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INTERNATIONAL SECTION NEWS
AfricaSCB's annual meeting was a great success for the Africa Section. Our symposium attracted a large audience and we thank the presenters and organizers for a job well done. Over 140 people attended our section meeting. Thanks to everyone who came for making the meeting so lively and productive, which was motivating to the newly elected board. We were pleased to introduce the section's Board of Directors (BOD): President - Paula Kahumbu (Kenya), Vice President - Morne du Plessis (South Africa), Treasurer - Alan Bornbush (USA), Communications - Trinto Mugangu (DRC), Membership - Joan Jaganyi (South Africa) and Beth Kaplin (USA), Science - Chris Chimimba (South Africa). During the section meeting, members agreed that key goals for the section include advancing the discipline in Africa, correcting the imbalance of conservation biology in Africa, and promoting science in schools. We agreed on some simple, measurable goals that are achievable in the short term. These included ensuring that membership fees are affordable for all Africans, an issue that SCB addressed through a new reduced rate of $10. To attract greater African membership, we proposed finding means of making payment in local currency through local NGOs and resource centers in each country. Medium term section goals that were identified included linkages with other important initiatives such as the WSSD, tropical biology field courses, World Parks Congress, and NEPAD. We invited individual members to assist us by volunteering with ideas and activities to achieve these important goals. We also noted that linkages are necessary between African scientists, and that countries enduring prolonged, armed conflict should not be forgotten. Linkages with other SCB sections were proposed, as was enhancing exchanges among professionals, students, academics, and conservation practitioners within and beyond Africa. Members suggested that the Africa Section could play a key role in facilitating availability of tools required by African conservation scientists. These tools include providing access to data bases and developing mechanisms to ensure the re-direction of information back to Africa. Longer term goals that we agreed on will help enable Africans to find solutions to African conservation problems. We proposed that the section become a forum for improving science policy in Africa. To do this we aim to facilitate the development of capacity within Africa to promote conservation science at all levels of education, through schools, universities, and individuals. Individual members could contribute by mentoring students in science, grant proposal writing, and publication. It will take commitment and participation from every member of the section to achieve these ambitious goals. The BOD met three times during the annual meeting to map out the future of the section based on the comments of the membership. It was agreed that a student officer position should be created on the BOD, and that the bylaws should ensure representation of African regions. Any member interested in reviewing and contributing to the bylaws should contact Paula.
Paula Kahumbu
AsiaEstablishment of the Asia Section is underway. Some 51 professionals met during the 2002 annual meeting to discuss the formation of the section. A steering committee of 18 people was formed to undertake the process: Pralad Yonzon (Acting Chair), Mike Baltzer, Philippa Benson, Joshua Ginsberg, Xiaojun Li, Tom McCarthy, Yosihiro Natuhara, Donna O'Connell, Madhu Rao, Benjavan Rerkasem, Pei Sheng-ji, Mahendra Shrestha, Raman Sukumar, Maren Tomforde, Jack Tordoff, Carl Traeholt, Eric Wikramanayake, and Endi Zhang. Once we have 100 members in the Asia Section, the steering committee will organize elections of a Board of Directors. Therefore, the SCB Executive Office will be inviting all SCB members to join the Asia Section. Hopefully, many members of the steering committee will choose to stand for election. You may communicate with us at Asia@conbio.org. Pralad Yonzon
Austral and Neotropical AmericaThe members of the Austral and Neotropical America Section (ANA) have elected their first Board of Officers. Board members come from nine countries throughout the region. President: Jon Paul Rodriguez (Venezuela)
During the 2002 annual meeting, four officers (Martin Acosta, Miguel Marini, Jon Paul Rodriguez, and Miguel Vazquez) met informally with ANA section members who found their way to the British Isles. Approximately 30 participants exchanged views on the role that the section could play in strengthening the discipline of conservation biology in the region, and the mechanisms that could be put in place to achieve this. Increasing the size and participation of the section membership were identified as critical first steps. Funding provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to the SCB-Cuba project will allow the ANA Board of Officers to hold its first strategic planning meeting in Havana in late 2002 or early 2003. In June 2002, the ninth issue of the Neotropical Conservation Biology Bulletin (NeoCons) was published (Volume 2, Number 3). Published every two months since February 2001, and distributed free of charge to SCB members and non-members alike, this electronic publication has more than 880 subscribers in 55 countries. To review past issues of NeoCons, contribute to the bulletin, or subscribe, please visit http://conservationbiology.org/SCB/Publications/NeoCons/. All SCB members are invited to send comments and suggestions to the Board of Officers of the ANA section at ANABOG@conservationbiology.org
