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CHAPTERS CORNER

Many of SCB's Chapters have become adept at hosting area meetings of one to five days' duration. These meetings bring together students, professionals, and academics to explore regional and disciplinary topics. The longest running annual meeting is the San Francisco Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium. This symposium began in 1998, with hosts rotating among the Davis Chapter, Berkeley Chapter, other area universities, and now the new Central California Coast Chapter. The Montana Chapter launched the most recent symposium series. The following are highlights from these meetings.

Tenth Annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium

The tenth annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium, organized by the Davis Chapter, was held at University of California, Davis on 2 February 2008. The meeting drew more than 150 students, academics, and professionals from industry and nongovernmental organizations. The meeting featured 45 contributed talks and posters, two plenary presentations, and a participatory panel discussion. A plenary by Holly Doremus, Professor of Law at University of California, Davis, offered insight into the intersection between politics and the environment. The keynote speaker, Robert Robichaux from the University of Arizona, discussed his work on reintroduction of endangered plants and ecosystem restoration in Hawaii. The panel discussion by Jay Chamberlin, Susan Jones, Peter Moyle, Rob Robichaux, Mark Schwartz, and Nat Seavy, "Bridging the gap between science and management: how to prioritize conservation actions," was a highlight of the meeting. The meeting achieved its goals of connecting students and professionals and continuing the discussion about how to improve science and policy related to conservation.

Michael Branstetter

Preview: 11th annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium

The 11th annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium, co-hosted by the Central California Coast Chapter and the Ecology and Evolution Group within Stanford University's Department of Biology, was held on 31 January 2009 at Stanford University. The theme of the 2009 symposium, Bridging Gaps Between Academics and Professionals, is reflected in the membership of the new Central California Coast Chapter. Plenary speakers were Terry Root (Stanford University) and Peggy Olofson (San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project). Talks were well attended, and many collaborative projects were seeded.

Sadie Ryan

First Research Symposium of the Montana Chapter

The Montana Chapter hosted its first regional symposium, Applying Conservation Science to Action, on 9-10 October 2008 in Missoula, Montana. The meeting was organized around the theme of applying science to real world conservation problems, policy decisions, and educational outreach. The symposium was a excellent opportunity to share research and learn about cutting edge conservation science in in Montana and the Northern Rockies / Transboundary region. About 75 researchers, academics, and conservationists from Calgary, Edmonton, Moscow (Idaho), Bozeman (Montana), and Missoula attended.

The symposium featured three invited plenary talks from professors at the University of Montana, approximately 20 oral presentations, and a poster session. Joel Berger, John J. Craighead Chair of Wildlife Conservation, presented the opening plenary, "Ecological Symbolism and Conservation -- Can America Protect Migration Corridors? Martin Nie, Associate Professor of Natural Resource Policy, presented "National Forest Policy Assessment -- report to Senator Jon Tester." Scott Mills, Professor of Wildlife Population Ecology, presented "Keeping Conservation Biology Thriving for the Next 22 Years." The plenaries were filmed, shown on local television, and are available to stream on our Web site. For a full list of abstracts and upcoming events, visit www.conbio.org/Chapters/Montana.

Adam Switalski

Georgia Chapter Offers Seminar Series

The Georgia Chapter hosted Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University, on 5 February as part of its spring 2009 conservation seminar series. The talk was held at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens. The series began on 20 January with a presentation by G. Randall Tate, Director of Science and Stewardship for the Georgia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Speakers for March and April will be determined, and the Chapter welcomes all interested parties to attend.

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