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SIX REASONS TO JOIN YOUR REGIONAL SECTION

I'm on the road about half the time, mostly within the United States and Canada, and come in contact with many SCB members. In talking with those members who live in North America, I often inform them that I am currently President of the North America Section and I encourage them to become more active in Section activities--from voting in our elections to becoming involved in committees and governance. Most of the time, I get a puzzled look. As it turns out, we have 9050 SCB members living within the United States and Canada, but only 2600 of them (29%) are members of the North America Section, and only 4400 North American residents (49%) are members of any Section. Membership in Sections corresponding to residence is somewhat higher for other geographic regions, from 37% for residents of Asia to 56% for residents of Europe. Overall Section participation also is relatively high in Europe and Australasia (89% of European residents and 80% of Australasian residents are members of any Section). Approximately 5% of SCB's members are affiliated with the Marine Section.

Nevertheless, our membership data and the day-to-day experiences of myself and Presidents of other Sections suggest that relatively few SCB members know that Regional Sections exist. Or if members do know, they seem to assume that by virtue of living in a geographic region, they are automatically a member of the corresponding Section. Alas (and unfortunately, in my view), this is not the case! Currently, the option to join one or more Sections does not appear on either the hard-copy membership enrollment form or on the new-member page of SCB's Web site. After joining SCB, new members must navigate through the Web site in order to join one or more Sections. (To join a Section, navigate to the bottom left of your Member Home Page--look for the apple--and choose "My Section and Working Group Affiliations." You then will be directed to a page where you can become a voting member of one or two Sections and as many working groups as you wish.)

We anticipate that the process of joining a Section will become easier with upcoming improvements to our Web site and membership form.

For now, here are six reasons why you should join one or more Regional Sections.

1. Policy Involvement. With a growing number of members and a more equitable geographic representation of its members, SCB is becoming less centralized. That is, a greater proportion of activities are falling under the purview of Sections and other SCB groups rather than the central, global organization. Sections are enhancing SCB's capacity for action. In particular, several Sections plan to become increasingly active in conservation policy issues, in coordination with SCB's Policy Director and Policy Committee.

2. Meetings. The location of SCB's annual, global meetings now alternate between North America and, in rotation, other continents. Regardless of where they live, many SCB members cannot afford frequent travel outside their region of residence. For this and other reasons, the Regional Sections are beginning to host their own meetings. The easiest way to receive timely information about these meetings, and opportunities to plan or participate actively in the meetings, is to be a member of the Section. In 2007, both the Australasia Section and the North America Section will begin holding major Section meetings; the Europe Section held a highly successful meeting in August 2006. Information about upcoming Section meetings is available at www.conbio.org/Sections/meetings.cfm.

3. Your Voice. As SCB's activities increase in number and are coordinated at regional levels, opportunities are expanding for individuals to make substantial contributions to Section efforts. For example, you can nominate candidates (including yourself!) for the Boards of Directors of most Sections. You can (should!) vote in the Section elections. You can join and become actively involved in Section committees. In addition, you can attend members' meetings of the Section at regional and global SCB meetings. Further, you can engage in discussion about critical policy and governance issues of your Section.

4. Networking. Section membership provides an effective means to meet, interact, and collaborate with fellow conservation professionals who live or work in your region. As Rodrigo Medellin, President of the Austral and Neotropical America Section, has emphasized, south-south and north-south linkages are essential if we are to succeed in conserving biological diversity in developing countries.

5. Education. Many Sections are launching major education initiatives, with many opportunities for training at all career stages. Knowledge and circulation of information about educational activities is optimal within Regional Sections.

6. Promote conservation in your region. Joining a Section gives you a geographical (or ecosystem type) identity and a sense of belong to a specific group within SCB that goes above and beyond governance, journals or other publications, and meetings. Section membership is an outstanding platform from which to stimulate regional conservation by collaborating with other regional members.

Please navigate SCB's Web site as described above and join one or more Regional Sections.

Reed F. Noss

Thanks to John Fitzgerald, Ellen Hines, Craig Morley, Rodrigo Medellin, and Erica Fleishman for comments and edits on earlier drafts of this article.

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