AustralasiaWelcome to the Australasian Section's regular contribution to the SCB newsletter. Through this column we hope to keep members up-to-date with our activities and to encourage more SCB members from our region to join the section--the stronger our membership, the more we will be able to achieve. The Australasian region has been defined as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific islands of Melanesia and Polynesia (including the Hawaiian archipelago). The election process has now been completed for the section's Board of Directors (we have yet to finalize a name for this board) and the ten candidates with the highest votes have been elected. Board members and their respective term lengths are Karen Firestone (Australia - 3 years), Andy Mack (Papua New Guinea - 3 years), David Norton (New Zealand - 3 years), Eric Dorfman (New Zealand - 2 years), Caroline Gross (Australia - 2 years), Menna Jones (Australia - 2 years), Robert Davis (Australia - 1 year), Jean-Marc Hero (Australia - 1 year), Meg Montgomery (Australia - 1 year) and Angie Penn (Australia - 1 year). The different term lengths will allow for annual elections and ensure that there is good overlap in Board membership from year to year. David Norton is the inaugural President and will be the section's representative on SCB's Board of Governors. The Board of Directors would like to thank all those who stood for election and everyone who voted. Although the bylaws for the section have yet to be ratified by SCB's Board of Governors, some 25 Australasians attended an initial section meeting during the 2002 annual meeting. The section meeting was meant to be a listening meeting' to assess what members wanted. Members raised important issues and showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the section, which is extremely encouraging. A local' Australasian launch for the section is now being organized. The launch will take place during the joint Australian and New Zealand Ecological Society conference in Cairns (Queensland, Australia) in the first week of December 2002. Full details on the time and location for the latter meeting are available via the conference web site (www.tesag.jcu.edu.au/ecology2002) and SCB's web page (conservationbiology.org/SCB/Activities/Sections/OzNz). The section's Board is now working on some proposals for two-year goals for the section, which they will bring to the Cairns meeting for discussion with the membership. Some initial thoughts include sponsoring SCB membership for students from developing countries in our region, sponsoring a symposium at the 2003 Australian Ecological Society conference, and enhancing our web page to include more information on conservation biology in our region. It is still very early days for our section but we really would appreciate hearing any ideas and thoughts for what the section could do, and look forward to seeing a good turn out of members--and potential members--at the section meeting in Cairns. For further information on the Australasian Section contact either David Norton (d.norton@fore.canterbury.ac.nz) or Karen Firestone (karenf@austmus.gov.au). David Norton, President
EuropeThe European Section of the SCB was formally established at the first meeting of its Board of Officers at the annual SCB meeting in Canterbury. The founding Officers are András Báldi (Hungary),Cesar Blanche (Spain), Luigi Boitani (Italy), Javier Bustamante (Spain), Martin Dieterich (Germany), Renato Massa (Italy), Frits Mohren (Netherlands), Phillip Morin (Germany), Jari Niemelä (Finland), Peter Pearman (Switzerland), François Sarrazin (France), and Per Sjögren-Gulve (Sweden). Luigi Boitani was elected President for the next triennium and Peter Pearman was elected Secretary. A first draft of the bylaws of the section was written and will be finalized soon. The first open meeting of the European Section was held at the annual meeting in Canterbury. The meeting was attended by 44 people, and provided an opportunity to discuss broad guidelines for governance and the activities of the section. A first endeavor of the European Board of Officers will be the establishment of a Membership Committee. The officers also are planning a 2-3 day workshop to design a strategic plan to guide the section's activities for the next triennium. Luigi Boitani & Peter Pearman
Marine2002 SCB Annual Meeting The Marine Section enthusiastically participated in its first SCB annual meeting as an official section. Thus far, the section has recruited a total of 217 members in at least 13 countries. At the Board of Governors meeting, our bylaws were ratified. These bylaws are posted at http://conservationbiology.org/SCB/Activities/Sections/Marine/Bylaws. We also summarized our recent activities at the Board meeting and Members' Meeting. We held two Marine events during the 2002 annual meeting. The first was a Marine membership meeting, led by Leila Hatch and Carolyn Lundquist, at which about 20 attendees discussed section business, objectives, and activities. The second event, a social gathering at a pub, drew roughly 40-50 attendees. At these events, we promoted membership in the Marine Section, discussed our section goals, and encouraged all current and potential members to join one of our many section committees designed to promote marine conservation worldwide. Complementing the many marine-oriented presentations in diverse scientific sessions throughout the meeting, two sessions (12 presentations) were dedicated solely to marine conservation. Officers
Committees
Work In Progress
For more information on the Marine Section or to join either the section or the marine listserv (marinelist@conbio.org), visit http://conservationbiology.org/SCB/Activities/Sections/marine/ or contact any of the Section officers. Carolyn Lundquist
North AmericaApproximately 35 of the ~700 members currently enrolled in the North American Section attended an organizational meeting at SCB's 2002 annual meeting. A brief history of the formation of sections and the recent elections of the North American Section was given and questions from the membership were answered. The remainder of the session was devoted to generation of ideas for activities and priorities for the section. Action items were identified as either short-term (to be initiated within two years) or long-term (to be initiated after two years). Suggested activities and priorities were then ranked as highly desirable' (1), desirable but not high priority' (2), or less important (3). Items marked with a * are our highest priorities. Activity / Priority : Term : Rank
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