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ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY
JUNE 1, 2024
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The call for abstracts for the
ASPB Resilience Conference
is coming to a close today.
Need a couple more days?
Message Jessica (regulatory@aspb.ab.ca)
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Mentorship Program Update:
From Pilot to Full Launch in 2025
After careful consideration and planning, we have decided to reschedule the full launch of the Mentorship Program to January 2025. For more information please check out the program on the website HERE
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Welcome Biology Students!
Check out our new webpage for student members! It will include Upcoming Events, a Student Job Board and School Resources.
Don't forget that the ASPB Conference Committee members are busy planning the 2024 conference (check out the conference webpage for more information). So far the conference will provide 2 scholarship opportunities for ASPB Students... Keep an eye on this webpage, where more scholarship information will be shared in early September.
NOTE: If you would like to see us at your school to discuss the importance of the ASPB in particula (and the subject of regulatory bodies in general) please let us know. (We will be at Red Deer Polytech in October!) You can email us HERE.
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Non-Compete Covenants in Alberta
Whether a business can enforce a “non-competition” covenant on its employees or contractors depends on many factors, and the legal process involved can be complicated. An important article from Field Law begins down the page in the “BIOS BRIEF” section.
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BUILDING YOUR
CAREER?
See what's new on the
BIOLOGISTS'
JOB BOARD
Senior Aquatic Biologist
Restoration Ecologist
Intermediate Biologist/Wetland Ecologist
Project Manager / Technical Advisor
Senior Ecologist
Wildlife Biologist
Terrestrial Biologists
Vegetation Ecologist
Wetlands Ecologist
Environmental Specialist
Environmental Project Manager
Intermediate Environmental Scientist
Institute Bird Bander
Senior Ecologist
FIND INFORMATION
ON THESE AND
MANY OTHER POSITIONS
HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
JUNE
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ESTI delivers courses for
backpack electrofishing
The Environmental Sciences Training Institute is delivering backpack electrofishing certification training in Alberta in 2024. The one-and-a-half day course at Red Deer on June 10 and 11 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. Visit ESTI's website for registration, new course dates and locations.
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A Field Law Webinar:
Understanding the Boundaries of Off-Duty Conduct
The actions of employees outside of work hours can have significant implications for their careers and their employer’s business. As employees and employer both navigate an increasingly connected world, it is vital to understand the boundaries of off-duty conduct and how an employer can address such conduct.
Join Field Laws’ Kelly Nicholson and Jason Kully for a complimentary webinar that will cover key aspects and practical guidance on managing off-duty conduct, addressing how off-duty conduct can affect the workplace, when can an employer investigate, discipline, and terminate an employee for off-duty activities, and what strategies can employers implement to proactively address off-duty conduct while respecting employee privacy. This complimentary webinar between noon and 1:00 pm on June 12, 2024 is intended for employers, HR professionals, and anyone involved in managing employee relations… If you aren't able to attend at the scheduled time, please register and you will be sent a link to the recording. Please register HERE
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ESTI delivers courses for
backpack electrofishing
The Environmental Sciences Training Institute is delivering backpack electrofishing certification training in Alberta in 2024. The one-and-a-half day course at Red Deer on June 13 and 14 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. Visit ESTI's website for registration, new course dates and locations.
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Bryophytes Identification Course
This 2-day course, instructed by Brittney Miller, M.Sc will take place on June 17-18, 2024, and is designed for natural resource professionals to develop the skills needed to detect and identify common Alberta bryophytes species. The focus of the course is on key features used in field identification (e.g., leaf morphology, microhabitats), and distinguishing species from similar taxa. This course involves both classroom and field components, between 0830 and 1700 each day. The classroom location is at Vertex Professional Services, 161-2055 Premier Way in Edmonton. Field components will be at natural areas within 1 hour of Edmonton. For more information, and to register, please contact bryophytes@vertex.ca
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A Webinar Introduction to:
The Alberta Watercourse Crossing Guidebook
The Alberta Watercourse Crossing Guidebook provides a comprehensive look at all stages of a watercourse crossing installation and removal. The guidebook aims to empower practitioners with an understanding of the who, what, where and why of watercourse crossing projects.
