FREE Online Access to Publications for Developing Country SCB Members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - http://www.conbio.org/media/benefits/
Contact: Alan Thornhill
(703) 276-2384

SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY TO PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO PUBLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS

The Society for Conservation Biology, in collaboration with Blackwell Publishing and Elsevier Publishing, announces that online access to Conservation Biology, Conservation In Practice, and Biological Conservation is now free to SCB members in developing countries. Elsevier has also added Ecological Indicators, Ecological Complexity, and Ecological Informatics to the free publications. SCB is also negotiating to acquire similar access to a suite of other conservation-related journals from a variety of publishers, including additional titles from Blackwell and Elsevier.

Providing free access to conservation publications will greatly benefit our conservation colleagues in developing countries worldwide. Conservationists in developing countries want to do effective conservation work, but many cannot afford scientific publications and do not have access via their institutions. "The destruction of biodiversity worldwide is so rapid that there is no time to waste. Information must get out to conservationists who otherwise would not have access. SCB is leading the way in making scientific information available to conservation professionals and students in developing countries," said SCB Executive Director, Dr. Alan Thornhill.

Thanks to a grant from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), SCB is able to offer free memberships to a large number of conservationists in developing countries and therefore provide access to the growing list of free conservation publications. Jonathan Adams, Program Director for Conservation Knowledge and Communities at TNC said, "It’s extremely important that conservation professionals have access to current scientific information. Much of the Earth’s biodiversity can be found in developing countries, and scientists there often cannot get the most current information either about the species themselves or about the tools that are available to conserve them."

For updates and more information on these great new benefits, check the upcoming SCB newsletter and the SCB website: http://conbio.org. For further information, contact Dr. Alan Thornhill, Society for Conservation Biology at athornhill@conbio.org or (703) 276-2384 or Jonathan Adams, The Nature Conservancy at jadams@tnc.org or (301) 897-8570.

Source: Sys@conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brener

International Marine Acoustic Telemetry workshop 5-9 Nov 06

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the
International Marine Acoustic Telemetry (IMAT 2006) workshop, which will be
hosted by the University of Auckland, Leigh Marine Laboratory, New Zealand
5-9 November 2006. 

The workshop will run for 4 days and can include: 
. Presentations introducing selected topics
. discussions and reports of acoustic telemetry (passive/active)
applications, 
. new technology and developments, 
. data management, analysis, and visualisation 
. linking individual movement to population levels and management
applications
. field and practical demonstrations

We encourage you to take the opportunity to present research papers or
posters on acoustic telemetry during the presentation sessions scheduled for
the first two days. Time will also be set aside to discuss research networks
and their applications. Please feel free to contact us if you require
further information. 
Space is limited and attendance limited to 50 persons.  Commercial
accommodation is available in the nearby village (5 min drive) and student
accommodation on-site.  

Sincerely,

Daniel Egli & Mark Costello

Further information:

Acoustic Telemetry Workshop   Conference website:
Leigh Marine Laboratory   http://www.marine.auckland.ac.nz/
PO Box 349      Phone: +64 9 422 6111
Warkworth     Fax:    +64 9 422 6113
New Zealand     email: imat@auckland.ac.nz
Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Tools for Conserving Biodiversity Course

The Smithsonian Institution is happy to present the
>>   Tools for Conserving Biodiversity course in
>>   partnership with the Mpala Research Center. The
>>   course will take place at Mpala in Laikipia, Kenya
>>   October 17 - 29, 2006.
>>
>>   This course presents a full range of tools used in
>>   conservation biology. It has been specially designed
>>   for early career conservation managers and
>>   researchers to gain an understanding of tools,
>>   protocols, and methodologies currently available.
>>   The course includes lectures given by Smithsonian
>>   and local instructors as well as field work. This
>>   course will serve as the foundation for future
>>   in-depth training courses on specific topics.
>>   The cost is US$2,750 and it includes course fees,
>>   room and board, and materials.
>>   The course is limited to 20 participants and
>>   applications will be taken on a first come first
>>   serve basis.
>>   The application deadline is August 7, 2006. For more
>>   information please contact Melissa Bellman at
>>   bellmanm@si.edu or visit our website:
>>   www.si.edu/simab
>>
>>
>> --
>> Anisa S. Jimenez
>> Public Relations Coordinator
>> Institute of Ecology
>> University of Georgia
>> Athens, Georgia 30602-2202
>>
>> Phone: 706.542.6013
>> Fax: 706.542.4819
>> Email: anisaj@uga.edu
>> www.ecology.uga.edu

