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2006 ANNUAL MEETING - 24-28 JUNE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA: INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION, PROGRAM, AND ACCOMMODATIONS
The 20th annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Conservation Without Borders, will be held 24-28 June 2006 in San Jose, California, USA. The early registration deadline is 17 March. Regular rates apply until 14 May, with late rates thereafter. After 9 June, individuals must register on site. Presenting authors (oral and poster) must register by 17 March. Please register online at www.ConservationBiology.org/2006. If you do not have internet access, please contact 2006@conbio.org for instructions on registration. Fees. The registration fee includes admission to all plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions, refreshment breaks, receptions, and SCB member meetings. One-day registration is available in advance or on site. Information about travel, accommodations, and special events is available at www.ConservationBiology.org/2006. All costs are in U.S. dollars.
TRAVEL AGENTAmerican Express Travel Services will serve as the preferred agent for the 2006 meeting. Booking with American Express enables SCB to receive travel vouchers that will be used to support travel by members from countries not defined as high income. A service fee may be charged. Details will be available on the meeting Web site soon.
SYMPOSIAThe Steering Committee received 76 proposals for symposia and 29 proposals for workshops and organized discussions. The following symposia, workshops, and organized discussions will be presented in San Jose. Complete descriptions and abstracts are available at the meeting Web site. A new conservation continuum: connecting land and sea
WORKSHOPS Bridging the divide: how land use planners and conservation biologists join forces to achieve resource protection in California
ORGANIZED DISCUSSIONS Applying for academic jobs at undergraduate teaching institutions
SHORT COURSESPlease register for these courses using the online registration system. All courses will be held on Saturday, 24 June. Each person may register for one course. The tuition fee is $50. Several additional courses may be listed in February.
Economic tools for conservationInstructors: John Reid (Conservation Strategy Fund, P.O. Box 606, Philo, CA 95466, USA) & 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. Participants will learn aspects of
How to catalyze and carry out successful community conservation projectsInstructors: Robert Horwich, Community Conservation, 50542 One Quiet Lane, Gays Mills, WI 54631, USA) & 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 of 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 rudiments for how to initiate, carry out, monitor, and terminate one's role in a successful community conservation project. 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) & 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, Kerrie Wilson, & Matt Watts (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 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.
ACCOMMODATIONS
HotelsInformation about hotel accommodation is available on the meeting Web site. We have negotiated special rates with three hotels in downtown San Jose: the Hilton San Jose & Towers, San Jose Marriott, and Crowne Plaza San Jose. To receive these discounts, please remember to specify that you are associated with the Society for Conservation Biology. Hotel reservations must be made by 24 May, and rates are guaranteed from 20 June through 2 July.
DormitoriesDormitory suites at San Jose State University, approximately four blocks from the Convention Center, also are reserved for meeting participants. Each suite has four bedrooms (two twin beds per room), two bathrooms, and a common room. Bed and bath linens are included in the room rate. No more than eight people may stay in one suite. Guests may use university athletic facilities for a small fee. Participants who register for the entire meeting (24-28 June) may reserve a dormitory room. Rates are $325 per person for a single room and $250 per person for a double room. If you reserve a double room, your roommate also must register for the entire meeting (unless your roommate is your domestic partner) and you must provide the name of your roommate. If you would like to reserve a dormitory room for nights prior to or following the meeting, contact 2006@conbio.org.
