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ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY
MARCH 15, 2024
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Plan for
RESILIENCE!
The 2024 ASPB Conference
will take place at the Red Deer Resort & Casino
November 6, 7, 8, 2024
The Call for Abstracts is open until May 31;
Contact Jessica Koehli
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Conference sponsorships
are now available
The sponsorship package is now available on the ASPB website HERE and you can contact Jessica Koehli at https://regulatory@aspb.ab.ca if you have any questions.
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AER assumes full provincial
mineral regulatory oversight
On March 1, 2024, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) announced that it has assumed full regulatory oversight of mineral resources development in the province. This follows the full proclamation of the Mineral Resource Development Act (MRDA) by the Government of Alberta and expands the AER’s mandate to include responsibility for the development of mineral resources, including rock- and brine-hosted minerals, throughout their life cycle.
According to Minister Brian Jean (Energy and Minerals), “There is a growing world-wide need for minerals for use in existing and emerging technologies, and Alberta is well positioned to deliver. The Mineral Resource Development Act increases regulatory efficiency, clarity and effectiveness which provides certainty for the industry. This is the final step in creating a legal framework that positions our province as a global preferred minerals investment destination leading to more prosperity for Albertans.”
Laurie Pushor, president and CEO of the Alberta Energy Regulator, noted that “as Alberta’s energy landscape evolves, the AER is now responsible for the regulatory requirements for rock hosted minerals... we’re committed to the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible development of these natural resources.”
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BUILDING YOUR
CAREER?
See what's new on the
BIOLOGISTS'
JOB BOARD
Field Technician/ Biologist
Aquatic Species at Risk Scientist
Senior Biologist (Fisheries/ Wildlife)
Director of Practice
Fish and Wildlife Section Head
Vegetation Ecologist
Environmental Planner
Senior Terrestrial Biologist
Senior Aquatic Biologist
Biologist/Monitor
Senior Wildlife Biologist
Bander-in-Charge (MAPS)
FIND INFORMATION
ON THESE AND
MANY OTHER POSITIONS
HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
MARCH
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Cochrane Ecological Institute Symposium:
Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Interaction
The Cochrane Ecological Institute is hosting its Annual Symposium on March 2, 2024. This year's focus is on Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Interaction and features a lineup of speakers including author and bison expert Wes Olson, founder of the Foothills Bison Restoration Society Mike Judd, and Joe Duff from the WildLife Canada Society. The event will be held at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, opens at 9:30 am and runs until 5:00 pm. It features information booths, concessions, an art exhibit and a silent auction. Tickets are $30.00 per person and all proceeds support the Cochrane Ecological Institute. You can register HERE.
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Alberta Chapter of the CLRA
2024 Annual Conference
The Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA) will host its annual conference at the Edmonton Convention Centre on March 6-8, 2024. There will be over 45 presentations and workshops, networking opportunities and a banquet and awards presentation. Organizers expect to welcome more than 600 delegates across different industry sectors including oil & gas, forestry, mining, municipalities, renewable resources, consulting companies, industry service providers, government and regulatory bodies, research institutes, academics, and post-secondary students. You can register HERE
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GRF Workshop
How to Use the Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies Manuals for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands
Wednesday March 6th, 2024, 10:00 – 17:00 at the Edmonton Convention Centre. This Grassland Restoration Forum pre-conference workshop is hosted by the Canadian Land Reclamation Association. Register on the CLRA website HERE (Full conference registration is not required.)
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Under Pressure:
Threats to Alberta’s Native Plant Communities
The ANPC webinar mini-series continues on Zoom on March 12, 2024 at 12 PM MST as Phillip Meintzer reports on The McClelland Lake Wetland Complex, a unique ecologically significant wetland area in northeastern Alberta, currently at significant risk of irreversible damage from the expansion of Suncor’s Fort Hills oil sands mine. Register HERE or on the ANPC website.
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GRF Winter Webinar:
Reclaiming High Elevation Grasslands in Post Coal Mining Landscapes in the Elk Valley
This GRF Winter Webinar will take place on March 12, 2024 at 12pm – 1pm MST, looks at early insights and future research directions and is presented by Natalie Shelby-James, Sr. Lead Land Research & Kate Walsh Vegetation Lead, Teck Coal Limited. To register, please go HERE.