Source: sswg@list.conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

NaGISA World Conference

October 15-18 2006 Kobe International Hall, Kobe Japan

Symposium Details
Beginning on the evening of October 15 with a public lecture the scientific
symposium will follow on the 16, 17 &18 with sessions on rocky shore and
seagrass bed communities, nearshore taxonomy (macrofauna, macroflora and
meiofauna) and an open poster session. Panel discussions on the 18th will
address a variety of topics including the integration of NaGISA into
national and regional monitoring programs as well as application of new
technologies useful for biodiversity studies.

Session Themes
Patterns in biodiversity
Nearshore taxonomy of macrofauna, macroflora and meiofauna
Community ecology in rocky shore and seagrass habitats
Long-term monitoring programs and community integrated marine research

Call for Papers
Abstracts for both Oral and Poster presentations are been accepted under the
session themes. All nearshore related researchers are welcome to submit 300
word abstracts online at nwc_registration@seto.kyoto-u.ac.jp along with the
author`s full name, contact address, e-mail and an indication of whether an
Oral or Poster presentation is preferred. Abstract deadline extended till
July 31, 2006

Registration
Online registration through the NaGISA Webpage www.nagisa.coml.org includes
access to hotel bookings and travel information. Online registration
deadline: Sept 29 23:59 (GMT+9). On site registration will also be available
before the meeting and the public lecture at International Conference Center
on the 15.

Further Information
Please visit the NaGISA webpage or contact us at nagisaonline@yahoo.com

Best,

Jorge Brenner

21st Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology

Please follow the links to the call for proposals for Symposia,
Workshops and Organised Discussions
http://compworx.isat.co.za/scb/callsym.htm; and Short Courses
http://compworx.isat.co.za/scb/callcour.htm

Kind regards,


Margot Collett

SCB 2007 Conference Project Manager

Centre for African Conservation Ecology (ACE)

P O Box 77000

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Port Elizabeth, 6031

tel +27 41 504 4278

fax +27 41 504 2946

www.conbio.org/2007

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Practical Remote Sensing Methods for Conservation Biologists Course

Applications are now being accepted for a course entitled: Practical Remote
Sensing Methods for Conservation Biologists. This course will be offered at
the American Museum of Natural History's Southwestern Research Station
located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona from Monday 9
October to Friday 13 October 2006 . The course will focus on the practical
aspects of remote sensing with the goal of providing sufficient information
so that participants will be able to download and display satellite imagery
for their area of interest, learn to interpret the imagery by making the
connection between abstract image information and the landscape, and use
this information to support a range of conservation objectives. Participants
will work with visual image products and an overview of the automated land
cover classification process will be presented including an assessment of
the advantages and drawbacks of these map products. The target audience is
conservation researchers with little or no remote sensing experience. For
more information on this course and others taught through the American
Museum of Natural History visit our web site http://geospatial.amnh.org.

The course involves a mix of lecture, computer lab applications,
discussions, and field work. Each participant is encouraged to bring with
them a project they would like to work on so lessons learned during the
course can immediately be applied to a meaningful example. These projects
can be discussed with the course organizers in advance to ensure they are
appropriate. If participants do not have their own project one will be
assigned to them during the course.

The fee for the course is $1,000 for a single participant (space is limited
to 15 desktops). Applications will be accepted on a first come first served
basis. The cutoff date for accepting applications is September 9, 2006. The
course fee includes room, board and instruction in the class. Unfortunately,
we do not have scholarship funds to defray course expenses. Participants
will have to provide their own transportation to and from the station.
Students should plan to arrive at the Station by Sunday evening. The course
will begin Monday morning at 8:30AM and will wrap up on Friday morning
before noon.

Station surroundings: The Southwestern Research Station
(http://research.amnh.org/swrs/) is located at 5400 ft elevation in riparian
habitat, surrounded by oak-juniper-pinyon pine woodlands. Within a short
drive up or down the Chiricahua Mountains, which reach nearly 9800 feet
elevation, five life-zones can be encountered; Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran,
Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian. Biogeographically, the Chiricahua
Mountains are located at a crossroads between distinct desert and mountain
biotas. At lower elevations, some species are derived from the Sonoran
Desert to the west, whereas other species are elements of the Chihuahuan
Desert to the east and south. At higher elevations, there is a mixing of
plants and animals from the Rocky Mountains, to the north, and the Sierra
Madre Occidental Mountains of Mexico.

