecosystem Services and Halting Biodiversity Decline
Establishing conservation benchmarks for threatened Bull Trout using spawner–recruitment relationships
Multiple genetic routes to pelvic spine loss in brook stickleback
BIODIVERSITY
A wish-list for soil biodiversity in Canada
Connectivity in Context: Landscape Drivers of Biodiversity, Gene Flow, and Invasion Dynamics in Wetland Ecosystems
Mining strongly reduces local biodiversity across terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
Private land, public benefits: Conservation covenants and easements aiding global biodiversity targets
AVIAN WILDLIFE
The geography of risk: Motus telemetry reveals spatial variation in mortality of Setophaga striata (Blackpoll Warbler) during pre-breeding migration
Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 160, Number 18: Critical Habitat of the Piping Plover melodus subspecies (Charadrius melodus melodus) Order
Climate, habitat, and socioeconomic gradients shape divergent occupancy and co-occurence patterns between two hummingbirds in western North America
Birdlife-state-of-the-worlds-birds-microsite.pages.dev/
NON-AVIAN WILDLIFE
How snake embryos coil
Recovery of southern mountain caribou habitat following wildfire in Ulkatcho territory, British Columbia, Canada
Foraging and Nesting Behavior of Cavity Nesting Bee Species
Where's the meat? Exploring the value of changes in game management and governance to British Columbia resident hunters
The Death of Wolf Number Ten: A Law Story
Bat Rabies in the Americas
Rabies in Skunks in North America: A New Look at an Old Problem
Rabies in Other Mammalian Carnivores in the Americas
Rabies and the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in North America
PROTECTED AREAS and MANAGEMENT
Enhancing cumulative pressure mapping: Methodological and analytical developments in British Columbia
Strychnine–An Ecological Liability in Western Canada
At the cliff's edge: the precarious legality of rock climbing in Banff National Park
GRASSLANDS
Alberta’s lost prairie called a broken promise
U of A research hub helps conserve Canadian grasslands
The biggest threat to the rangelands isn’t what you’d guess
New prairie pastures management network takes root in Saskatchewan
Endangered monarch butterflies boom amid wet hot Canadian summer on the Prairies
Rare native plant discovered in diverse Macklin grasslands
Parks Canada's collaborative effort to protect, restore this ecosystem at risk
Host-specific soil oomycete communities are spatially repeatable across natural grasslands
FORESTRY
Forest topsoil salvage and placement threshold depths for boreal forest revegetation as influenced by ecosite and substrate texture
Ecosystem management of the contemporary natural forest
Pre-fire forest type as an integrated indicator of long-term post-fire aboveground biomass recovery in boreal forests
Canada's forest soils: the establishment of a nationwide network of long-term sites to examine soil carbon persistence and soil indicators
BOTANY
Development of an Analytical Method for Sulfolane Determination in Plant Tissue
The Prairie's Rarest Duo
An ABA/auxin regulatory module controlled by nitrogen governs symbiotic organogenesis in the bryophyte species Ricciocarpos natans
Peristenus parasitoids of Lygus and Adelphocoris plant bugs in the northern Okanagan valley of British Columbia
MICROBIOLOGY / BIOTECHNOLOGY
Why we don’t have better bacteria
AGROLOGY AND SOILS
Methane-Derived Zero-Valent Carbon Solids Inhibit Nitrification and Decrease Nitrous Oxide Flux from Agricultural Soils
Protect soil microbiomes to boost farming
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
Arctic Ethnobotanical Methodology: Inuit case study with semi-structured group interviews (Kitikmeot, Nunavut, Canada)
Beaver Futurism: Looking to the Past to Support Future Indigenous Sovereignty Through Partnerships with the North American Beaver
HUMAN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Identifying and managing conflicts of interest in Canadian expert group-based science advice
Ecological susto is an emerging concept that bridges medical anthropology and environmental psychology and applies the traditional Latin American folk illness of susto (fright sickness) to the profound shock, anxiety, and trauma caused by environmental degradation, climate change, or natural disasters. (AI by AnthroSource)
Re‐Thinking Environmental Change Through Ecological Susto and Traditional Plant Medicine
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CALENDAR
UPCOMING COURSES
AND WEBINARS
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Explore the Science
Behind Healthy Forests
The 2026 CIF-IFC National Conference & Annual General Meeting will be held September 27-29, 2026 in Edmonton, Alberta. Professional biologists are invited to join hundreds of researchers and natural resource professionals from across Canada, where they can discover the latest science and practical approaches in forest ecology, biodiversity conservation, wildlife habitat, ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation, Indigenous stewardship, and sustainable land management. The conference features technical presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and discussions that connect biological science with real-world management and policy.
Students and early-career professionals will also benefit from interactive workshops focused on science communication, career development, job-search strategies, and building professional networks, providing practical skills that complement a career in biology and natural resource management. Learn more and register here: https://conference.cif-ifc.org/
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2026 ALMS Annual Workshop
ALMS is a registered Alberta charity dedicated to promoting the understanding and effective management of Alberta’s lakes and watersheds through monitoring, education, public engagement, and collaboration.
