ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

Resilience:

the process of adapting well

in the face of adversity, trauma, or stress.

Over the more than ten years that this scribe has been involved with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists as its publications editor, I have witnessed the inexorable (if sometimes bumpy) transition from a somewhat loosely-held small group of academically-focussed biologists – all gifted with a shared passion for the province’s wildlife, wetlands, forests and grasslands – to achieve excellence as a professional regulatory organization, under the aegis of the provincial government of Alberta, and with a membership of close to 3000 members in ten categories.

Such growth through changing times takes passion, determination, and… resilience. Changing times change other things: the work-day realities of our member professionals have been transitioning steadily in response to the increased expectations of public and corporate Alberta, along with changing government priorities (and most recently awareness of a changing climate). A couple of years of Covid didn’t help, and the hangover from that lingers: doing one’s job, making a living, a 24/7 digital world from which it is increasingly difficult to escape, raising a family, and building a life, now all seem to demand a level of personal resilience we hadn’t seen before.

In 2024, ASPB President Andy Edeburn, P. Biol., was at the table with the conference committee when the decision was made to build out the conference agenda to examine the factors now challenging our professional – and personal – resilience. “Since its inception,” Edeburn says, “the ASPB has delivered frequent conferences, with wonderful presentations from passionate presenters who have focussed on technical details about a myriad of creatures and the stressors that influence their success."

"However,” Edeburn continues, “we have paid little attention to the stressors that influence the lives of the professionals charged with managing the well-being of those creatures, large and small. This year’s Resilience conference in Red Deer will open up that discussion, as we prepare for our fiftieth anniversary celebration in Banff next year.”



The Editor

Sponsorships Are Still Available!

The deadline is fast approaching for a couple of sponsorship packages, including the scholarship and branded key card packages (branded key card pictured above with a demo ASPB logo).

Contact regulatory@aspb.ab.ca

SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES

SEPTEMBER

Second installment:

Field Law looks at discipline tribunals

Members of regulated professions who serve on discipline tribunals must navigate an increasingly complex environment when fulfilling their role under their governing statutes. Join Jason Kully and Francesca Ghossein from Field Law’s Professional Regulatory group for the second installment of their half-day virtual workshop series. This workshop, on September 10, 2024, is specifically designed for members of discipline tribunals in any Canadian jurisdiction who attended the Fundamental Skills workshop, or who already have some experience serving on a Discipline Tribunal.  You can learn more and REGISTER HERE.

Annual Herpetological Society conference

will be held in September at Sidney, BC

The 12^th Annual Canadian Herpetological Society Conference will be held in Sidney from Sept. 20-23, 2024 at Sidney (near Victoria) BC. The CHS mandate is to foster research and conservation of Canada's reptiles and amphibians. This will be a great opportunity to network with the top herpetologists in BC and Canada who gather to share their research, conservation initiatives, and success stories. For more information please go HERE.

Fiera Biological Workshops:

Introductory Track & Sign Certification

Saturday, September 21, 2024, Hinton, Alberta.

This one-day workshop is meant as an introduction the Track & Sign certification process and offers the opportunity for participants to earn a Level 1 Certification. Level 1 is the lowest level of certification offered by Tracker Certification North America and requires that participants achieve at least 70% during skill evaluation. The workshop will be lead by David Moskowitz, one of North America’s top trackers. Learn more and register here: Introductory Track & Sign, Hinton

Fiera Biological Workshops:

Standard Track & Sign Certification 

Monday & Tuesday, September 23 & 24, 2024, Hinton, Alberta.

This two-day workshop is an internationally applied, professional-level training process used to promote wildlife tracking and ecological knowledge. The process emphasizes practical tracking and the development of reliable field skills. No prior training is required. Certification depends on performance. Participants will have the opportunity to earn one of up to four tiers of certification, from Level 1 (requires at least 70%) to Level 4 (Professional, which requires 100%). The workshop will be lead by David Moskowitz, one of North America’s top trackers. Learn more and register here: Standard Track & Sign, Hinton

ABMI remote sensing webinar

Join the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute for a webinar on remote sensing methods to map vegetation regeneration on human footprint in Alberta. The webinar will take place on September 24, 2024 at 12:00 MDT; Dr. Branko Hricko, Human Footprint and Landuse Mapping Coordinator in the ABMI's Imaging Centre, will discuss lidar-based vegetation recovery assessment on human footprint features, the structure of the lidar point clouds, lidar-derived raster products, and the analysis and interpretation of the lidar-derived products. Register online for the link to join.

