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Announcements

Nominations Sought for Mammal Conservation Awards

In 2002, the American Society of Mammalogists established two conservation awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. The Aldo Leopold Award is awarded to a well-established individual who has made a lasting scientific contribution to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. Previous Aldo Leopold Award recipients were E.O. Wilson (2003) and R.A. Mittermeier (2004). The William T. Hornaday Award is awarded to a current undergraduate or graduate student who has made a significant scientific contribution as a student to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. The previous Hornaday Award winner was Brent Sewall (2004).

The recipient of each award will have contributed substantially to (1) conservation of one or more mammalian species, subspecies, or populations, (2) conservation of mammalian assemblages and communities, and/or (3) advancing the field of conservation biology through focal research on mammals. Those contributing to the conservation of land and/or marine mammals are eligible for consideration. 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) 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 narrative (two pages maximum) 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 completed nomination packets by 15 March 2005 to Steven Sheffield, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030, USA, srsheffield@att.net, (301) 593-6251. Electronic submission is strongly encouraged. For further information, please see www.mammalogy.org/committees/index.asp. Recipients of these awards will be announced during the banquet at the annual ASM meeting.

Funding

The California Bay-Delta Authority Science Program seeks to invest up to US$20 million in projects that develop new knowledge about how water use and management activities interact with and affect key aquatic species and environmental processes across spatial and temporal scales. The geographic areas of interest are the San Francisco Bay Estuary and the Bay-Delta System (California, USA). For detailed information, see https://solicitation.calwater.ca.gov or call (877) 408-9310.

The University of Florida's Program for Studies in Tropical Conservation announces the 2005 Dexter Fellowship Program in Tropical Conservation Biology. The goal of the Dexter Fellowship Program is to enhance the conservation of biodiversity by supporting the training and research of outstanding graduate students from tropical countries in which the needs and opportunities for biological conservation are greatest. The Dexter Fellowship Program will support a master's level graduate student at the University of Florida beginning August 2005. Applications are due by 15 February 2005. For information and application instructions see www.wec.ufl.edu/academics/grad/PSTC/dexter_fellows.htm.

Educational Opportunity

Denver Botanic Gardens and the United States Botanic Garden will hold a new Applied Plant Conservation Training Program 6-17 June 2005. The program will feature seminars and workshops taught in part by scientists from the Center for Plant Conservation, who will join national leaders in plant conservation, ecology, and botanic garden management for a hands-on exploration of principles and techniques used in research, documentation, conservation, and reintroduction of threatened plants. A paid research internship will follow for selected participants. Admission is limited and competitive. Application deadline is 1 March 2005. For more details see www.usbg.gov/education/Certificate_Plant_Conservation.cfm.

Bibliographies Available

A series of bibliographies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a comprehensive review of the current literature covering conservation programs, including the research needed to improve practices (www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/ceap/ceapbibs.html). The bibliographies were prepared in support of USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project by the Water Quality Information Center of USDA's National Agricultural Library. They offer more than 2700 citations, many with abstracts and links to online documents. Four volumes are available: Environmental Effects of USDA Conservation Programs (www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/ceap/ceap01.html), Implementing Agricultural Conservation Practices: Barriers and Incentives (ceap02.html), Data and Modeling for Environmental Credit Trading (ceap03.html), and Agricultural Conservation Practices and Related Issues: Reviews of the State of the Art and Research Needs (ceap04.html).

New Publication

The McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company announces the release of Vernal Pools: Natural History and Conservation by Elizabeth Colburn. The book is a comprehensive synthesis of the natural history, ecology, and conservation of the seasonally wet pools that occur throughout the formerly glaciated region of eastern North America. The book is available in both hardback and paperback, with 72 illustrations and color plates. A 66-page appendix identifies all animals that have been reported from vernal pools of the region and describes their habitat requirements, geographic distribution, and life history. For more information, see www.mwpubco.com/vernalpools.htm or telephone (800) 233-8787.

Freshwater Conservation Meeting

The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation's tenth annual spring symposium, New Currents in Conserving Freshwater Systems, will be held 7-8 April 2005 at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA. This forum for scientists and conservation practitioners will highlight recent successful initiatives in freshwater conservation, discuss cutting-edge ideas and tools, and investigate how and where these innovations might be implemented on the ground. The symposium will showcase projects that are rooted in the best available science, integrate across scientific fields, and link science with other disciplines. This cross-disciplinary integration will generate a fertile landscape for discussing the way forward in freshwater conservation. The symposium is sponsored by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Additional funding is provided by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, The Nature Conservancy, and the American Fisheries Institute. For more information or to register visit http://cbc.amnh.org or telephone (212) 769-5200. To receive updates, e-mail biodiversity@amnh.org. A limited number of posters will be accepted. Poster topics must relate to the symposium's general theme but are not limited geographically. Case studies are encouraged. For abstract submission guidelines, e-mail biodiversity@amnh.org. Submission deadline is 14 January 2005.

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