Those interested in participating in the course should send a short
paragraph with the following information: Name, address, current position
(student, academia, government, etc.), brief reason why you want to take
this course, overview of prior GIS or remote sensing experience if any, and
a brief description of a project you would like to work on if you have one
in mind. Please send applications and questions about course logistics and
contents to Ned Horning, horning@amnh.org. For information about the
Southwestern Research Station please contact Diane Smith, Southwestern
Research Station, P.O. Box 16553 , Portal , AZ 85632 or e-mail
dsmith@amnh.org.

Best,

Jorge Brenner

NEW - Conservation GeoPortal. A Conservation Commons Innitiative

The Conservation Geoportal is a collaborative effort by and for the conservation community to facilitate the discovery and publishing of geographic information systems (GIS) data and maps, to support conservation decisionmaking and education. It is primarily a data catalog, intended to provide a comprehensive listing of GIS data sets and map services relevant to biodiversity conservation. The Conservation Geoportal does not actually store maps and data, but rather the descriptions and links to those resources, known as "metadata."

It includes the following capabilities:

• Search for data and maps by keyword, category, geography, or time period
• Save your search queries for future use
• Use the built-in Map Viewer to display, manipulate, and combine live map services
• Create, save, and email custom maps using data from various map services
• Publish metadata for your maps and data so others can find them

Webpage: http://www.conservationmaps.org/index.jsp

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine ecosystem modelling workshops at Plymouth, UK

Following on from the success of the 2005 AMEMR symposium, the UK Natural
Environment Research Council has provided funding for a series of modelling
workshops, covering travel and subsistence costs for up to 25 national and
international scientists per workshop. 

The purpose of these workshops will be to:-
. Review the status of current models and modelling systems with respect to
current knowledge.
. Assess the availability datasets from for model testing and development.
. Consider emerging scientific issues and relevant policy drivers.
. Identify gaps in current model capability.
. Produce recommendations for future modelling (and observational)
activities designed to address the identified gaps in understanding and
capacity. These will be fed to the relevant UK and International program
offices with a view to influencing the scope of funding programs.
. Identify synergies between research groups that may form the basis of
subsequent funding bids.

Each Workshop will be devoted to one of the following topics
. The response of marine ecosystems to increasing levels of CO2, including
acidification and warming. (Feb 07, contact Jerry Blackford, jcb@pml.ac.uk
to register your interest.)
. Model validation, analysis and quantification of error. (Feb 07, contact
Icarus Allen, jia@pml.ac.uk)
. Bridging the gap between lower and higher trophic levels.
. DMS production in the upper ocean.
. Operational biophysical oceanography


The ~3 day workshops are to be held in Plymouth, UK, during 2007. We aim to
bring together modellers and experimentalists, established and younger
researchers / students. We will welcome suggestions for program items and
intend the workshops to be informal. If appropriate we can consider writing
an overview paper for submission to a peer reviewed journal. 

This is an initiative of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

MARBEF - Workshop on European marine biological valuation

Location: Ghent (Belgium)

Event Type: Workshop

Event Date: 2006-12-06
End Date: 2006-12-08

Event Description:
WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT
FIRST CIRCULAR

As announced during the last MARBEF General Assembly (Lecce), the MARBEF Theme III RMP organizes a workshop on European marine biological valuation in Ghent (Belgium) on 6-8/12/2006.

With this email we would like to trigger your attention and curiousity to the subject of marine biological valuation as well as launch an open call for participation in the workshop.

