2022 ARCHIVES | Special Symposia
The following special symposia were offered as part of the technical program at the 2022 annual conference. An Organized Symposium is a series of integrated presentations that address aspects of a single topic or theme.
S-01. Fisheries & Aquatic Invasive Management
Monday, April 4, 2022 | 1:40PM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Christopher Smith, Principal Fisheries Biologist, NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Shawn Crouse, Chief, Freshwater Fisheries, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife
Overview: Aquatic invasive species are a growing problem nationwide that threaten biodiversity and cause irreparable damages to ecosystems, recreation, and the economy. This symposium will highlight current research, management and control efforts by; Federal, State and Municipal Agencies, Academic Institutions, Nonprofits, and Private Consultants to combat these aquatic invaders.
Monday, April 4, 2022 | 1:40PM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Christopher Smith, Principal Fisheries Biologist, NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Shawn Crouse, Chief, Freshwater Fisheries, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife
Overview: Aquatic invasive species are a growing problem nationwide that threaten biodiversity and cause irreparable damages to ecosystems, recreation, and the economy. This symposium will highlight current research, management and control efforts by; Federal, State and Municipal Agencies, Academic Institutions, Nonprofits, and Private Consultants to combat these aquatic invaders.
S-02. Community-based Conservation in the Northeast
Monday, April 4, 2022 | 1:40PM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Lelaina Muth, Chief of Visitor Services and Cultural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Chelsi Burns, Urban and Visitor Services Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Overview: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) established the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program (UWCP) in 2013 with the overall goal of prioritizing conservation and recreational access efforts in urban areas where more than 80 percent of Americans live, work, and play. In order to leave a lasting conservation legacy for future generations of Americans to enjoy, we must work with partners to meaningfully engage and collaborate with communities, particularly those in urban areas. This will ensure that our ‘wildlife goals’ and our ‘people goals’ are aligned. This requires reaching out and establishing long-term, inclusive connections with culturally and ethnically diverse urban communities to achieve our conservation mission.
Since the UWCP establishment, the Service has worked with non-governmental organizations; local municipalities; the private sector; other State, tribal, and Federal agencies; and other partners to establish 9 Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships and 9 Urban Bird Treaty Cities in the North Atlantic-Appalachian Region. These partnerships focus on a community-centered conservation model to ensure that all members of the public feel welcomed, included, and can experience and recreate in nature.
With the recent release of the Service’s 10-year urban strategic plan, the Service is reflecting on conservation successes and challenges from the past and sharing lessons learned from our partners and communities. Through this symposium, we seek to do just that; learn and grow alongside our northeastern fish and wildlife partners. What successes or challenges have you or your organization faced in connecting with culturally and ethnically diverse communities? What lessons learned can we take away? This symposium aims to make connections and foster collaboration with all those working on community-based conservation.
Monday, April 4, 2022 | 1:40PM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Lelaina Muth, Chief of Visitor Services and Cultural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Chelsi Burns, Urban and Visitor Services Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Overview: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) established the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program (UWCP) in 2013 with the overall goal of prioritizing conservation and recreational access efforts in urban areas where more than 80 percent of Americans live, work, and play. In order to leave a lasting conservation legacy for future generations of Americans to enjoy, we must work with partners to meaningfully engage and collaborate with communities, particularly those in urban areas. This will ensure that our ‘wildlife goals’ and our ‘people goals’ are aligned. This requires reaching out and establishing long-term, inclusive connections with culturally and ethnically diverse urban communities to achieve our conservation mission.
Since the UWCP establishment, the Service has worked with non-governmental organizations; local municipalities; the private sector; other State, tribal, and Federal agencies; and other partners to establish 9 Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships and 9 Urban Bird Treaty Cities in the North Atlantic-Appalachian Region. These partnerships focus on a community-centered conservation model to ensure that all members of the public feel welcomed, included, and can experience and recreate in nature.
