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THE BIWEEKLY
SEPTEMBER 1, 2025
Published by the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists
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Join us for the
2025 Conference:
The Evolution of Biological Practice, Celebrating 50 Years with the ASPB! November 26–28 2025
at the
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
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ASPB JOB BOARD
Intermediate Wetland/Wildlife Biologist
Junior & Intermediate Environmental Specialists
First Nation Field Assistant for Fish Habitat Assessments
Environmental Regulatory & Permitting Specialist
Intermediate Fisheries Biologist
Senior Aquatic Project Manager
Junior Forest Hydrologist
Assessment & Permitting Team Lead
Student Field Biologist
Water Resources Scientist
Intermediate Field Biologist/
Environmental Technician
FIND INFORMATION ON
THESE AND OTHER POSITIONS ON THE
JOB BOARD
PLEASE NOTE:
The ASPB provides this job board as a service to connect biologist employers with our membership. While postings are periodically reviewed for relevance, the ASPB does not guarantee the accuracy, legitimacy, or suitability of any employer or position and does not endorse or promote any company, organization, or opportunity listed. Always conduct your own due diligence as it is the sole responsibility of job seekers to research and verify the legitimacy of employers in whom they are interested.
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ELECTION: ASPB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & COURSES
OCTOBER
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Wetland Knowledge Exchange Webinar
On October 21 2025, Katerina Sofos will present Road Impact Wetland Health Assessments in Northern British Columbia. This event is part of the Wetland Knowledge Exchange’s monthly webinar series, which aims to help increase information sharing and foster collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders interested in wetland management, conservation and reclamation. Registration for this free webinar can be found HERE.
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Electrofishing Certification, Winnipeg, 05-Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-winnipeg-september-5th-2025/?datetime=859
Electrofishing Certification, Cranbrook, 09-Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-cranbrook-september-9th-2025/?datetime=896
Electrofishing Certification, Prince George, BC, 12-Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-prince-george-september-12th-2025/?datetime=883
Wetland Assessment, Online, 16-17 Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/wetland-assessment-online-september-16th-17th-2025/?datetime=873
Ecological Land Classification in Southern Ontario, Cambridge, ON, 22-Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/ecological-land-classification-for-southern-ontario-online-cambridge-september-22nd-26th-2025/?datetime=736
Planning and Designing Fish Habitat Assessments MicroCourse, Online, 23-Sep-25
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/planning-designing-fish-habitat-assessments-online-september-23rd-2025/?datetime=884
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 – 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
The Wildlife Society Conference One-day Track & Sign Certification Workshop — Oct. 5, 2025, Edmonton
Attendees of The Wildlife Society Conference in Edmonton, AB, from October 5 to 8, 2025, have the option of attending at a reduced rate.
Join us for a one-day (8-hour) tracking certification workshop that will include an examination of wildlife tracks and sign, interpretation of wildlife movement and behaviour from tracks, and much more! Register through The Wildlife Society Conference website.
Learn more here
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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GRF
Grassland Restoration Forum
Website grasslandrestorationforum.ca
GRF In person Workshop 1
The Grassland Restoration Forum are offering a one day course, "How to Use the Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies Manuals for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands" - Wednesday September 10th, 2025, 10:00 – 16:30 at Cassils Hall, near Brooks, Alberta.
GRF In person Workshop 2
"Hands On Grassland Assessment Training". This course offers field-based training on common plant ID, use of soils and landscape mapping (AGRASID and GVI) in relation to Alberta’s Range Plant Community Guides and Range Health Assessment Manuals. These tools are critical for pre‐site assessments and reclamation design to meet Reclamation Criteria and restoration of native grassland. - Thursday September 11th, 2025, 8:30 – 16:30 at Antelope Creek Ranch, near Brooks, Alberta.
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
Chris Fisher, co-author of Birds of Alberta, will address the ASPB’s fiftieth anniversary conference in late November. Fisher contends that Alberta’s identity is unusually informed by the natural world and - in turn - the character of the land has influenced the province’s individual and social culture. His address (titled Alberta’s Biology Legends) will explore the people, professions and passions that have determined our province’s growth towards nature.
As we celebrate the ASPB's fiftieth anniversary, we want to celebrate our profession with all the people who live and work in our province. As our province has grown, so has membership in our society, which currently sits at over 3000 registered professionals. Over the next six months, the ASPB staff and board have committed to talking about our ASPB people, celebrating their commitment and service to our society, the profession, and our province. We will endeavour to carry at least two or three short personal histories - and maybe even some photos - in each edition of THE BIWEEKLY, through December 2025. (They will be presented in no particular order!)
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Judith Smith
Judith Smith sat as a Director for the ASPB for several years and was part of a working group to evaluate the credentials of biologists seeking membership in the ASPB. She also held the positions of Secretary and Treasurer, followed by being elected President for 1985 and 1986.
Judy has been working as the Stakeholder Liaison for the Oil Sands Monitoring Program in northern Alberta since 2019. In this role with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, she works closely with the Indigenous communities on their Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) programs and works to integrate these CBM programs with Western Science monitoring. She also has her own consulting firm, working with Indigenous stakeholders and oil sands companies to sustain the environment.
Prior to joining the Government, and after receiving degrees in Science from the University of Alberta and Queens University, Judy has had a diverse career as an environmental consultant and as Manager of Sustainable Development for Shell Canada. She worked on sustainable development projects across Canada on gas plays, in-situ oil sands, mining, and upgrader operations, as well as deep-water drilling projects. Most of her environmental work has been within Canada, but she also had the opportunity to train personnel on Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessments in Turkey and Mexico.
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Garry Hornbeck
Garry Hornbeck writes, "I joined the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists in 1983 (#427) with a B.Sc. from Brandon University (1974) and an M.Sc. from Colorado State University (1979). A few years later, I became a Certified Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society (1991).
"While President of ASPB (2000-2001), I don’t recall any particular leadership role; I was surrounded by a capable executive. However, it was unlike any other year of my professional career, thrust into a crowd of new people and personalities, both within and peripheral to the ASPB. At that time, I was 20 years into my career and had recently become a self-employed wildlife consultant with a young family, high overhead and a somewhat uncertain future!
"The year as President of ASPB was a very busy time professionally, and personally. I subsequently continued to assist the ASPB, in particular with the registration of new members. Some candidates seemed to be hunting for professional credentials without having any possibility of practicing in Alberta.
"Other candidates were applying without the requisite background or experience. Challenging discussions went around the table, ever sharpening our pencils; the highlight of my time as a member of ASPB was a presentation I gave to an international audience at the 11th Annual Wildlife Society Conference in Calgary, in 2004. It was titled: “ASPB, 30 years of Professional Biology in Alberta”!
"I retired in 2017 and focused on a new challenge: retirement gave me an opportunity to pursue music! Since I was a kid, I wanted to play music so badly, and now, some sixty years on, I still play music badly! But, my wife and I still enjoy hiking the wilderness while looking for wildlife!"
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This week’s banner photo:
Prairie Perfection: Sunflower and Bees
Photo by Shona Derlukewich
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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