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ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY
JUNE 15, 2024
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Evidence grows that cows spread
bird flu through their milk
Astonishing amounts of H5N1 virus have been found in the raw milk of cows infected with avian influenza. The virus can survive for hours in splattered milk. This reinforces that the milking process is probably driving transmission among cows and might be spreading the virus to humans. The fact that H5N1 doesn’t seem to spread through airborne particles is good news. It means changes to milking procedures — such as disinfecting equipment between cows and protective equipment to farm workers — could help to bring the outbreak under control.
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AER issues abandonment order
to Tallahassee Exploration Inc.
On June 5, the Alberta Energy Regulator
issued a corporate abandonment order to Tallahassee Exploration Inc., requiring the company to decommission its sites and to submit and implement an approved reclamation plan. The order comes in response to Tallahassee’s failure to comply with two previous orders issued in September and November 2023.
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Canada's Engineers Sign
Statement of Collaboration
According to a recent APEGA newsletter, on May 23, 2024, Canada’s 12 engineering regulators gathered in Winnipeg to sign a National Statement of Collaboration to further expand their partnership and harmonization efforts: "The statement reflects regulators’ renewed commitment to proactively work together to address national and international barriers to mobility for engineers and engineering entities, further advancing public safety and increasing regulatory efficiency."
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BUILDING YOUR
CAREER?
See what's new on the
BIOLOGISTS'
JOB BOARD
Environmental Professional, Project Manager
Biodiversity Modelling Ecologist
Terrestrial Biologists
Aquatic Field Biologist
Wetlands Ecologist
Wildlife Biologist
Environmental Specialist
Fisheries or Reclamation Biologist
Director, Species at Risk and Stewardship
Environmental Planner (Aquatic Focus)
Applications Scientist
Senior Ecologist
FIND INFORMATION
ON THESE AND
MANY OTHER POSITIONS
HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
JUNE
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Bryophytes Identification Course
This 2-day course, instructed by Brittney Miller, M.Sc will take place on June 17-18, 2024, and is designed for natural resource professionals to develop the skills needed to detect and identify common Alberta bryophytes 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. This course involves both classroom and field components, between 0830 and 1700 each day. The classroom location is at Vertex Professional Services, 161-2055 Premier Way in Edmonton. Field components will be at natural areas within 1 hour of Edmonton. For more information, and to register, please contact bryophytes@vertex.ca
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A Webinar Introduction to:
The Alberta Watercourse Crossing Guidebook
The Alberta Watercourse Crossing Guidebook provides a comprehensive look at all stages of a watercourse crossing installation and removal. The guidebook aims to empower practitioners with an understanding of the who, what, where and why of watercourse crossing projects.
This presentation on June 19, 2024, at 12:00 pm, will provide an overview of the AWC3 organization, identify key project partners and provide a summary of the newly published best management practices guidebook. For more information and to register for this complimentary presentation, please go HERE.
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ANPC Botany Field Trip on June 21-23
The Alberta Native Plant Council is hosting its annual Botany Alberta field trip, on June 21-23, 2024 at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. It is completely free to attend; for more information please go HERE.
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Fiera Biological Workshops, Tracks and Traces:
Wildlife Track and Sign Identification
This in-person field-based workshop will take place in the Edmonton region and will be instructed by Joseph Litke, Wildlife Biologist, Certified Wildlife Track & Sign Professional. The workshop will focus on the identification and interpretation of clues left by wildlife in the form of tracks and other sign such as scats or foraging evidence. Suitable for any skill level. Limited space available. June Workshop date: June 22, 2024. Learn more and register HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
JULY
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Aquality Course Registration:
Alberta Wetlands: From Classification to Policy
This 2-day course will take place both online via Zoom and in person at Aquality’s Edmonton office on July 8-9, 2024. This course will run from 09:00 – 16:30 both days. The comprehensive course is designed to help consultants, industry professionals, resource managers, not-for-profit organizations, and government regulators understand the theoretical component used in wetland assessments. For more information, and to register, you can visit the website HERE.