TRAINING PROVIDERS

GRASSLAND

RESTORATION FORUM

Walking Tour of the Stavely Research Ranch

Join Barry Adams, Rangeland Management Specialist, for this day-long outdoor walk west of Stavely, Alberta on September 4, 2024. Topics will include the ecological context of the Foothills Parkland Natural Subregion, the role of grasses in building soils and storing carbon, and the role of range health in the capture and storage of water in the watershed.

How to Use Range Plant Community Guides

and Recovery Strategies Manuals for

Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands

This one day, classroom-based course at Cassils Hall near Brooks on September 11, 2024 will teach participants how to use the tools listed above. These tools will provide valuable context to interpret results of data collected for AEP Conservation Assessments – Strategic Siting and Pre-disturbance Site Assessments for Industrial Activities on Native Grassland and plan effective restoration for planned or existing disturbances in native grassland. This course pairs well with GRF’s Grassland Assessment Training.

Grassland Assessment Training

This hands-on one-day field-based course takes place at the Antelope Creek Ranch near Brooks on a September 12, 2024. It is designed for students, agrologists, ecologists, land stewards, regulators, planners and reclamation practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about native grassland ecosystems. The course offers training on common plant identification, use of soils and landscape mapping (AGRASID and GVI) in relation to Alberta’s Range Plant Community Guides and Range Health Assessment Manuals. Designed to classify and assess grassland plant communities, these tools are critical for pre-site assessments, reclamation design and restoration of native grassland.

Industry Tour - Grassland Restoration

This field tour on October 3, 2024 looks at multiple use landscapes in the dry mixed- grass of SE Alberta, based from Manyberries, Alberta and designed for industry professionals and practitioners, looking at a variety of reclamation challenges and practices, including wellsites and cropland conversion.

The GRF Perennial Gathering!

This year, the GRF Fall Information Session at Claresholm, Alberta, takes place on November 14. The one-day fall information session gathers a variety of industry and grassland stakeholders to exchange current information on grassland restoration and conservation through a variety of presentations and mini updates. The theme this year is CASE STUDIES.

Check out our website for more details, and to register for all events: https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca.

NATURAL RESOURCES

TRAINING GROUP

Avenza Maps for Planning, Navigating & Collecting Data for Environmental Use – Online – September 3rd, 2024

Avenza Maps for Planning, Navigating & Collecting Data for Environmental Use – Online – September 3rd, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Drone Applications in Environmental Surveying – Online – September 10th, 2024

Drone Applications in Environmental Surveying – Online – September 10th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Advanced Fish Sampling – Online – September 11th, 2024

Advanced Fish Sampling – Online – September 11th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, September 13th, 2024

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, September 13th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Terrace, September 13th, 2024

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Terrace, September 13th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Wetland Plant Identification – Online – September 16th and 17th, 2024

Wetland Plant Identification – Online – September 16th and 17th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Working in and About Water – Online – September 18-19, 2024

Working in and About Water – Online – September 18-19, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Construction Monitoring — Spill Prevention and Response at the Construction Site – Online – September 20th, 2024

Construction Monitoring — Spill Prevention and Response at the Construction Site – Online – September 20th, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Fundamentals of Soil Sampling I: Soil Texturing – Online – September 23rd, 2024

Fundamentals of Soil Sampling I: Soil Texturing – Online – September 23rd, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Wetland Assessment – Online, September 24-25, 2024

Wetland Assessment – Online, September 24-25, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Prince George, 27th September, 2024

Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Prince George, 27th September, 2024 Natural Resources Training Group (nrtraininggroup.com)

For the full calendar of upcoming courses, and course details, follow this link:

https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/

COLUMBIA MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE

of Applied Ecology

Revelstoke BC

Full course information available at each course link.

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.

ESTI

The Environmental Sciences Training Institute

The Environmental Sciences Training Institute is excited to host backpack electrofishing certification training in Alberta and British Columbia this September. This one-and-a-half day course serves to certify participants in backpack electrofishing safety, fish handling methods, equipment, and fundamentals of electrical theory.

Please contact efishing@esticanada.com with any questions or to book a custom delivery. Learn about our Efishing program here. 

Fundamentals of Backpack Electrofishing: In-Person - Prince George, BC: September 16-17, 2024 | Register here!

Fundamentals of Backpack Electrofishing: In-Person - Fort St. John, BC: September 19-20, 2024 | Register here!

Fundamentals of Backpack Electrofishing: In-Person - Grande Prairie, AB: September 23-24, 2024 | Register here!

Fundamentals of Backpack Electrofishing: In-Person - Fort McMurray, AB: September 26-27, 2024 | Register here!