With the recent release of the Service’s 10-year urban strategic plan, the Service is reflecting on conservation successes and challenges from the past and sharing lessons learned from our partners and communities. Through this symposium, we seek to do just that; learn and grow alongside our northeastern fish and wildlife partners. What successes or challenges have you or your organization faced in connecting with culturally and ethnically diverse communities? What lessons learned can we take away? This symposium aims to make connections and foster collaboration with all those working on community-based conservation.
S-03. Bat Monitoring in the Northeast: Addressing Conservation Challenges and Opportunities
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 3:00PM (ET)
Contact: Jeremy Coleman, National White-nose Syndrome Coordinator, Regional Wildlife Disease Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Jeremy Coleman, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Mark Ford, USGS Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; MacKenzie Hall, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife; Christina Kocer, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Jonathan Reichard, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Overview: Monitoring bat populations presents challenges for natural resource management agencies. Bats are exposed to many stressors, including white-nose syndrome, impacts from energy infrastructure and associated development, and climate change, the effects of which are dynamic and/or increasing over time. State wildlife agencies in the northeastern U.S. have a strong history of monitoring bats in winter and during the active season to understand population trends. Furthermore, exciting technological advancements continue to produce new ways to monitor wildlife populations. With so many agencies and partnering entities in the region, it is important to have a strong foundation for coordination across states and with national/international programs. This symposium will highlight existing and new efforts that demonstrate what we have learned about monitoring bats in the region and how these tools will continue to develop to address future information needs for bat conservation.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 3:00PM (ET)
Contact: Jeremy Coleman, National White-nose Syndrome Coordinator, Regional Wildlife Disease Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Jeremy Coleman, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Mark Ford, USGS Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; MacKenzie Hall, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife; Christina Kocer, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Jonathan Reichard, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Overview: Monitoring bat populations presents challenges for natural resource management agencies. Bats are exposed to many stressors, including white-nose syndrome, impacts from energy infrastructure and associated development, and climate change, the effects of which are dynamic and/or increasing over time. State wildlife agencies in the northeastern U.S. have a strong history of monitoring bats in winter and during the active season to understand population trends. Furthermore, exciting technological advancements continue to produce new ways to monitor wildlife populations. With so many agencies and partnering entities in the region, it is important to have a strong foundation for coordination across states and with national/international programs. This symposium will highlight existing and new efforts that demonstrate what we have learned about monitoring bats in the region and how these tools will continue to develop to address future information needs for bat conservation.
S-04. Ongoing and Emerging Threats to Wildlife Health in the Northeast
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 3:20PM (ET)
Contact: Julie Ellis, Co-director, Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Nicole Lewis, MS, DVM, Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Overview: The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has underscored the critical need for wildlife disease monitoring, prevention and management for safeguarding animal and public health worldwide. Diseases can negatively impact reproduction, survival, fitness, and abundance of wildlife populations as well as biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems. In the Northeast U.S., chronic wasting disease, white-nose syndrome, and West Nile virus pose significant ongoing threats to wildlife populations. Outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, mange, distemper, and rabies, also occur every year. And, now, the establishment of reservoirs of SARS CoV-2 infections in wild animals could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. With so many diseases threatening wildlife and conservation in the Northeast, a proactive and multi-disciplinary approach to wildlife health has never been more important. Collaboration across disciplines, including wildlife managers, disease ecologists, diagnosticians, and veterinarians is critical to effectively address these complex disease threats.