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WPEFC recovery training session
This course provides field training and reference material tailored to whitebark and limber pine recovery. Participants will gain competency and a certificate issued by WPEFC demonstrating a consistent level of knowledge and technical skills required to support endangered whitebark and limber pine recovery.
This course will be held at Porcupine Hills, Alberta on June 5 and 6, 2024 and in the Golden, BC Area on July 10 and 11, 2024. Click HERE for further details.
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Aquality Course Registration:
Wetland identification and delineation field school
This one-day course on July 11, 2024 will be conducted west of Edmonton and include travel to a few different sites to see examples of the five different classes of wetlands that we have in Alberta, as defined by the Alberta Wetland Classification System (AWCS). The course will run from 09:00 until approximately 16:00. Please click HERE for more information and to register.
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
SEPTEMBER
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Fiera Biological Workshops:
Introductory Track & Sign Certification
Saturday, September 21, 2024, Hinton, Alberta.
This 1-day workshop is meant as an introduction the Track & Sign certification process and offers the opportunity for participants to earn a Level 1 Certification. Level 1 is the lowest level of certification offered by Tracker Certification North America and requires that participants achieve at least a 70% during skill evaluation. The workshop will be lead by David Moskowitz, one of North America’s top trackers.
Learn more and register here: Introductory Track & Sign, Hinton
Fiera Biological Workshops:
Standard Track & Sign Certification
Monday & Tuesday, September 23 & 24, 2024, Hinton, Alberta.
This 2-day workshop is an internationally applied, professional-level training process used to promote wildlife tracking and ecological knowledge. The process emphasises practical tracking and the development of reliable field skills. No prior training is required. Certification depends on performance. Participants will have the opportunity to earn one of up to four tiers of certification, from Level 1 (requires at least 70%) to Level 4 (Professional, which requires 100%). The workshop will be lead by David Moskowitz, one of North America’s top trackers.
Learn more and register here: Standard Track & Sign, Hinton
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Estimating Fish Abundance – Online – June 18th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/estimating-fish-abundance-online-june-18th-2024/
Identification and Control Methods of Common Weeds in Western Canada – Online – June 18th, 202
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/identification-and-control-methods-of-common-weeds-in-western-canada-online-june-18th-202/
Planning & Designing Fish Habitat Assessments – Online – June 19th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/planning-designing-fish-habitat-assessments-online-june-19th-2024/
Ask an Expert – Water Management and Sustainability – June 25th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/ask-an-expert-water-management-and-sustainability-june-25th-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & North Vancouver, June 27th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-north-vancouver-june-27th-2024/
Advanced Electrofishing – Online – June 27th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/advanced-electrofishing-online-june-27th-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Prince George, July 3rd, 2024
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Prince George, July 3rd, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Large River Fish – Hazards Working in Large Rivers – Online – July 9th, 2024
Large River Fish – Hazards Working in Large Rivers – Online – July 9th, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Career Mentoring – Tuesday July 9th, 2024
Career Mentoring – Tuesday July 9th, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Large River Fish – Fish Capture Techniques – Online – July 10th, 2024
Large River Fish – Fish Capture Techniques – Online – July 10th, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Edmonton, July 11th 2024
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Edmonton, July 11th 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Kamloops, 11th July, 2024
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Kamloops, 11th July, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Large River Fish – Management of Aquatic Predators – Online – July 11th, 2024
Large River Fish – Management of Aquatic Predators – Online – July 11th, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, July 12th, 2024
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, July 12th, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Kamloops, 12th July, 2024
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Kamloops, 12th July, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Fundamentals of Soil Sampling I: Soil Texturing – Online – July 22nd, 2024
Fundamentals of Soil Sampling I: Soil Texturing – Online – July 22nd, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
Avian Nest Sweeps and Monitoring Methods – Online – July 24th & July 26, 2024
Avian Nest Sweeps and Monitoring Methods – Online – July 24th & July 26, 2024 | Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)
For the full calendar of upcoming courses, and course details, follow this link:
https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/
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COLUMBIA MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE
of Applied Ecology
Revelstoke BC
Full course information available at each course link.