MARINE BIOLOGICAL VALUATION: WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT…
Marine biological valuation encompasses the determination of the value of the marine environment from a nature conservation perspective. As such, marine biological valuation aims at providing an integrated [view] on nature’s intrinsic value (i.e. without any reference to anthropogenic use), as opposed to socio-economic valuation aiming at the quantification of the goods and services.
Because there is an ever increasing use of the marine environment, practitioners, stakeholders and policy makers request clear and simple baseline maps in order to allow them make well-deliberated choices: e.g. usage maps may be used to detect conflicts in spatial distribution of human activities, whereas sedimentology maps allow to deliberately identify suitable aggregate extraction zones. These maps are indispensable within the process of spatial planning. A protocol to develop baseline biological valuation maps, differentiating between the intrinsic value within an area, however do not exist. Consequently, when such maps are needed, one is often obliged to trust on the available best expert judgement.
Taking the success of the terrestrial biological valuation maps of Flanders (Belgium) as an example, the MARBEF Theme III team set the development of a widely applicable and scientifically acceptable valuation protocol for the marine environment as one of their major goals. Doing so, a prototype protocol was developed, making optimal use of (1) the lessons learned from the terrestrial valuation experts, (2) existing national initiatives and (3) existing international directives (e.g. Habitat Directive and European Marine Strategy).

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES: THE NEXT STEPS…
During this workshop we would like to make use of your expertise and thoughts on this subject. Only such wide and interactive cooperation might lead to a protocol that is widely accepted and applicable.
The main objectives of the workshop are therefore:

- to have a general discussion on the prototype valuation protocol, with emphasis on the applicability in marine/coastal habitats
- to come to a preliminar consensus on the biological valuation protocol
- to agree on the project outline and timing for the coming years
- to SELECT case study areas for protocol testing and to make practical arrangements on these tests.

A detailed agenda for the workshop is expected to be circulated by early October.

WHEN TWO EUROPEAN INITIATIVES MEET UP: A KEY TO SUCCESS…
The workshop will be a joint venture of the EU NoE MARBEF (www.marbef.org) and the EU CA ENCORA (www.encora.org). By organizing a workshop for both MARBEF and ENCORA members we feel that this cooperation will drastically increase the expertise, needed to reach the final goal of this workshop. The MARBEF community mainly consists of marine natural scientists, providing the necessary critical mass of biodiversity, whereas ENCORA, focusing on end-users, will bring in the indispensable input of practitioners and stake holders as well as their experience with decision support systems.

WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM YOU?
If you are interested to contribute to this workshop we would like you to send your expression of interest to Sofie.Derous@UGent.be by mid September. Because such interactive workshops can only be successful when a limited number of persons (max. 40) is participating, a selection of participants might follow (end September).

Contact email: Sofie.Derous@UGent.be

Event programme:
A detailed agenda for the workshop is expected to be circulated by early October.

Collaborators and organisers:
Your conveners:
Steven Degraer, Sofie Derous & Magda Vincx

Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University
Krijgslaan 281 - S8, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Tel. int32 9 2648522 Fax int32 9 2648598

Source: http://www.marbef.org/modules.php?name=Calendar&file=index&type=view&eid=241

Best,

Jorge Brenner

EnviroInfo-2006: Call for Participation

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
20th International Conference on Informatics for
Environmental Protection (EnviroInfo-2006)

6-8 September 2006
Graz, Austria

http://www.enviroinfo.net/

Since its inception in 1986, the EnviroInfo conference series of the
German Informatics Society developed into the leading European platform
for experts in sustainability and environmental protection. In 2006, the
series' 20th anniversary will be celebrated in Graz, Austria. The online
registration form, preliminary program and list of accepted papers are now
available online. EnviroInfo-2006 will continue the successful tradition
of exchanging environmental knowledge among the scientific community,
public administrations, non-governmental organizations, companies involved
in environmental informatics, and the end-users of environmental
information systems. EnviroInfo-2006 is hosted by the Know-Center and Graz
University of Technology concurrently with the 6th International
Conference on Knowledge Management (www.i-know.at). The program includes
keynotes by a number of internationally renowned experts; please visit the
Web site for scheduled times and the keynoters' short biographies:

* Werner Pillmann, Austrian Health Institute (ÖBIG), AT
 Chairman of the German Computer Society’s TC 4.6.1
 Computer Science in Environmental Protection

* Franz Josef Radermacher, University of Ulm, GE
 Scientific Director, Research Institute
 for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW)

* David Alan Stainforth, Oxford University, UK
 Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics Department
 Climateprediction.net Chief Scientist

* Bebo White, Stanford University, US
 Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
 Fellow of the International WWW Institute

* Rosalie A. Zobel, European Commission, BE
 Director, DG INFSO G Components and Systems
 Directorate General, Information Society and Media

We look forward to welcoming you
to Graz in September 2006!