This presentation on June 19, 2024, at 12:00 pm, will provide an overview of the AWC3 organization, identify key project partners and provide a summary of the newly published best management practices guidebook. For more information and to register for this complimentary presentation, please go HERE.
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ANPC Botany Field Trip on June 21-23
The Alberta Native Plant Council is hosting its annual Botany Alberta field trip, on June 21-23, 2024 at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. It is completely free to attend; for more information please go HERE.
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Fiera Biological Workshops, Tracks and Traces:
Wildlife Track and Sign Identification
This in-person field-based workshop will take place in the Edmonton region and will be instructed by Joseph Litke, Wildlife Biologist, Certified Wildlife Track & Sign Professional. The workshop will focus on the identification and interpretation of clues left by wildlife in the form of tracks and other sign such as scats or foraging evidence. Suitable for any skill level. Limited space available. June Workshop date: June 22, 2024. Learn more and register HERE
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
JULY
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Aquality Course Registration:
Alberta Wetlands: From Classification to Policy
This 2-day course will take place both online via Zoom and in person at Aquality’s Edmonton office on July 8-9, 2024. This course will run from 09:00 – 16:30 both days. The 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. For more information, and to register, you can visit the website HERE.
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WPEFC recovery training session
This course provides field training and reference material tailored to whitebark and limber pine recovery. Participants will gain competency and a certificate issued by WPEFC demonstrating a consistent level of knowledge and technical skills required to support endangered whitebark and limber pine recovery.
This course will be held at Porcupine Hills, Alberta on June 5 and 6, 2024 and in the Golden, BC Area on July 10 and 11, 2024. Click HERE for further details.
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Aquality Course Registration:
Wetland identification and delineation field school
This one-day course on July 11, 2024 will be conducted west of Edmonton and include travel to a few different sites to see examples of the five different classes of wetlands that we have in Alberta, as defined by the Alberta Wetland Classification System (AWCS). The course will run from 09:00 until approximately 16:00. Please click HERE for more information and to register.
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SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
SEPTEMBER
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Fiera Biological Workshops:
Introductory Track & Sign Certification
Saturday, September 21, 2024, Hinton, Alberta.
This 1-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 a 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 2-day workshop is an internationally applied, professional-level training process used to promote wildlife tracking and ecological knowledge. The process emphasises 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
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NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Fundamentals of Soil Sampling I: Soil Texturing – Online – June 3rd, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/fundamentals-of-soil-sampling-i-soil-texturing-online-june-3rd-2024/
Wetland Plant Identification – Online – June 3rd – 4th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/wetland-plant-identification-online-june-3rd-4th-2024/
Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring – Online, June 4-6 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/cultural-heritage-assessment-and-monitoring-online-june-4-6-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, June 4th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-cochrane-june-4th-2024/
Amphibian Survey and Collection Methods – Online – June 4th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/amphibian-survey-and-collection-methods-online-june-4th-2024/
Fish Identification: Pacific Salmon Juveniles – Online – June 5th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/fish-identification-pacific-salmon-juveniles-online-june-5th-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Edmonton, June 7th 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-edmonton-7th-june-2024/
Plant Collection and Protocols – Online – June 10th & June 12th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/plant-collection-and-protocols-online-june-10th-june-12th-2024/
Species at Risk – Online, June 11-12, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/species-at-risk-online-june-11-12-2024/
Amphibian Identification – Online – June 11th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/amphibian-identification-online-june-11th-2024/
Winning Proposals – Writing to Secure Funding – Online – June 12th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/winning-proposals-writing-to-secure-funding-online-june-12th-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, June 14th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-cochrane-june-14th-2024/
Estimating Fish Abundance – Online – June 18th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/estimating-fish-abundance-online-june-18th-2024/
Identification and Control Methods of Common Weeds in Western Canada – Online – June 18th, 202
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/identification-and-control-methods-of-common-weeds-in-western-canada-online-june-18th-202/
Planning & Designing Fish Habitat Assessments – Online – June 19th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/planning-designing-fish-habitat-assessments-online-june-19th-2024/
Ask an Expert – Water Management and Sustainability – June 25th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/ask-an-expert-water-management-and-sustainability-june-25th-2024/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & North Vancouver, June 27th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-north-vancouver-june-27th-2024/
Advanced Electrofishing – Online – June 27th, 2024
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/advanced-electrofishing-online-june-27th-2024/
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.