Understanding Statistics and Decision-Making for Natural Resource Managers
May 8 - June 26, 2024. Online
Field Soil Description & Classification Course
June 26-28, 2024. Revelstoke BC.
Wetland Classification: An introduction
July 3-5, 2024. Revelstoke BC.
Data Manipulation and Visualization in R
October 1-4, 2024. Online
Introduction to `R` software
October 15-18, 2024. Online
QGIS Level I & II – Online
Dates scheduled according to student schedules.
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AER publishes its 2023
Pipeline Performance Report
On June 13, 2024, the Alberta Energy Regulator published the 2023 Pipeline Performance Report, its annual publication featuring pipeline incident data from 2019 to 2023. The AER regulates oil and gas pipelines solely within the borders of Alberta, including lines that transport natural gas, crude oil products, refined products and diluent, produced water, and sour gas. In 2023, the total number of pipeline incidents increased to 354 from 326 in 2022, an 8.6% increase. This increase consists of low-consequence incidents only. Of the total number of incidents, 67% involved releases of one cubic metre or less (about six barrels equivalent). Over the past 10 years, incidents have generally trended downward. The report states that the slight increase in 2023 could be attributed to increased industry activity in Alberta last year.
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We regularly receive notifications from Google Scholar Alerts and other sources which we select and share below in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):
Meet-the-first-nations-guardians-protecting-canadas-pristine-shores
A study in executive branch noncompliance with law: government secrecy, endangered species protection, and the whitebark pine
Regional uniqueness of tree species composition and response to forest loss and climate change
Time's Grip along the Athabasca, 1920s and 1930s
Niche partitioning of bobcat and Canada lynx near their distribution contact zone
Contribution of emissions from the oil sands activities in Alberta, Canada to atmospheric concentration and deposition of nitrogen and sulfur species at a downwind …
Assessing burn severity and vegetation restoration in Alberta's boreal forests following the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire–a remote sensing time-series study
First records of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Saskatchewan, Canada
Earthworm cast microbiomes differ across soil types in northern forests
Environmental impact and damage assessment of oil trunkline transportation by life cycle assessment method.
Assessing moss transplant methods to enhance Sphagnum moss recovery in post-wildfire hydrophobic peat
An overview of known species killed during Alberta's Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) strychnine program, 2005–2020
Woodland caribou calving fidelity: Spatial location, habitat, or both?
The social landscape of wolves in Canada-preliminary findings
A systematic literature review investigating the association between biodiversity and beaver lodges
Toxicity Evaluation of Water and Pore Water from a Pilot-Scale Pit Lake in the Alberta Oil Sands Region to Daphnia Species
Cultural Keystone Species as a Pathway for Indigenous-led, Biocultural Stewardship of Land and Lifeways
Biodiversity Loss Due to Mining Activities
The Effects of Sampling-Site Intervals on Fish Species Richness in Wadeable Rivers: A Case Study from Taizi River Basin, Northeastern China
miyo wîcêhtowin “good relations”: reckoning with the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and soil science in Canada
Tardigrades of North America: Additions to Montana's Biodiversity Including a New Species, Platicrista loloensis nov. sp.(Parachela, Hypsibioidea, Itaquasconinae)
Patterns of gastrointestinal parasite infections in bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, with respect to host sex and seasonality
Compensatory Wetland Mitigation in North America: Wetland Mitigation Banking as a Form of Greenwashing
Overview of Lichen
Individual identification in acoustic recordings
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This week’s banner photo:
“First Clutch”
These young barn swallows seem at home on this nesting compensation structure. (Photo by Lia Brands, cropped from the original as submitted to the 2023 ASPB Photo Contest)
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.
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