Best regards,

Arno Scharl & Klaus Tochtermann
Know-Center and Graz University of Technology,
Knowledge Management Institute, Inffeldgasse 21a, A-8010 Graz, Austria
www.know-center.at | kmi.tugraz.at | www.ecoresearch.net

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine Mammal Research Internships - Spring 2007

For a detailed description and more information, please see our website
at www.whalecenter.org/intern.htm

The Whale Center of New England, located in Gloucester, MA, is a
non-profit research organization involved with the study of the
behavior, ecology, and natural history of the whales and dolphins found
in the waters off of Massachusetts. The Whale Center is also heavily
involved with habitat conservation and education programs. We are
currently looking to fill research internships for the spring (January
29 - May 26) semester of 2007.

The Whale Center of New England internship provides experience needed to
further pursue fields in marine biology and animal behavior. It is our
goal to provide college students and recent graduates with the
opportunity to collect valuable information important to the marine
mammal field and to see how this information is used in management and
conservation efforts in this area. Each internship session offers
different experiences in marine mammal science that will depend on the
season. These duties may include, but are not limited to: extensive
photo-identification and computer work (training provided), field data
collection aboard commercial whale watching vessels and our 27' research
vessel Silver II, attendance at necropsies (whale autopsies), marine
mammal stranding response, harbor seal surveys and attendance at
conferences and meetings.

Internship applicants should have the following:
* A background in biology, zoology, or related field
* Some knowledge of research methods and design
* An ability to work, live and communicate well with others
* Enthusiasm and dedication to work long days (sometimes 12 hours or
more) in the field or lab
* Completed their freshmen year at the time of application

Information regarding the application process, including application
form, is available on our website.

*Applications for the spring 2007 session will be accepted on a rolling
basis until all positions are filled. All applications should be
submitted by December 20, 2006*

Application materials and questions regarding the internship should be
directed to the intern coordinator:

Cara Pekarcik
P.O. Box 159
Gloucester, MA 01930
978-281-6351 (office)
978-281-5666 (fax)
cara@whalecenter.org

Source: MARINET@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Climate Change Actio

This is a very good blog on climate change issues.

It deals with Climate Change, Global Warming, Environmental, Greenhouse Effect, Kyoto Protocol, Aviation, Sustainable Development, Climate Change Mitigation. www.stopclimatechaos.org/ Weather, Carbon Dioxide, Action, Protest, MP, Parliament, Letter Writing, Save Our Planet, Emmisions, Trading, Flexibility, and Species Extinction.

Try at: http://climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/

Best,

Jorge Brenner

statGIS Summer School 2006

Objective

The international Summer School addresses most of all to young researchers (Master students, PhD students, PostDoc researchers) in academie, extra-universitary research and industry, who are interested to learn about recent developments, new methods and applications in spatial statistics and related areeas and to exchange their ideas and results with colleagues. This Summer School will provide a series of lectures given by internationally renowned experts. It will include the following

Main Topics

Spatial Design (W. Mueller, Linz)
MCMC Methods (Ch. Robert, Paris)
Bayes Maximum Entropy Methods (G. Christakos, San Diego)
Spartan Random Fields Modelling (D. Hristopulos, Chania)
Gaussian Markov Random Fields Modeling and Applications (H. Rue, Trondheim)
Recent Developments in spatio-temporal Geostatistics (T. Gneiting, Washington, M. Schlather, Hamburg)
Spatial Point Processes and Applications in Ecology and Epidemiology (R. Waagepetersen, Aalborg)
Geostatistical Simulation (Ch. Lantuejoul, Fontainebleau)
Data Assimilation (D. Cornford, Aston)

The Summer School will be continued by the Third International Workshop StatGIS 07 (Details will be available next year).

Webpage: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/statgis06/content.html

Dates: September 11-15, 2006

Best,

Jorge Brenner

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURES RESEARCH

Please find attached the call for papers for this new peer-reviewed journal published exclusively on line by DG Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The aim of the Journal is to further the scientific endeavor underpinning the development, implementation and use of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs).

The Journal encourages articles from broad multi-disciplinary backgrounds including social and environmental sciences, and engineering, deploying also critical and interpretative methodologies. Articles in the following areas are particularly welcome: Spatial and Network Technologies, Distributed Spatial Databases and Metadata, Methods, Applications, and Socio-economic Impacts of SDIs.