This symposium brings together university researchers and state agency staff to present their findings on diseases that are significant to wildlife conservation, and diseases that are transmitted among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Through this symposium, we seek to facilitate information sharing and potential collaborations across the region with respect to wildlife disease surveillance and research.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 3:20PM (ET)
Contact: Julie Ellis, Co-director, Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Nicole Lewis, MS, DVM, Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Overview: The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has underscored the critical need for wildlife disease monitoring, prevention and management for safeguarding animal and public health worldwide. Diseases can negatively impact reproduction, survival, fitness, and abundance of wildlife populations as well as biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems. In the Northeast U.S., chronic wasting disease, white-nose syndrome, and West Nile virus pose significant ongoing threats to wildlife populations. Outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, mange, distemper, and rabies, also occur every year. And, now, the establishment of reservoirs of SARS CoV-2 infections in wild animals could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. With so many diseases threatening wildlife and conservation in the Northeast, a proactive and multi-disciplinary approach to wildlife health has never been more important. Collaboration across disciplines, including wildlife managers, disease ecologists, diagnosticians, and veterinarians is critical to effectively address these complex disease threats.
This symposium brings together university researchers and state agency staff to present their findings on diseases that are significant to wildlife conservation, and diseases that are transmitted among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Through this symposium, we seek to facilitate information sharing and potential collaborations across the region with respect to wildlife disease surveillance and research.
S-05. Leveraging Partnerships to Conserve At-Risk Species in the North Atlantic-Appalachian Region
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 12:00PM (ET)
Contact: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview: Hundreds of species occurring in the Northeastern United States have been identified by state agencies as Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need, many of which are scheduled for review to determine if they warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Enacting proactive conservation of rare and declining at-risk species can reverse or prevent declines before those fish, wildlife and plants need the protections of the ESA. To maximize effectiveness of these proactive efforts, conservation planning strategies should address the species at range-wide or sufficiently broad landscape-scales, using science-based approaches developed collaboratively that promote buy-in and adoption by stakeholders, including landowners. This symposium will share examples of how partnerships are working together to plan and implement landscape-scale strategies to conserve at-risk species before they decline to a point where they need the protections of the ESA.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 12:00PM (ET)
Contact: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Overview: Hundreds of species occurring in the Northeastern United States have been identified by state agencies as Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need, many of which are scheduled for review to determine if they warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Enacting proactive conservation of rare and declining at-risk species can reverse or prevent declines before those fish, wildlife and plants need the protections of the ESA. To maximize effectiveness of these proactive efforts, conservation planning strategies should address the species at range-wide or sufficiently broad landscape-scales, using science-based approaches developed collaboratively that promote buy-in and adoption by stakeholders, including landowners. This symposium will share examples of how partnerships are working together to plan and implement landscape-scale strategies to conserve at-risk species before they decline to a point where they need the protections of the ESA.
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S-06. Regional Partnerships for Monitoring Wildlife with Camera Traps: Opportunities, Challenges, and a Vision for Collaboration in the Northeastern U.S. and Canada
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Paul Jensen, Adjunct Associate Professor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Paul G. Jensen, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish and Wildlife and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Biology; Alexej P.K. Sirén, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Vermont; Jacqueline L. Frair, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Biology; Laurence A. Clarfeld, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Vermont; Therese M. Donovan, U.S. Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont; Tammy L. Wilson, U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Overview: The use of camera traps to survey, study, and monitor wildlife populations at multiple spatial scales is increasing worldwide. Technological advances in camera design, development of advanced analytical methods, and advances in computer vision image processing models have all contributed to the widespread use of these methods. In the northeastern U.S. and Canada, camera traps are commonly used by state, federal, and provincial agencies, tribal governments, university researchers, and NGOs to study a diversity of taxa in support of individual projects and management programs. However, development of a cooperative monitoring network representing partnerships among these groups is needed to address pressing environmental issues of the region’s unique, heterogeneous landscape. Such partnerships have been successfully implemented in other regions of North America and can serve as models for the standardized collection of data in the northeast.
