By Hope Loudon
From January 28 to 31, 2014, the Western Section of The Wildlife Society (TWS) held its regional conference at Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort. The conference marked the 60th anniversary of TWS, which facilitates collaboration between wildlife scientists and professionals across state lines and for the good of the environment.
The conference featured lectures on specialized topics from alternative energy to all manner of endangered species. The vast diversity of sessions reflected the range of expertise of the professional membership which sets TWS apart from other environmental organizations.
As Natasha Dvorak, the newly-elected president of the Western Section of TWS, said: “There are not many opportunities [for scientists] to come together…and the community benefits from their sharing of best practices.”
As its conference theme, “Harnessing Citizen Science toward Greater Conservation” illustrates, TWS is dedicated to strengthening its connection between its experts and the community.
Erin Aquino-Carhart, chairwoman of the Conservation Affairs Committee, explained, “One of our goals is to be an active voice in science and the community…We have all this expertise and experience, but people don’t know how to go to us.”
TWS has a history of informing policy and conservation, but advocacy does not come naturally to all scientists. First and foremost, scientists are objective in their research. Still, their research yields results that can be applicable to modern environmental decisions.
One workshop entitled “Advocacy Training for the Wildlife Professional” was predicated on the understanding that scientists can sometimes be instrumental in spreading a conservation message.
Terra Rentz, TWS’s former deputy director of government affairs, taught participants how to communicate their message in a way that highlighted important points and appeals to the audience. This type of communication is a major part of translating between scientists and stakeholders such as policy makers.
Catering to students was also a key component of the conference which offered a myriad of student-oriented resume workshops, networking events and field-experience opportunities. TWS offered conference scholarships for student volunteers and encouraged professionals to make themselves available to answer student’s questions. Student members from chapters such as the one at the University of Nevada, Reno were pleased to attend.
Alex McBride, president of the UNR TWS chapter, said, “Volunteering this past week at the Western Section Wildlife Society Conference kept our members up to date on current issues, research techniques and invaluable opportunities to network with professionals in our field.”
With its wealth of expert opinions, TWS is well-suited to engage the community and the next generation of wildlife professionals. As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, TWS can be praised for its contributions to the conservation of wildlife and its habitat. Its forward-thinking approach with regards to citizen science and the community promises a continuation of TWS’s tradition of educated environmentalism far into the foreseeable future.