The Journal is published free of charge and adheres to the Open Archives Initiative, which aims to facilitate the dissemination of electronic content.

For more information see http://ijsdir.jrc.it

Source: SEA-GIS@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Conservationevindence.com: sharing conservation experience

www.conservationevidence.com is a non-profit website which collates evidence 
on the effectiveness of conservation management practice. A major aim of the 
site is to provide a means for practitioners (such as wardens, site managers 
and conservation volunteers) to document their experiences on the 
effectiveness of different management techniques. It is hoped that this will 
then enable those involved in species or habitat management to improve 
conservation practice by learning lessons from each other.

One way to collate this evidence is for individuals and organisations to 
submit case studies or ‘cases’ via www.conservationevidence.com.  It need 
not be complicated and each of the main sections (Background, Action and 
Consequences) could comprise just a few sentences.  For the case to be 
useful for others, there has to be some information on the consequences of 
the action. This could be, for example: the effect of establishing a no-take 
MPA on fish populations; or coral recruitment on an artificial reef 
substrate.

At present, there are very few tropical marine case studies on the site, and 
all that are on the site are from published journals. We are very keen to 
add more marine cases, particularly from practitioner experience, as there 
is a wealth of knowledge and experience in tropical marine conservation that 
remains unpublished.

Webpage: http://www.conservationevidence.com 

Source: coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GEM Master of Science course

Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM) Master of Science (MSc) course.

This top-quality Masters Course is supported by the prestigious EU Erasmus Mundus programme. We offer EU-funded scholarships to exceptional (non-EU) students, as well as access for full fee-paying students (from the EU and the rest of the world).

It is run sequentially by:

• the University of Southampton (United Kingdom)
• Lund University (Sweden)
• the University of Warsaw (Poland).
• the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation ITC (the Netherlands)

It combines the best elements from these institutes into one course. World renowned faculty from the four Universities, as well as visiting scholars, teach this course.

Webpage: http://www.gem-msc.org/i_general.aspx

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GoogleEarth marine mashups!

Checkout a great compilation of GoogleEarth marine mashups from JustMagic.com!

Web page: http://www.justmagic.com/GM-GE.html

Source: http://www.justmagic.com

Enjoy!

Jorge Brenner

More upcoming environmental events!

Upcoming environmental events reported by the Ecoresearch Network Newsletter:

Event Date: May 23, 2006
Conference - Power, Poverty and Sustainability:
(May 23-26): Power in the form of energy is vital in our lives. Power in politics can determine our place in society and how we lead our lives. Lack of political power can lead to life in poverty. Power and poverty affect the sustainability of the environment and society. How can impact assessment illuminate these relationships?
Find out more.

Event Date: May 31, 2006
Event - Ethical Corporation 2006:
(May 31 - June 1): Now in its fifth year, this event aims to answer to the most pressing questions in a complex and ever-changing arena. It’s one of the most important corporate responsibility gatherings in Europe, assembling top-level speakers from across the continent for lively debate and a frank exchange of views.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 06, 2006
Conference - Geo-Environment 2006:
(June 6-8): This conference aims to study the role of geosciences in environmental management. It is a forum among researchers, engineers, planners, decision-makers, consultants and other professionals interested in the contribution of geosciences and geo-information to environmental management, land preservation, remediation and sustainable development.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 18, 2006
Conference - EnvironMetrics 2006:
(June 18-22): The 17th annual meeting of the International Environmetrics Society (TIES 2006) aims to foster the development and use of statistical and other quantitative methods in the environmental sciences, environmental engineering, and environmental monitoring and protection.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 29, 2006
Event - EnviroTech-2006:
(June 29-30): Vendors at ENVIROtech 2006 are leading suppliers of emissions control and waste management equipment & services. Delegates are senior decision makers involved in meeting emissions targets and implementing waste management strategies. Visitors are decision makers from waste generating industry as well as local and central government.
Find out more.

Source: info@ecoresearch.net

Best,

Jorge Brenner

EIGHTH ANNUAL BIOECON CONFERENCE

“Economic Analysis of Ecology and Biodiversity”
Kings College Cambridge, 29-30 August 2006

Hosted by: Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, International Food Policy Research Institute, In Association with DIVERSITAS-International UK -Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The University of Cambridge and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with DIVERSITAS and UK-DEFRA announce the Eight Annual BIOECON conference on the economic analysis of policies for biodiversity conservation. The conference will be held at Kings College Cambridge, 29-30 August 2006. The conference will be of interest to both researchers interested in biological resources and biological processes and to policy makers interested in or working within the field of biodiversity conservation.

