22 days until the annual conference opens...

...see the full program and sign-up HERE

ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Board Elections:

The Voting Platform is Open


The ASPB's Annual Meeting will be held on the morning of Nov. 8, 2024, in conjunction with the society's Resilience Conference at the Red Deer Resort and Casino. Electronic ballots and voting are now open and voting will close Nov. 4 at 5 pm.


Voting procedures are published on the ASPB website, along with the names of the nominees and the positions for which they have been nominated. The successful candidates will be announced at the AGM in Red Deer on November 8, 2024.

RESILIENCE!

Registration for the annual

ASPB Conference

on November 6-7-8

at the

Red Deer Resort and Casino

is open for registration.

Click the LINK

on our Website Conference Page!

New ACIMS vascular plant list

now published

The Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS) is the conservation data center for Alberta, distributing biodiversity information on Alberta's species and tracked ecological communities. ACIMS provides downloadable lists of the species and ecological communities (Elements) that have been documented in Alberta. The new vascular plant list is now available on the download page of the ACIMS website.

 

ACIMS Element lists indicate which elements are currently being tracked along with other information such as status ranks, taxonomy, and origin. Please check back regularly for more updates to ACIMS datasets; for more information about ACIMS, visit the website or contact epa.acimsdata@gov.ab.ca.

Support Local Ideas Now

Participate in the 2024 Field Law Community Fund Program by casting your vote for the ideas you believe will make the most impact in your community. Until November 20, you have the power to help decide which projects will receive funding. Your vote can help bring these inspiring initiatives to life across Alberta and the Northwest Territories. For more information about the Field Law Community Fund Program and the amazing ideas vying for support, check out the website and Cast Your Votes Now!

NEW ON THE

JOB BOARD


Wetland Ecologist


Senior Vegetation Ecologist


Species at Risk Biologist


Fisheries Biologist


Wildlife Biologist

 

Habitat Restoration Forester

 

Forest Technologist


Senior Fisheries Biologist


  FIND INFORMATION

ON THESE AND

MANY OTHER POSITIONS

ON THE JOB BOARD

Coming Up in November:

Field Law’s

Coffee & Counsel

A discussion about employment classifications.

See BIOS BRIEF

(down the page).

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

FEBRUARY

Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop


The 11th Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop and the Prairie Fire Summit 2025 will take place February 11-13, 2025 in Regina. The theme is "Collaborative Approaches to Prairie Conservation", and here is the Draft Program . Registration is open.


The Call for Abstracts is also open: the deadline for oral presentations was October 15th, 2024 but an extension may be granted if requests for approvals within your organization need more time. Contact Carolyn (pcap@sasktel.net) to discuss). The Call for Presentation Abstracts can be found here, and the Call for Poster Abstracts can be found here.

TRAINING PROVIDERS

GRASSLAND

RESTORATION FORUM

 

The GRF Perennial Gathering!

This year, the GRF Fall Information Session at Claresholm, Alberta, takes place on November 14. 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 and mini updates. The theme this year is CASE STUDIES.


Check out our website for more details, and to register for all events: https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca.

NATURAL RESOURCES

TRAINING GROUP

 

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Central Vancouver Island, October 17, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring – Online, October 21-23 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Species at Risk – Online, October 22-23, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Introduction to Fish Habitat Measurement and Assessment – Online – October 23rd, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Land Guardian Program – Online – October 28th – November 29th 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Working in and About Water – Online – October 29th – 30th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

 

Interpreting Fish Habitat Assessment Information – Online – October 29th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)



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

https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/

COLUMBIA MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE

of Applied Ecology

Revelstoke BC


Full course information available at each course link.


Introduction to `R` software

October 15-18, 2024. Online


QGIS Level I & II – Online

Dates scheduled according to student schedules.

ESTI

The Environmental Sciences Training Institute


The Environmental Sciences Training Institute is excited to host backpack electrofishing certification training in Alberta and British Columbia this September. This one-and-a-half day course serves to certify participants in backpack electrofishing safety, fish handling methods, equipment, and fundamentals of electrical theory.


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

 

******


NEW! Preliminary Wetland Delineation On Demand Seminar

SALMTEC is pleased to announce that they have a new offering: Preliminary Wetland Delineation On Demand Seminar.


SALMTEC Blended Course: Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI): A User’s Guide

Online Content + Live Streaming Class

Fall 2024 Registration Now Open!


SALMTEC Blended Course: ABWRET-A Blended Course

Online Content + Live Streaming Class, Fall 2024 Registration Now Open!


SALMTEC On Demand Hydrology & Wetland Design seminar. For more information please go here: https://salmtec.com/product/wetland-design-hydrology/



SALMTEC Offers several shorter online courses:

Wetland Policy Basics – Online Course

Understanding ACIMS Tools – Online Course

Alberta Soil Information Viewer – Online Course

Land Use Analysis OnDemand Seminar

Technical Report Review OnDemand Seminar

Landscape Analysis OnDemand Seminar


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.

Field Law’s

Coffee & Counsel

Join Field Law for a complimentary webinar series where you can connect with their legal team for unscripted discussions about legal issues relevant to organizations operating in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The team will of course be sharing legal perspectives, but Field Law also wants to hear from our members and readers - questions that can guide the conversation and help them understand the issues that matter most to you.


With the evolving nature of work arrangements, it's crucial for HR professionals to understand the distinctions between independent contractors, dependent contractors, and employees. Misclassification can lead to significant legal liabilities and financial penalties, so whether you are an employer or HR professional, this complimentary webinar on Thursday, November 7, 2024 will provide valuable information and practical tips, including: 

  • How do you distinguish between an independent contractor, a dependent contractor, and an employee?
  • What legal tests are used to determine proper worker classification?
  • What are the consequences of misclassifying a worker?
  • What practical steps can be taken to minimize the risk of misclassification?

This complimentary webinar will be held between noon and 1:00 pm (MT). You can register HERE.

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):

  


The State of Canada’s Birds

 

Fieldwork training could save lives

 

Climate change is causing algal blooms in Lake Superior for the first time in history

 

Identifying restoration priorities for habitat defragmentation: a case study in Alberta's oil sands

 

Pathogens are thriving in the plastisphere

 

Validating Connectivity Models: A Synthesis

 

Prescribed burns in a mixed conifer forest maintain diversity in bird communities

 

Environmental DNA as a tool to detect Arctic grayling and their habitat preferences in the Northwest Territories, Canada

 

2024 Grassland Breeding Bird Census in the Beaverhill Natural Area

 

Echo of extinction: The Ivory-billed Woodpecker's tragic legacy and its impact on scientific integrity

 

Age, sex and temperature shape off-territory feeder use in black-capped chickadees

 

WWF_Wildlife_in_a_Warming_World.pdf

 

If I offered you a peach grown in Chernobyl, which has had 38 years to recover, would you take it?

 

Trade-Offs Between Forage Availability, Accessibility, and Predation Risk on Winter Foraging Strategies of Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae)

 

Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) migratory behaviour and seasonal home range overlap are functions of geographic space in a fragmented riverscape

 

The Age of Snakes: a comparison of three Canadian species at their northern peripheries

 

One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer

 

Grazing and Range Management-Alberta

 

A multidimensional machine learning framework for LST reconstruction and climate variable analysis in forest fire occurrence

 

Time to Kill

 

Comparative nitrogen partitioning and water use … southern alberta

 

Environmental and societal consequences of winter ice loss from lakes

 

2024 CONFERENCE SPONSORS













This week’s banner photo:


Prairie Moon


Photo (cropped) submitted by Natalie Vieira-Lomasney

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.