FIELD TRIPSFor additional details, see the meeting Web site. Trips that do not meet minimum enrollment requirements will be cancelled. Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (24 June, $50) Visit Stanford University's field station along the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Learn about research activities ranging from grassland responses to climate change to management of a century-old reservoir and tour the Preserve's nationally recognized green building, the Leslie Shao-ming Sun Field Station. Hastings Natural History Reservation (24 June, $125) Visit this field station in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range that has been maintained by the University of California, Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology since 1937. Nestled between three seasonal creeks, Hastings rises from riparian corridors, through chaparral brush and dense coast live oak woodlands, to steep ridges lined with blue oak and ridge tops with scattered valley oaks. Quail Ridge (24 June, $125) Quail Ridge Reserve is located in the Inner Coast Ranges. The flora and fauna are a patchwork of grasslands, woodlands, riparian areas, and chaparral. The most outstanding botanical feature, however, is the abundance of native perennial bunchgrasses. The reserve also boasts spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, Berryessa Reservoir, and, on clear days, the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. San Bruno Mountain and Mori Point (24 June, $40) Visit two significant natural areas near San Francisco with different models of land conservation and management. San Bruno Mountain State and County Park provides habitat for three endangered butterflies, the Mission blue (Icaricia icarioides icarioides), San Bruno elfin (Callophrys mossii bayensis), and Callippe silverspot (Speyeria callippe callippe), under the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan. Mori Point is a coastal bluff home to the endangered San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) and red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii). A special tour of the site will highlight trail and restoration plans. South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project--Conservation Challenges and Opportunities (24 June, free) This project aims to restore more than 6000 ha of former salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay. The project will significantly enhance the value of the estuary to species including the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) and California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus). Project planning must also consider the habitat needs of species that have adapted to use of the artificial salt ponds, including the federally listed Pacific coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni). The trip will visit some of the project's former salt ponds, existing natural tidal salt marsh, and tidal marsh restoration projects. Growing More than Things: Agriculture and the Environment (29 June, $100) Learn about agricultural diversity on the urban edge and how markets for organic, natural, and specialty products are affecting agriculture and the environment. Hear directly from the farmer and rancher about the opportunities and constraints that our changing society brings to agriculture. Tour a specialty farm growing Asian vegetables, melons, and chili peppers and discover what and how local vintners are producing. The trip will finish with a barbeque. Exploring the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed (29 June, $45) The Elkhorn Slough is the second-largest tidal estuary in California and home to sea otters, sharks, skates and rays; it is one of the west coast's premier birding locations. At the same time, the Slough is a successful experiment in non-profit land trusts working in conjunction with state and federal agencies to secure and restore land. Explore the tidal wetlands of the Elkhorn Slough as well as upland maritime chaparral with endangered shrubs and majestic evergreen oaks. Monterey Bay Whale Watching (29 June, $80) Enjoy a five-hour cruise on the Monterey Bay, one of the most productive marine areas of the Pacific Coast. The Monterey Bay submarine canyon, as large as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, feeds pods of dolphins, whales, and seabirds. Field trip participants are likely to see sea otters, harbor seals, and sea lions and also may see blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales, minke whales, humpback whales, killer whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Risso's dolphins, and northern right whale dolphins.
STUDENTSStudents are especially welcome at SCB's annual meetings. SCB's Student Affairs Committee facilitates numerous opportunities for interaction with professionals, networking among students, and contributing to the success of the meeting itself. For information on student activities and opportunities, please visit the meeting Web site.
VOLUNTEERSVolunteers who contribute one day of service and register by the early deadline of 17 March will receive a 50% reimbursement on registration fees and enhanced opportunities to connect with other conservation scientists and practitioners. Volunteers are sought to assist with hospitality; audiovisual support for symposia, workshops, and contributed oral sessions; and for miscellaneous assistance. Please indicate your interest in serving as a volunteer when you register for the meeting; registration will open by late January.
PRESSMembers of the media are eligible for registration waivers, news advances, access to an on-site press room, and an array of other support services. Please contact 2006@conbio.org for more information.
EXHIBITORSComplete information for commercial and nonprofit exhibitors is available on the meeting Web site. The deadline for exhibitor reservations is 1 March.
CANCELLATION POLICYFor meeting registration and dormitory reservations, cancellations received on or before 9 June 2006 will be refunded in full, minus a $50 processing fee. For short courses and field trips, cancellations received on or before 9 June 2006 will be refunded in full, minus a $15 processing fee. No refunds of any kind will be given after 9 June. Presenting authors must register by 17 March. Presenting authors who fail to notify the Steering Committee of their withdrawal by 9 June may be excluded from giving a presentation at future SCB annual meetings.
SPONSORSThe Society for Conservation Biology gratefully acknowledges the growing number of sponsors who have, as of 14 January 2006, committed their time and resources to supporting Conservation Without Borders. Major support for Conservation Without Borders is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Christensen Fund, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. We also thank Blackwell Publishing
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