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ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY
JULY 1, 2024
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Your "to-do" list for July:
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Check out the ASPB's updated Student's Page
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Keep your eyes open for those perfect photo opportunities (photo contest entries deadline October 1... Rules Here )
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Shine a bright light on your biology business: consider a conference sponsorship
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Above all... PLEASE BE SAFE IN THE FIELD THIS SUMMER!
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European Union passes law
to protect and revive nature
After months of controversy and bitter protests that saw biodiversity become a culture war issue, the EU’s nature restoration law has finally passed. Member states are now tasked with restoring 20% of the bloc’s land and sea by the end of the decade, focusing on natural ecosystems that will store the most carbon, and halting the decline of Europe’s rapidly vanishing biodiversity. (The Guardian, June 27, 2024)
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Fisheries and Oceans Canada is conducting consultations on the potential listing of Northern Brook Lamprey (Saskatchewan – Nelson River population) on the List of Wildlife Species at Risk pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The distribution of Northern Brook Lamprey includes the Whitemouth River and its tributary, the Birch River, in southeastern Manitoba. Also, larval lamprey have been collected in the Winnipeg
River at the confluence of Whitemouth River and
Winnipeg River. It is uncertain if larvae collected
below the confluence are Northern Brook or Silver
lamprey. Indigenous organizations, interested stakeholders and the public are being asked to participate in the consultations from June 24, 2024 – August 12, 2024. The consultation documents for the species can be found HERE.
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BUILDING YOUR
CAREER?
See what's new on the
BIOLOGISTS'
JOB BOARD
Director, Species at Risk and Stewardship
Environmental Project Manager - Regina SK
Environmental Consultant
Environmental Planner (Aquatic Focus)
Environmental Scientist
Water and Fish Program Biologist
Environmental Project Coordinator
Environmental Professional
Environmental Technical Advisor
Intermediate Biologist
Applications Scientist
Senior Environmental Scientist
Junior/Intermediate Ecologist
Intermediate Environmental Scientist
Program Coordinator
Environmental Planner
Senior Biologist
FIND INFORMATION
ON THESE AND
MANY OTHER POSITIONS
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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GRASSLAND
RESTORATION FORUM
Walking Tour of the Stavely Research Ranch
Join Barry Adams, Rangeland Management Specialist, for this day-long outdoor walk west of Stavely, Alberta on September 4, 2024. Topics will include the ecological context of the Foothills Parkland Natural Subregion, the role of grasses in building soils and storing carbon, and the role of range health in the capture and storage of water in the watershed.
How to Use Range Plant Community Guides
and Recovery Strategies Manuals for
Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands
This one day, classroom-based course at Cassils Hall near Brooks on September 11, 2024 will teach participants how to use the tools listed above. These tools will provide valuable context to interpret results of data collected for AEP Conservation Assessments – Strategic Siting and Pre-disturbance Site Assessments for Industrial Activities on Native Grassland and plan effective restoration for planned or existing disturbances in native grassland. This course pairs well with GRF’s Grassland Assessment Training.
Grassland Assessment Training
This hands-on one-day field-based course takes place at the Antelope Creek Ranch near Brooks on a September 12, 2024. It is designed for students, agrologists, ecologists, land stewards, regulators, planners and reclamation practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about native grassland ecosystems. The course offers training on common plant identification, use of soils and landscape mapping (AGRASID and GVI) in relation to Alberta’s Range Plant Community Guides and Range Health Assessment Manuals. Designed to classify and assess grassland plant communities, these tools are critical for pre-site assessments, reclamation design and restoration of native grassland.
Industry Tour - Grassland Restoration
This field tour on October 3, 2024 looks at multiple use landscapes in the dry mixed- grass of SE Alberta, based from Manyberries, Alberta and designed for industry professionals and practitioners, looking at a variety of reclamation challenges and practices, including wellsites and cropland conversion.
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.
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
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.
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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ABMI NEWS
The ORB Tool:
Online reporting for Biodiversity
The "ORB tool", developed by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute , is a user-friendly platform for generating biodiversity and land cover reports for different areas in Alberta, including natural regions, watersheds, and counties. According to a media release from the ABMI, interactive graphs, maps, and tables on human footprint, wetlands, and biodiversity intactness are now available “with the click of a button.” The ORB tool will be regularly updated with the latest data, and additional reporting areas will be added. The tool was built in direct response to the needs of data users.
for aerial data collection
ABMI Announces Imaging Centre
For Aerial Data Collection
According to a briefing note from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, a new Imaging Centre will lead the ABMI's growing aerial data collection program. It will also lead innovative projects using machine learning and AI for vegetation inventories on seismic lines, caribou habitat mapping, and more. The Centre will be led by Dr. Mir Mustafizur Rahman, who brings over 15 years of experience in leveraging cutting-edge remote sensing and geospatial technologies to address environmental challenges. The Institute writes that "Rahman is committed to advancing the application of remote sensing technologies for sustainable natural resource management and looks forward to making a meaningful impact".
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This week’s banner photo:
“Two is Better Than One”
A pair of waxwings visit together on a fence post by a wetland near Lloydminster. (Photo by Hannah Sobus , 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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