| |||||||||||||||||||
|  |
SHORT COURSESAll courses will be held on Saturday, 24 June from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Registrants should be receiving more information from the course instructors. Economic tools for conservation Instructors: John Reid (Conservation Strategy Fund, PO Box 606, Philo CA 95466, USA) and Nejem Raheem (MSC 05 3060, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA) We will begin with a brief introduction of the role of economics in protecting nature. An interactive market simulation will follow to introduce microeconomic theory. Participants will learn how markets function and how they often fail to capture environmental values. Afternoon sessions will cover basic natural resource economics and how the time value of money affects natural resource exploitation. The day will close with an exploration of the potential and limitations of using valuation techniques to incorporate environmental goods and services into economic analyses. Opportunities and limitations of market-based conservation solutions also will be explored. Participants will leave the course with a better understanding of economic concepts and opportunities for incorporating these approaches into their work. Specifically, participants will learn aspects of How to catalyze and carry out successful community conservation projects Instructors: Robert Horwich, Community Conservation, 50542 One Quiet Lane, Gays Mills, WI 54631, USA) and Scott Bernstein (Land Resources Program, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, 550 N. Park St., 70 Science Hall, Madison, WI 53706, USA) The course includes six lectures interspersed with discussion and hands-on activities. First, the course will introduce participants to projects carried out over the past 21 years in nine countries. Second, it will discuss ten phases in catalyzing a community conservation project from initiation to termination of the catalyzing agent's role. Next, a method for project evaluation with 27 benchmarks as important objectives for a successful community conservation project will be discussed. A fourth topic will contrast major differences between small-scale community conservation projects and large integrated conservation and development projects. Contrasting the two will direct participants toward philosophies and concepts that will lead to better probability for success. Examples from Belize, the United States, and India will point out how small projects working at the community level can effect regional change from the bottom up. Finally, the course will discuss types of training needed for community groups to manage their own conservation projects. The course is for an audience with experience or interest in working with community conservation projects who want to make a difference using their conservation biology knowledge as active conservationists. It will provide the rudiments for how to initiate, carry out, monitor, and terminate one's role in a successful community conservation project. Introduction to GIS Instructor: Patti Bailey, Juniper GIS, Bend, Oregon, USA This course is an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), designed for people who may not use GIS software on a daily basis, but who will benefit from understanding the capabilities of a GIS, the underlying spatial analysis concepts, and best practices for GIS projects. This course was developed to inform scientists, supporting both their direct research and their professional and technical interactions with GIS practitioners. The course will be conducted in two sections. Section one will provide an overview of fundamental concepts of GIS and spatial analysis and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) ArcGIS software. Hands-on exercises will familiarize students with the ESRI ArcMap components, including the user interface and basic GIS functions such as loading and managing spatial and tabular data, editing and manipulating GIS data, developing GIS database queries, and graphical and tabular data presentation. Section two will step through a spatial analysis project, including project planning and initiation, geographic database design considerations, functionality of spatial analysis, and analysis outputs and layouts (maps, graphs, and reports). Participants will receive hands-on experience with ESRI ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox applications; learn how these applications can be used most effectively to organize and analyze data; and learn how to present information in a geographic context. Course materials and a 60-day evaluation copy of ESRI ArcView software are included in the tuition fee. Marine GIS Instructor: Michelle Kinzel, GIS instructor and marine biologist This course will introduce participants to GIS-based tools and techniques of marine scientists and oceanographers using the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary as a case study. The course will highlight the use of maps in science and the politics of our oceans. Participants will use ArcGIS 9 software to explore the distribution of humpback and blue whales around the Channel Islands, examine the oceanographic influence on fish assemblages in the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, and evaluate factors affecting biological hotspots in the Pacific Ocean. This course is recommended for anyone interested in marine science, geography, GIS, and current conservation issues affecting coastal managers and planners. This course is appropriate for students, scientists, and practitioners who are interested in spatial analysis techniques that can be used in marine conservation. No prior experience is necessary and participants will gain basic familiarity with the basics of GIS and an insight into potential applications for their own research. Upon completion of the course, participants will have been introduced to basic GIS functions and an overview of managing spatial data, including editing, manipulating, classifying, and querying a GIS database. Hands-on lessons will walk students through basic computer skills involved in using GIS, and explore the graphical user interface, ArcMap, and ArcCatalog. Course materials and a 60 day trial version of the software are included in the tuition fee. Restoration genetics: applying population genetics to plant restoration projects at local and regional levels Instructors: Deborah Rogers and Patrick McGuire (Genetic Resources Conservation Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95626, USA) and Kevin Rice (Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95626, USA) Restoration genetics is based on principles of population genetics and provides guidance for restoration of once-natural areas by considering the ecology, genetic diversity, and dynamics of the native species. The spatial scales and contexts for genetic restoration vary from small urban parks that may impact nearby natural areas to large natural areas where restoration may be needed after a major or long-term disturbance. Participants will be introduced to genetic principles relevant to restoration; application of principles to restoration decisions (use of genetic tools, appropriate interpretation of genetic information, inclusion of available information resources, how to work with suitable proxies in the absence of genetic information, and consideration of risks); and resources available for decision-support in genetic restoration. Intended for those involved in decisions, direct management, or actual practice of restoration in natural areas. No background in genetics is required for this course. Topics will include Participants are encouraged to prepare an actual (or theoretical, as desired) case study for discussion as this will increase their benefit from the course. Systematic conservation planning: concepts, case studies, and applications of software Instructors: Bob Pressey and Matt Watts (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia) The objectives of the course are to The course will be suitable for practicing professionals, graduate students, and undergraduates. It will be a mix of presentations, open discussion, and hands-on demonstration of software packages using real-world data sets. Presentations will cover diverse issues, including an overview of the conservation planning process, data sets on biodiversity and threats, roles and limitations of conservation targets, planning for biodiversity processes, applications of software to real-world problems, and implementation issues. Participants will have access to a Web site for downloads of course material, selected publications, two software systems (C-Plan and MARXAN) at no cost, and tutorial material for operating the software. | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
| Copyright © 2008 Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) Direct questions, comments, and technical problems to the webmaster SCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization |