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THE BIWEEKLY
JANUARY 1, 2026
Published by the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists
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Wildflowers & Whispering Wings
This photo by Franciska Hamari, BIT, was voted Second Place winner from submissions to the 2025 ASPB Annual Photo Contest.
Franciska writes: Over decades, research on butterfly populations reveals the impacts of climate change, pesticide use, and habitat loss, illustrating how biological practice has evolved to observe and protect biodiversity in our changing world.
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Thirteen new lichens identified by ABMI team
The lichen team at the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), led by Dr. Diane Haughland at the University of Alberta, has identified thirteen new species of calicioid lichens in Alberta. A brief article in the latest ABMI newsletter says, “Pin lichens, or calicioid lichens, are understudied and poorly understood. Using historical collections, thousands of surveys by the ABMI's Ecosystem Health Program, and contemporary collections by lichenologists, the team has published the first comprehensive taxonomic assessment of calicioid lichens in Alberta and thirteen species are documented for the first time. See a link to the paper in the ABMI publications archive.
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Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
has published new standards and codes
DFO has finalized and published 1 new standard and 4 new codes of practice on Projects Near Water. DFO is also launching a Project Submission Tool (PST) to enable online notifications when using codes of practice.
There were also updates to the 6 existing codes of practice for:
A Standard provides guidance on how to design implement, maintain, monitor and remove specific mitigation measures that are part of your project.
Codes of practice specify conditions and measures to manage risks to fish and fish habitat. They are designed for routine projects.
The Project Submission Tool (PST) is a new digital platform designed to simplify and streamline the way projects are submitted and managed. It provides a user-friendly interface and clear guidance to ensure efficiency throughout the process.
Currently, only the code of practice notification feature of the PST is available. Additional functionalities will be released as they become available.
Please send any comments or questions to DFO.FFHPP-PPPH.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
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At the ASPB, we regularly receive notifications from Google Scholar and other sources which we select and share below in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):
Amended Recovery Strategy and Amended Action Plan for the Piping Plover melodus subspecies (Charadrius melodus melodus) in Canada [Proposed]
The Use of Two Ecological Theories in Tallgrass Prairie Restorations: Limiting Similarity and Native Priority
Milder winters, more parasites: Are moose at risk from winter ticks?
The risk of aquatic invasive species and their vectors to a national protected area in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Beaver Damming Alters Sedge Phenology Through Water Table and Temperature Feedbacks in a Rocky Mountain Peatland
An automated workflow that combines sound‐based bird identification and localization
Meteorological versus spatial drivers of the spatial synchrony of forest insect pest outbreaks in North America
Distinctive viral genome signatures are linked to repeated mammalian spillovers of H5N1 in North America
Recovery Strategy for the Mountain Sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus), Milk River populations, in Canada [Proposed]
Surface Waters as a Potential Underestimated Source of Atmospheric Ammonia in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta
Introduced wild pigs affect the foraging ecology of a native predator as both prey and scavenger
Designing for diversity: Wetland ageing and habitat features at multiple scales influence the use of constructed wetlands by breeding waterfowl
Ring of Fire: satellite monitoring of environmental indicators
Composite effects of fire and seismic lines reduce non-native plant infiltration along roads in a western North American boreal forest
Thresholding species distribution models: Simple approaches for land‐use planning in multifunctional landscapes
Seismic line width and wildfire promote ring growth in regenerating black spruce
A high throughput ambient mass spectrometric approach for identifying the poaching of wild american ginseng
Transformative frameworks and strategic planning for wildlife stewardship, co-management, and Indigenous-led conservation
Coyote family activity in a landscape of fear
Socio-Economic and Environmental Benefits of Agroforestry and Its Multilevel Barriers to Adoption: A Systematic Review
Habitat Requirements of a Declining Amphibian in Relation to Breeding, Diel Period, and Disease Risk
Winter roost site characteristics, morphometrics and diet of northern saw-whet owls in open country
Balancing foraging opportunity and predation risk: Influence of dependent neonates on spatial co-occurrence of northern cervids and omnivorous predators
Public willingness to pay for wetland restoration in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region
Validation of grizzly bear hair hormone profiles as a tool to monitor population demographics
Stability and connection: Climate‐informed modernized land use planning on the south coast of British Columbia
Movements and habitat selection of fledgling Boreal Chickadees Poecile hudsonicus in lowland conifer forests
Linking Silvics to Policy: A Disconnect with Free-to-Grow Standards in Northeast British Columbia
Natural jack pine forest edges are not an earlier warning system than interior forests to detect impacts of atmospheric deposition in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region
Isolated dwarfism and sexual dimorphism in a mainland population of the greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) and the Great Plains toad
Crayfish-like arthropod trackways from the fluvial Wapiti Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Alberta, Canada
Impacts of Microplastics on the Early Life Stages of Fish: Sources, Mechanisms, Ecological Consequences, and Mitigation Strategies
Effects of time and grazing regime on revegetation of native range
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Alberta’s Biology Legends:
OUR PEOPLE
AND A HALF-CENTURY OF EXCELLENCE
As we move past the ASPB's fiftieth anniversary and into 2026, we want to continue celebrating our profession and its people. Since mid-summer, we have been publishing short personal reflections from members who have served the society over many years; we will continue this series into 2026.