In this symposium, we present the newly-established Northeast Wildlife Monitoring Network – a collaboration of community scientists, wildlife agencies, universities, secondary schools, and NGOs currently working in five states – and discuss the partnerships, framework, tools, and infrastructure that have been developed to support this network. Additionally, the symposium will provide opportunities for participants to engage members of the Northeast Network as well as invited experts from other camera trap networks in the mid-west and western U.S and Canada. Together, we will discuss pressing issues, identify opportunities and challenges, and develop a joint vision and plan for collaboration. Major themes of these discussions will include:
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM (ET)
Contact: Paul Jensen, Adjunct Associate Professor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Paul G. Jensen, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish and Wildlife and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Biology; Alexej P.K. Sirén, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Vermont; Jacqueline L. Frair, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Biology; Laurence A. Clarfeld, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Vermont; Therese M. Donovan, U.S. Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont; Tammy L. Wilson, U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Overview: The use of camera traps to survey, study, and monitor wildlife populations at multiple spatial scales is increasing worldwide. Technological advances in camera design, development of advanced analytical methods, and advances in computer vision image processing models have all contributed to the widespread use of these methods. In the northeastern U.S. and Canada, camera traps are commonly used by state, federal, and provincial agencies, tribal governments, university researchers, and NGOs to study a diversity of taxa in support of individual projects and management programs. However, development of a cooperative monitoring network representing partnerships among these groups is needed to address pressing environmental issues of the region’s unique, heterogeneous landscape. Such partnerships have been successfully implemented in other regions of North America and can serve as models for the standardized collection of data in the northeast.
In this symposium, we present the newly-established Northeast Wildlife Monitoring Network – a collaboration of community scientists, wildlife agencies, universities, secondary schools, and NGOs currently working in five states – and discuss the partnerships, framework, tools, and infrastructure that have been developed to support this network. Additionally, the symposium will provide opportunities for participants to engage members of the Northeast Network as well as invited experts from other camera trap networks in the mid-west and western U.S and Canada. Together, we will discuss pressing issues, identify opportunities and challenges, and develop a joint vision and plan for collaboration. Major themes of these discussions will include:
- Effectively working at large spatial scales
- Engaging, coordinating, and training a diversity of network partners: community scientists, students, and biologists
- Managing big data: workflow, image-tagging (crowd sourcing and computer vision models), databases, and data sharing
- Opportunities for collecting additional data beyond wildlife detections
- Standardization of methods and metadata, and protocol development
S-07. Private Lands Conservation Symposium
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 12:00PM (ET)
Contact: John Taucher, Private Lands Section Chief, Pennsylvania Game Commission, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Mark Puckett, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Marianne Piche, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife; John Morgan, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
Overview: The states included in the Northeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies are, on average, composed of 82% privately owned land. Privately owned lands are where the vast majority of sportspeople recreate. These lands hold the majority of critical habitat for threatened, endangered, and state wildlife action plan species in the northeastern United States. Private lands are critical to providing habitat connectivity and provide a unique opportunity to manage habitat at a landscape scale. The role of state fish and wildlife agencies in managing this private land for wildlife is the key to conservation relevancy in the future. Currently, there is a disparity of commitment among state fish and wildlife agencies in the northeast to meet the demands of private lands conservation. This symposium seeks to address successful state programs for private lands conservation along with novel solutions in an attempt to foster regional dialogue on the relevancy and critical importance of private land conservation in the United States.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 8:00AM - 12:00PM (ET)
Contact: John Taucher, Private Lands Section Chief, Pennsylvania Game Commission, [email protected]
Co-Organizers: Mark Puckett, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Marianne Piche, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife; John Morgan, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
Overview: The states included in the Northeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies are, on average, composed of 82% privately owned land. Privately owned lands are where the vast majority of sportspeople recreate. These lands hold the majority of critical habitat for threatened, endangered, and state wildlife action plan species in the northeastern United States. Private lands are critical to providing habitat connectivity and provide a unique opportunity to manage habitat at a landscape scale. The role of state fish and wildlife agencies in managing this private land for wildlife is the key to conservation relevancy in the future. Currently, there is a disparity of commitment among state fish and wildlife agencies in the northeast to meet the demands of private lands conservation. This symposium seeks to address successful state programs for private lands conservation along with novel solutions in an attempt to foster regional dialogue on the relevancy and critical importance of private land conservation in the United States.