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Native Prairie Speaker Series:
Ghosts of Predator Past, Spirits of Perseverance Present
...and Shadows of a Fragile Future: The Pronghorn
This webinar will be conducted by Paul Jones of the Alberta Conservation Association on March 27, 2024 at 12:00 noon MST. REGISTER FREE
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Paragon Soil Science Courses:
Soil Classification (SOIL410 Wi24)
March 27 and 28, 2024 (online)
Instructor: Konstantin Dlusskiy, PhD, PAg, Senior Soil Scientist
Registration: https://SOIL410-Wi24.eventbrite.ca
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Alberta Wetlands:
From Classification to Policy
AQUALITY has announced the dates and registration for the following wetlands course, as follows:
March 27-28, 2024
This 2-day course will be taking place both in person (Edmonton) and online via Zoom on March 27-28, 2024, from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm each day.
This comprehensive course is designed to help consultants, industry professionals, resource managers, not-for-profit organizations, and government regulators understand the theoretical component used in wetland assessments. If you or any of your colleagues are interested in registering, you can visit our website at http://www.wetlandpolicy.ca/alberta-wetlands-from-classification-to-policy to register and obtain further information.
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
APRIL
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Paragon Soil Science Courses:
Soil Mapping (SOIL420 Wi24)
April 3 and 4, 2024 (online). Instructor: Konstantin Dlusskiy, PhD, PAg
Registration: https://SOIL420-Wi24.eventbrite.ca
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Saskatchewan Grasslands Forum
The Saskatchewan Grasslands Forum and Public Pastures Public Interest (PPPI) AGM will be held 1300 - 1700, April 6, 2024. ZOOM LINK
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GRF Winter Webinar:
Rangeland Biological Soil crusts: Their Ecological Functions in the Northern Great Plains and Industrial Disturbance Response
This GRF Winter Webinar will take place April 9, 2024 at 12pm – 1pm MST and will be presented by Lysandra Pyle, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, and Edward Bork, University of Alberta. To register, please go HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
MAY
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School of Fish Workshop:
Fishes of Alberta - Field Identification
This fish ID course will be instructed by Shona Derlukewich, B.Sc., P. Biol., at Mount Royal University in Calgary May 5, 2024 (Sunday), from 1300h to 1630h (please arrive a few minutes early to start on time). The workshop will focus on majority of Fishes of Alberta with emphasis on small body fishes. The cost per student is $150; pre-payment by etransfer/credit card to hold seat. Field guides are included in the workshop cost and will be provided to participants upon arrival. Additional details (map for parking and room number) will be supplied to registered participants. To register, email Shona Derlukewich and for more fishy details check out the WEBSITE.
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Paragon Soil Science Courses:
Soil Classification and Mapping (EXCPE 4297)
May 7 to 13, 2024 (online with in-person field trip, 3-credit course)
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School of Fish Workshop:
Fishes of Alberta - Field Identification
This fish ID course will be instructed by Shona Derlukewich, B.Sc., P. Biol., at MacEwan University in Edmonton May 26, 2024 (Sunday), from 1300h to 1630h (please arrive a few minutes early to start on time). The workshop will focus on majority of Fishes of Alberta with emphasis on small body fishes. The cost per student is $150; pre-payment by etransfer/credit card to hold seat. Field guides are included in the workshop cost and will be provided to participants upon arrival. Additional details (map for parking and room number) will be supplied to registered participants. To register, email Shona Derlukewich and for more fishy details check out the WEBSITE.
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Paragon Soil Science Courses:
Pedology Field School (SOIL230 Sp23)
May 29 to 31, 2023 (in-person in the Edmonton area).
Instructor: Konstantin Dlusskiy, PhD, PAg
Registration: https://SOIL230-Sp23.eventbrite.ca
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
JUNE
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
For the full calendar of upcoming courses, and course details, follow this link:
https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/
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COLUMBIA MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE
of Applied Ecology
Revelstoke BC
Full course information available at each course link.
CREDtalks (Columbia Region Ecological Discussions)
In progress until March 21, 2024. Online; recordings available
Wildlife Bioacoustics: A Hands-on Introduction
April 10-12, 2024. Revelstoke BC.