View our in-person course calendar at

https://esticanada.com/shop/

Nest Sweep Protocol: Online – Self-Paced

Online Courses

SALMTEC

 COURSES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

******

SALMTEC OnDemand Hydrology & Wetland Design seminar. For more information please go here: https://salmtec.com/product/wetland-design-hydrology/

SALMTEC Blended Course: Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI): A User’s Guide

Online Content + Live Streaming Class

Fall 2024 Registration Now Open!

SALMTEC Blended Course: ABWRET-A Blended/Online Training Course

Online Content + Live Streaming Class, Ongoing

SALMTEC Offers several shorter online courses:

Wetland Policy Basics – Online Course

Understanding ACIMS Tools – Online Course

Alberta Soil Information Viewer – Online Course

Land Use Analysis OnDemand Seminar

Technical Report Review OnDemand Seminar

Landscape Analysis OnDemand Seminar

VISIT THE SALMTEC CONNECTOR 

THE SALMTEC 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.

What does your

"Biology Work"

look like?

Biologists in Alberta are as diverse as the living creatures and environments they study. We are inviting you to share with us a photo (or a video - landscape format please) to help us compile a short video about the diversity of biology work in Alberta.

This video will be shared with our registrants and the public, so please try not to include faces, unless it is your own. Please include a descriptor sentence: for example, if you are working on habitat mapping and your picture is a photo from a mapping platform, your sentence could be "Today my biology work includes desktop studies to support a wildlife survey report". 

Our intent is to share with young biologists, students, (and even mid- and late-career working biologists!) the different working environments our peers experience. To submit photos and videos, or if you have any questions, please contact coordinator@aspb.ab.ca. Deadline for submission is December 1.



We regularly receive notifications from Google Scholar Alerts and other sources which we select and share below in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):

Kainai/Blood Tribe Iinnii Rematriation Relationality Between Prairie Soil, Plants and People

Prospects and Challenges of Repowering two Coal Power Plants with Small Modular Reactors

Night lights make leaves less edible

How best to use ChatGPT in science

Do linear clearings in boreal peatlands recover? Comparing taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional plant diversity

Anthropogenic transport mechanisms of invasive European earthworms: a review

Cannot outrun the past: age, nutrition, and cohort influence horn size in pronghorn

Articulating Indigenous Law as “Environmental

Parasites and the ecology of fear: Nonconsumptive effects of ectoparasites on larvae reduce growth in simulated Drosophila populations

Predicting the effects of land cover change on biodiversity in Prairie Canada using species distribution models

Seasonal habitat use of white sucker Catostomus commersonii in a small Boreal lake

Disentangling the complexity of plant-bird relationships: From monolayer to multilayer network perspectives

The Neighbourhood Bat Watch project reveals that rapid declines of bats after white-nose syndrome are exacerbated by a high rate of colony exclusion

Spider makes fireflies flash as bait

Predicted future range expansion of a small carnivore: swift fox in North America

Arctic raptor occupancy and reproductive success near a remote open-cut mine: North Baffin Island, Nunavut

Evaluation of fish habitat suitability based on stream hydrodynamics and water quality using SWAT and HEC-RAS linked simulation

Drivers and Impacts of the Record-Breaking 2023 Wildfire Season in Canada

Energy ratings for AI

Citizen Science and Bears

Conservation triage in action: Planning, governance and knowledge co‐production for biodiversity protection

Effectiveness of spawning substrate enhancement for adfluvial fish in a regulated sub‐Arctic river

Spatial scale of stand-replacing forest disturbance influences the amplitude of snowshoe hare population fluctuations in boreal forests of northwest Canada

Multiple Soil Health Indicators are Responsive to Summer Cover Crops on an Irrigated Organic Farm

Exploring Waterborne Viruses in Groundwater: Quantification and Virome Characterization via Passive Sampling and Targeted Enrichment Sequencing

Comparison of cisco (Coregonus artedi) aerobic scope and thermal tolerance between two latitudinally-separated populations

A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates a consistent and effective strategy to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines in North America

Invertebrate diversity is shaped by farm management, edge effects and landscape context in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada

Technical Report for CABIN Reference Site Selection for the Alberta East Slopes

Principles for the practical consideration of biodiversity within Canadian impact assessment processes under the Impact Assessment Act

The Influence of Tree Infilling on Energy Partitioning, Vegetation Water Use, and Soil Water State in Sparse Conifer Stands of the Taiga Shield Ecoregion

Indigenous Land‑Based Knowledge and Sustainability

2024 CONFERENCE SPONSORS

This week’s banner photo:

This little critter was catching a snooze while hiding in plain sight near Lamont, Alberta. Photo by biologist Katerina Schiller-Deorksen, cropped from the original as submitted to the 2023 ASPB 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.