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Collen Middleton
Collen Middleton is currently Vice President of Permitting and Environmental Compliance with Canagold Resources Ltd. Prior to that role, he was the Team Manager for the Environmental Permitting Team in western Canada, and the Global Environmental Impact Assessment and Permitting Practice Area Leader, at Ausenco Sustainability ULC.
Collen served on the ASPB Board as a Director between 2018 and 2022, and he is proud of the work done by the ASPB Board to recognize soil as part of the collection of practice areas for biologists, including the below-ground ecosystem, carbon and nutrient cycling, soil health indicators, and soil biota; “There is so much knowledge that biologists contribute to the Province of Alberta to protect and conserve the natural world for the public good, while helping industry clients develop resources responsibly.”
Collen has two healthy growing boys and enjoys teaching them about the natural world around us and encouraging them to be curious about how it all works.
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Ray Makowecki
Ray Makowecki's I was very fortunate to have been involved with Dr. Stu Smith, who took the initiative to establish the ASPB in the early 1980s. At that time, I was very active with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists (CSEB). There was considerable discussion about the role of these two organizations and Stu pursued the need for a “professional” organization similar to the engineers (APPEGA). I believed… and joined in 1985!
After completing a BSc and a B.Ed., I was fortunate while teaching high school to complete an MSc (The Trophy Pike of Seibert Lake) under the direction of Dr. Joe Nelson and Dr. Martin Paetz (the authors of the Fishes of Alberta). After 30 years with the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division as a fisheries biologist and Regional Director, I created EnviroMak Inc. Environmental Management Consultants, which for 30 years is now being managed by my daughter Kyla Walker. The professional status provided by the ASPB (along with the “stamp”) was clearly necessary and useful in protecting, developing and managing environmental values/habitats and resources on a wide-range of land use projects, including road construction, pipeline construction, building water intakes/control structures, agricultural developments, numerous industrial projects, urban development/expansion etc.
The ASPB provided -- and continues to provide -- a very necessary role in integrating environmental values with many activities on the land, water and air. Congratulations to the ASPB for the past 50 years.
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & COURSES
JANUARY
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Save the Date:
The 73rd Great Plains
Fishery Workers Association Workshop
will be held in Billings, Montana, January 20 – 23, 2026. The Call for Abstracts is open! We are offering either an oral or poster option. Please fill out the submission form (https://forms.office.com/g/uJJmWMHTja) by January 2, 2026. Workshop Contact: Demi Blythe, Fisheries Division, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. |Office: (406) 247-2963 | Cell: (406) 594-0587. demi.blythe@mt.gov
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Wildlife Conservation Society
bat acoustics workshop
slated for June in Kamloops
This workshop is for individuals involved in bat research and conservation in Canada (including participants from Alberta). The Bat Conservation Program, led by Dr. Cori Lausen, is offering an in-person Bat Acoustic Analysis Training Course in Kamloops, BC, June 15–19, 2026.
The training will provide hands-on experience with detector deployment, acoustic workflows, and species identification for all Canadian bat species, using Kaleidoscope, SonoBat, and Anabat Insight. Participants will work with real acoustic datasets and gain familiarity with commonly used detectors. Evening field sessions will offer practical experience in active and passive monitoring. The fee is $2,500 CAD (with potential scaling by participant category). To be considered for the 2026 course, please complete the form by January 16, 2026; the form can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/WCSBatAcousticCourse.
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & COURSES
FEBRUARY
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Year in Review Sessions
Will be Held in February
Field Law's Year in Review sessions provide key legal updates on topics like off-duty conduct terminations, employee privacy, and changes to the Occupational Health + Safety Code.
This year, the complimentary courses will focus on how 2025's legal developments will shape your business in 2026. Part 1 focuses on Labour, Employment, and Privacy, and Part 2 focuses on Occupational Health and Safety, Human Rights, and Artificial Intelligence.
For full session information and dates, please go HERE.
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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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RECENT
EMPLOYMENT POSTINGS
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Water Quality Specialist
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Seasonal Technicians
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Senior Biologist
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Intermediate Biologist
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Senior Project Manager
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Summer Field Technologists (up to 35 Positions)
FIND INFORMATION ON
THESE AND OTHER POSITIONS ON THE
JOB BOARD
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This week’s banner photo:
WILDFLOWERS AND WHISPERING WINDS
This photo by Franciska Hamari, BIT, was voted Second Place winner from submissions to the 2025 ASPB Annual 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.
2026
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