Data Manipulation and Visualization in R
April 22-25, 2024. Online
Introduction to `R` software
May 6-9, 2024. Online
Field Ornithology – Improving Bird ID and survey skills through sound
May 27-30, 2024. Online
Understanding Statistics and Decision-Making for Natural Resource Managers
May 8 - June 26, 2024. Online
Field Soil Description & Classification Course
June 26-28, 2024. Revelstoke BC.
Wetland Classification: An introduction
July 3-5, 2024. Revelstoke BC.
Data Manipulation and Visualization in R
October 1-4, 2024. Online
Introduction to `R` software
October 15-18, 2024. Online
QGIS Level I & II – Online
Dates scheduled according to student schedules.
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SALMTEC
COURSES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
******
SALMTEC Grassland Vegetation Inventory
This User’s Guide Interactive Class will be held April 12, 2024, 12:00pm – 2:30pm
Planning on conducting Grassland Conservation Assessments in Alberta? Then you will need a thorough understanding of the Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI). This course provides participants with both a contextual and practical understanding of GVI using various real world management scenarios. For more information and to register click HERE.
SALMTEC ABWRET-A
Interactive Class, online, April 26, 2024, 12:00pm – 2:30pm
SALMTEC has designed this course to provide participants with a strong understanding of the Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool Actual (ABWRET-A). For more information and to register click HERE.
Biophysical Bootcamp
This Biophysical Bootcamp Field Training Course will be held May 30, 2024 at Bragg Creek, AB., to prepare environmental field staff at all levels with the crucial field skills they will need in the upcoming field season. For more information and to register click HERE.
Biophysical Foundations – Blended Course
The Interactive Class is on April 12, 2024 and the Field Training date is May 30, 2024
This course provides students with a solid foundation for the understanding of the biophysical environment. For more information and to register click HERE.
SALMTEC’s Seminar Series:
Landscape Analysis
This online seminar on March 19, 2024 at 12pm MST is the third instalment of the Desktop Investigations: Landscape Analysis Seminar and focuses on how to access and review regional processes including climate, geology, hydrology, terrain and soil formation. Interpretation tools and tips and tricks on analyzing them will be provided through case studies. For more information and to register click HERE.
SALMTEC’s Seminar Series:
Hydrology & Wetland Design
This online seminar on April 23, 2024 at 12pm MST is the fourth instalment of the Desktop Investigation Series: Hydrology & Wetland Design Seminar, and explores the water cycle of a single ecosystem: wetlands when considering wetland components and designing wetlands. Water inputs, throughputs and outputs, as well as indicators of wetland function and wetland design are discussed and examples provided. For more information and to register click HERE.
SALMTEC’s Seminar Series:
Preliminary Wetland Delineation
This online seminar on May 22, 2024 at 12pm MST is the final instalment of the Desktop Investigations series: Preliminary Wetland Boundary Delineation Seminar. Wetland identification and preliminary boundary delineation tools and approaches will be discussed, and applied to case studies. For more information and to register click HERE.
VISIT THE SALMTEC CONNECTOR
THE CONNECTOR is a compilation of applied science and land management event listings, across a variety of sectors and disciplines, published monthly.
You can find the SALMTEC CONNECTOR HERE.
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Banner Image:
The un-cropped original of this photo was taken August 4, 2023 at the Clifford E Lee Nature Sanctuary by Victoria Adams-Parson, and submitted to the 2023 ASPB Conference photo contest.
PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGISTS PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST
In Alberta, Professional Biologists are registrants of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB), and are subject to a code of ethics, continuing competency requirements, and a disciplinary process. The ASPB is a self-regulated organization under legislation in the Province of Alberta, meaning its purpose is to protect the public of Alberta by ensuring biologists are qualified to practice biology in accordance with that legislation. The society is governed by a Board of Directors elected by its registrants.
You are probably receiving this newsletter because you are an ASPB Registrant. This newsletter provides relevant information and professional development opportunities for our members, as well as essential member-related society business; if you are registered with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists, please DO NOT unsubscribe.
For more information about the Society or to contact the administration, please visit the website: https://www.aspb.ab.ca
Opinions and general news published in this e-newsletter
do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Society or its Board of Directors.
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