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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Non-Compete Covenants in Alberta
Last month the U.S. Federal Trade Commission banned non-competition covenants (“Non-Competes”) in employment contracts. Similarly, Ontario prohibited Non-Competes for most employees in 2021. These changes present an opportunity to revisit Alberta’s laws respecting Non-Competes, and whether this trend of limiting their use is coming our way.
According to this Workwise newsletter from Field Law, courts in Alberta are currently reluctant to enforce Non-Competes, requiring employers to prove their necessity and reasonableness. Employers should draft narrowly tailored Non-Competes to ensure they are enforceable or simply consider implementing a non-solicitation clause instead.
Read more
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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):
Restoring forest ecosystem services through trait-based ecology
Large-scale overlap and fine-scale avoidance: assessing interactions between coyotes, bobcats, and cougars at multiple scales
Utilization of animals from Canadian wildlife rehabilitation hospitals to study the taxonomy and ecology of parasitic lice…
The Host Range of Fusarium proliferatum in Western Canada
Don’t get scammed by predatory publishers
Summer of 2023 hottest for 2,000 years
Data lacking in US bird flu outbreak
Assessing the influence of body size on patterns of dietary niche segregation among the ungulate community in Yellowstone National Park, USA
Peregrine falcons laced with banned chemicals, Canadian scientists find
Development of Highly Efficient Universal Pneumocystis Primers and Their Application in Investigating the Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Pneumocystis in Wild …
Bee and butterfly records indicate diversity losses in western and southern North America, but extensive knowledge gaps remain
Oribatid mite and testate amoeba communities as environmental and carbon flux proxies on two subarctic peatlands
Structure of plankton and waterbird communities under water level fluctuations: two case studies in shallow lakes of the Patagonian steppe
Evaluating the predictors of habitat use and successful reproduction in a model bird species using a large‐scale automated acoustic array
Carbon stocks and fluxes from a boreal conifer swamp: Filling a knowledge gap for understanding the boreal C cycle
The influence of shelter on abundance of the invasive dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, at its northern range limit
The relationship between multifaceted diversity and functioning of Canadian forests under global environmental change
A Complete Bibliography of Publications in Fisheries
Greater sage‐grouse chick mortality risk relative to livestock grazing management, environmental factors, and morphometric measurements
Human avoidance, selection for darkness and prey activity explain wolf diel activity in a highly cultivated landscape
Potential Of Biochar And Humic Substances For Phytoremediation Of Trace Metals In Oil Sands Process Affected Water
Urban resilience through ecosystem services in Edmonton, Canada: an assessment of gaps and recommendations
An analysis of climate change adaptation strategies in forest management: examining Canada and Sweden FSC standards
Separating Shrub Cover From Green Vegetation in Grasslands Using Hyperspectral Vegetation Indices
Effects of oil and gas development on duck nest survival in the Western Boreal Forest
Conservation of Lichens
Exploring winter diet, gut microbiota and parasitism in caribou using multi-marker metabarcoding of fecal DNA
Catch uncertainty and recreational fishing attraction: Propositions and future research directions
Comparing risk of chronic wasting disease occurrence using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models and different surveillance types
… development of the myxozoan Myxobolus rasmusseni n. sp. in fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas: a possible emerging pathogen in southern Alberta …
Where We Stand on Chronic Wasting Disease: A Systematic Literature Review of Its Prevalence Patterns, Impacts, and Management Interventions
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This week’s banner photo:
“On The Hunt”
Photo cropped from original by Darren Hebert, P. Biol.,
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.
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