The conference will have sessions with papers examining the management of biological resources and biological processes as well as two plenary policy sessions chaired by IFPRI and DIVERSITAS respectively on the economic analysis of policies for biodiversity conservation.

Papers may be submitted for presentation within the conference and will be considered by the programme committee. Electronic copies (in WORD or PDF format) should be sent to Dr. Andreas Kontoleon (ak219@cam.ac.uk) no later than the 31st of May 2006. Acceptance of papers will be notified by email by 10th of June 2006. Registrations for the conference are due by 10th July 2006.

A selection of papers (upon authors’ approval) will be published as a special issue in a peered reviewed Journal or published as an edited book by a major publisher. Papers presented in previous BIOECON conferences have appeared as special issues in Land Economics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and Environment and Development Economics as well as in an edited volume published by Cambridge University Press.

Conference sessions will commence on the morning of the 29th and conclude on the afternoon of the 30th of August. Accommodation for all participants will be organised within Kings College, with a conference banquet at the Kings College Great Hall on the evening of the 29th of August. Lunches and refreshments will also be provided.

The hosts will cover all conference costs (except travel) for paper presenters and discussants (two nights accommodation on the 28th and 29th of August at Kings College, as well as all meals and refreshments). There will

be a £250 registration fee for all other participants that will include two nights lodging at Kings College, the banquet, breakfast, lunches and refreshments. There is a £100 registration fee for day-participants (that includes lunches and refreshments but not lodging and the conference banquet).

Registration details for all participants are provided in the attached form (8TH BIOECON CONFERENCE_CALL_1[1].pdf). Further information on the conference will be posted on the BIOECON web site at www.bioecon.ucl.ac.uk or can be obtained by contacting Andreas Kontoleon at ak219@cam.ac.uk

Source: www.cambridgeconservationforum.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION COURSE

GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION!

June 14-15, 2006 at Smithsonian's Conservation & Research Center in
Front Royal, VA

Registration Deadline:  May 28, 2006

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Researchers at Smithsonian's National Zoo have developed a new training
course tailored to the needs of senior staff working in leading
positions in local, state, and national government or in environmental
organizations.  CEOs, policymakers and decision-makers often rely on
maps and spatial data created with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
for their analysis and decision making.  While leaders don't have to be
GIS specialists, they do need a good understanding of the strengths and
limitations of the technology and what it can do for their respective
agencies or organizations. 


Our course allows policy- and decision-makers to:


* gain a comprehensive overview of the current state of GIS, satellite
and aerial monitoring technology;
* learn how these basic but powerful tools allow us to address resource
issues across different scales ranging from local to global;
* understand basic mapping and GIS concepts required to read GIS data
correctly;
* learn how to ask the "right" questions with GIS to get the most out of
these tools;

* find out how maps can lie, and how to avoid being fooled by "lying"
maps;
* learn about the strengths and limitations of these technologies to
assess, monitor, and model resource distribution and use.

TUITION

Tuition for the course is $800, and includes instruction, a training
manual, use of the laboratory and equipment. 

FOR INQUIRIES WRITE TO: giscourse@gmail.com or giscourse@si.edu

For more information visit:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_tra
ining/Policy/

Source: marine@list.conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Biodiversity: The Interplay of Science, Valuation, and Policy Conference

Overview

Plenary speakers and discussion groups at the 2006 AIBS Annual Meeting will approach the topic of "Biodiversity: the interplay of science, valuation, and policy" from a variety of cross-cutting themes. In recent years policy makers have increasingly recognized the economic values associated with biodiversity, economists have increasingly found ways to incorporate values associated with biodiversity into economic thinking, and scientists have increasingly documented the variety of services that diverse ecosystems provide. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the diverse linkages among these fields. The rest of the meeting's program is rounded out by events such as a poster session, AIBS awards, and a workshop on media training for biologists.

Sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey

Schedule and online registration for the ANNUAL MEETING of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, 24 - 25 May 2006

Web page: http://www.aibs.org/annual-meeting/annual_meeting_2006.html

Best,

Jorge Brenenr