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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Positions Available

Seasonal technician and four volunteer interns wanted to assist with a study of flying squirrel dispersal in southeast Alaska. Seasonal position is for March - October 2004. Two volunteer positions each are available for March - May and August - October. Minimum qualifications for all positions are a B.S. in wildlife biology, zoology, or related field. Applicants for the seasonal position should have considerable field experience, especially in remote areas, including live-trapping and handling of small mammals and sampling of vegetation composition and structure; an M.S. with knowledge of SAS and ArcView is desirable. For volunteer positions, experience with live-trapping and handling of small mammals is highly desirable. Airfare allowance (up to US$800), lodging, and a subsistence stipend are provided to volunteers, who may become applicants for paid seasonal positions. To apply, send a resume and contact information for at least three references to Winston Smith, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 2770 Sherwood Lane, Suite 2A, Juneau, AK 99801-8545, USA, (907) 586-8811 x 248, FAX (907) 586-7848, Winston_Smith@fs.fed.us.

Call for Proposals

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has received a credit from the International Development Agency towards the cost of the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project (LKEMP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds to fund small biodiversity conservation and environmental research projects. The research grants will support national and international research efforts to better understand the Kihansi Gorge ecosystem in the Udzungwa Mountains. Priority research topics include threatened species management, wetland and forestry plant ecology, abiotic variables, and management of captive species. The LKEMP invites scientists, research and academic institutions from eligible countries to submit proposals. Collaborative projects are welcome. Award criteria include scientific quality, estimated costs, and duration. Collaboration with Tanzanian scientists and institutions is highly encouraged. The deadline for receipt of proposals is 27 February 2004. For more information contact National Project Coordinator, Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project, Pamba Road, Pamba House, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 40446, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 255-22-2134434 or 2120468, FAX 255-22-2134438, lkemp@intafrica.com.

Nominations Sought

In 2002, the American Society of Mammalogists established two new conservation awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the conservation of terrestrial and / or marine mammals and their habitats. The Aldo Leopold Award is given to a well-established individual who has made a lasting contribution. The William T. Hornaday Award is given to a current undergraduate or graduate student who has made a significant contribution as a student.

The recipient of each award will have contributed substantially to (1) the conservation of 1 or more mammalian species, subspecies, or populations, (2) the conservation of mammalian assemblages and communities, and / or (3) advancing the field of conservation biology through focal research on mammals. We interpret "contribution" broadly to include (1) scientific research or political activism that has resulted in the preservation of an imperiled species, (2) development of protective management recommendations, (3) acquisition of new knowledge regarding the conservation status or causes for declines of mammalian species or populations, (4) the protection of significant mammalian habitat, or (5) promotion of the conservation of mammals through public education.

All persons are invited to submit nominations for these awards. For each award, the nomination packet should include

1. A brief (two pages maximum) narrative that introduces and describes the conservation activities of the nominee
2. A list of relevant journal articles, government and NGO reports, newspaper clippings, and other materials that chronicle and corroborate the conservation-related activities of the nominee
3. Contact information for the nominator and nominee
4. Supporting material.

Aldo Leopold Award--include the three pieces of corroborative literature that most succinctly and directly describe the nominee's contributions to mammalian conservation. William T. Hornaday Award--include letters of recommendation from two individuals familiar with the nominee's conservation activities. One of these letters must be from the student's research advisor.

Send nomination packets to Steven Sheffield, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030, USA, (301) 593-6251, srsheffield@att.net. The deadline for nominations is 15 March 2004. Recipients of these awards will be announced at the annual ASM meeting. For more information see www.mammalogy.org.

New Publication

World Wildlife Fund announces the release of Buying time: a user's manual for building resistance and resilience to climate change in natural systems. The manual aims to offer an initial overview of the issues of climate change and conservation responses on a biome by biome basis. The goal is to engage conservation practitioners on the myriad challenges of climate change without making the issue seem entirely insurmountable. The manual is available at www.panda.org/climate/pa_manual or from Lara Hansen, lara.hansen@wwfus.org.

Educational Opportunities

A short course on information-theoretic methods will be offered 26-27 May 2004 in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA by David Anderson. The course will introduce a variety of general methods based on Kullback-Leibler information with a focus on science hypotheses, models, and model selection methods such as AIC and AICc. The material will not be deeply mathematical; the emphasis will be on science concepts and philosophy and several examples will be given. Details and registration information are available at http://aicanderson3.home.comcast.net.

Meetings

The 2004 annual meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), Invasive species: the search for solutions, will be held 16-18 March in Washington, D.C. Cross-cutting themes will include characteristics of invasive species, research questions and tools, aquatic and terrestrial issues, economics, public policy, education, public health, prevention and remediation, international issues, and local initiatives. The program will include plenary sessions, panel sessions, and informal discussion groups. Early registration closes 2 March. For more information, contact rogrady@aibs.org or visit www.aibs.org/annual-meeting-2004/.

The Beijing International Symposium on Biological Invasion, Species exchanges between eastern Asia and North America: threats to environment and economy, will be held 8-11 June 2004 in Beijing, China. Organizers are the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sino-Ecologists Club Overseas, the Asian Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America, and the U.S. Geological Survey. For more information contact smiao@sfwmd.gov or visit http://bisobi.sino-eco.org.

The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists will be held 11-16 June 2004 at Humboldt State University, Arcata, California. In addition to contributed oral and poster presentations, the program will include symposia on problems of sampling and statistical assessment in mammalogy research and impacts of urban sprawl on mammals. Non-members should request materials from Brian Arbogast, Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, (707) 826-4180, FAX (707) 826-3201, bsa@humboldt.edu. For more information, visit www.humboldt.edu/~asm/ and www.mammalsociety.org.

The second national conference on coastal and estuarine habitat restoration will be held 12-15 September 2004 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will address habitat restoration in coastal and estuarine areas of the United States as well as international initiatives and issues. It will also focus on restoration challenges and opportunities in the Pacific Northwest, with an emphasis on transferable lessons learned. Deadlines for submitting abstracts for oral and poster presentations are 2 February and 1 March 1, respectively. More information is available at www.estuaries.org/2ndnationalconference.php or from Clare Stark, Restore America's Estuaries, 3801 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 53, Arlington, VA 22203, USA, (703) 524-0248, FAX (703) 524-0287, cstark@estuaries.org.

The fifth international symposium on physiology, behavior, and conservation of wildlife will be held 26-29 September 2004 in Berlin, Germany. The main topics of the symposium will be management of captive and small populations, stress and disturbance, behavior, reproduction biology, and wildlife conservation. The symposium also will include workshops (e.g., animal welfare and conservation, olfactory communication in mammals, and ultrasonography in conservation biology). For more information contact Christian Voigt, Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany, symposium@izw-berlin.de, www.izw-berlin.de.

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