This year, the annual conference will be held October 1-2, 2026, at SAIT in Calgary, in partnership with the Bow River Basin Council. The two-day event brings together professionals, researchers, government representatives, consultants, municipalities, stewardship groups, and other partners from across Alberta to learn, network, and collaborate on important water issues.
Conference information and registration:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-workshop-in-calgary-alberta-tickets-1990666070805
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Indigenous Business Formation
and Corporate Readiness
a five-day online course, Oct. 5th-9th
This course provides Indigenous leaders, Economic Development Corporation representatives, senior administrators, and Indigenous entrepreneurs with the practical skills to launch, structure, and operate a compliant, financially organized business within an Indigenous context for long-term success. Cost = $1,837.50 (taxes in). Register HERE.
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Grassland Restoration Forum
Field Tour on October 7, 2026
This one-day field tour on multiple-use landscapes in the Dry Mixedgrass of SE Alberta, together with the Orphan Well Association and Jorgensen Land Management, showcases reclamation projects near Manyberries, with a focus on achieving native prairie land equivalency in critical sage grouse habitat.
https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca
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Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation Events
The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada has upcoming events that may be of interest to professional biologists. For more details, you can contact: Science and Management Conference - Collaboration for Recovery: Active Management in a Changing Climate October 14-15, 2026, Radium, BC. https://whitebarkpine.ca/conferences/
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DFO Amendments Published
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is pleased to announce that the Amendments to the Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Regulations (‘the Regulations’) have now been published in the Canada Gazette Part II. These amendments will come into force on October 15, 2026.
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Hinton Training Centre
Forest Health Course
This course at the Hinton Training Centre, to be held on November 4-5, 2026, and led by Marc Mayhew, will lead natural resource managers and practitioners to a basic understanding of forest health issues and current best practices. This course aims to provide attendees familiarity with forest health issues, concerns, and solutions, which is necessary to integrate them into effective land management practices. For course registration information, please write an email to Marc Mayhew@gov.ab.ca
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GRF Fall Information Session:
Restoration and Ranching Solutions
Grassland Restoration Forum’s annual event at the Community Hall in Claresholm Alberta will take place on November 19, 2026. Save the date... Registration will open soon!
https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca
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The ASPB Mentorship Program Opens in December
Registration for the 2027 Mentorship Program opens December 1, 2026, as part of the annual membership renewal process.
See the webpage for more details.
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BSc & MSc degrees in Ecological Restoration
at
THE BC INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
If you’re passionate about helping ecosystems recover and thrive, the BSc & MSc Programs in Ecological Restoration at BCIT are worth exploring. The programs blend scientific knowledge with practical, field-based experience and offer both part-time and full-time options. Learn more about how the programs can support your career goals:
https://www.bcit.ca/programs/ecological-restoration/
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Birding 101 — Foundations of Field Bird Identification - Online - September 16th, 2026
Ecological Land Classification for Southern Ontario - Online & Cambridge - September 21st-25th, 2026
Winning Proposals — Writing to Secure Funding - Online - September 25th, 2026
Wetland Assessment - Online - September 29th - 30th, 2026
Indigenous Business Formation and Corporate Readiness - Online - October 5th-9th, 2026
Land Guardian Program - October 5th - November 6th, 2026
Organic Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment — Sampling and Laboratory Techniques - Online - October 5th & 8th, 2026
Marine Mammal Observation – Online – October 5th & 7th, 2026
Species at Risk – Online – October 6th – 7th, 2026
Applied Tree Identification – Online – October 6th, 2026
Soil Fundamentals and Field Description – Online – October 7th-8th, 2026
Bat Habitat Assessment – Online – October 13th – 14th, 2026
Planning and Designing Fish Habitat Assessments - Online - October 13th, 2026
Introduction to Forest Composition and Structure – Online – October 13th & 15th, 2026
Drone Applications in Environmental Monitoring - Online - October 14th, 2026
Registration will open up after September 24th - Check our Electrofishing webpage here
Fish Habitat Restoration — Stream Morphology Assessment - Online - October 16th, 2026
Foundations of Ecological Restoration - October 19th-21st & October 26th-27th, 2026 - Online
Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites - Online - October 20, 2026
Understanding How Site Factors Shape Forests - Online - October 20th, 2026
Fish Habitat Restoration — Primer on Stream Hydrology - Online - October 22nd, 2026
Environmental Project Management - Online - October 23rd & 30th & November 6th, 2026
Heavy Metals in the Aquatic Environment — Sampling and Laboratory Techniques - Online - October 26th & 29th, 2026
Assessing Tree and Forest Health - Online - October 27th, 2026
For the ongoing calendar of upcoming courses and details, follow this link:
https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/
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Banner photo from the ASPB Collection
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.
PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGISTS PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST
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.
ASPB may use AI-assisted tools in the development of communications, administrative correspondence, website content, and other documentation.
2026
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