CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS

The Call for Papers has closed. 

Deadline:   

  • Abstract Deadline:  Friday, October 27, 2023, 11:59 pm PDT. 
  • Abstracts must be submitted by the deadline to be considered

Oral Scientific Technical Presentations: 

All in-person papers associated with the oral concurrent sessions will be presented from Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, February 7 to February 9, 2024.  Abstract content should be related to the technical session topics listed below, but additional topics may be entertained if sufficient presentations are submitted. The conference program committee will evaluate the submitted abstracts to determine the final concurrent session topics and technical session program. Oral presentation guidelines. 

Poster Session: 

Poster presenters will set up their posters in the conference center foyer on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 between 8-10am. Display boards will be provided. Posters will be available for viewing Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning during the Annual Meeting. A poster session and reception will be held Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 6-8pm. Poster presenters must be available at their poster at this time to discuss their work with interested viewers. Posters should be no larger than 48” Wide by 36” Tall. Poster presenter guidelines.

Meeting Format 2024:

All poster and oral presentations will be given live and in-person at the meeting venue.  TWS-WS will record all Concurrent Technical Sessions and General Sessions (Plenary, Keynote and Capstone.)  The recordings will be posted online after the meeting, and will be available for online viewing for three months.  Please allow 1-2 weeks after the meeting ends for the links to the recordings. There will not be a livestream option at the 2024 Annual Meeting.  

Please know that submitting an abstract does not imply acceptance or guarantee a place in the program. Some submitted papers or posters will likely not be accepted because they may not be suited to the conference, encounter scheduling problems, or have other issues. Decisions to accept or not accept papers or posters are solely the responsibility of the Program Committee. The committee expects that your co-authors are aware of and have approved this abstract.   All presenters are expected to pay the appropriate meeting registration fees and to cover their own travel expenses.

We will announce our 2024 scientific technical session schedule for the Annual Meeting by December 4, 2023 and will notify all who have participated in the Call for Papers of their status at this time. 

Thank you, in advance, for your time and effort in the submission process. Sometimes our abstract acceptance emails end up in spam folders so please check your spam folders if you do not see our notification email by this date.

Potential Concurrent Technical Session Topics:

    • Conference Theme Session – Surviving and Thriving: Embracing our Adaptability Amidst a Changing Climate
    • Conference Theme Session – Wildlife and Climate Change 
    • Conference Theme Session – Lessons Learned
    • Conference Theme Session – Adaptive Management
    • Agriculture as Wildlife Habitat 
    • Challenges and Benefits of Restoring/Monitoring the San Joaquin Desert Biome-Wide
    • Conservation Affairs Challenges and Opportunities
    • Conservation Planning and Environmental Challenges
    • Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles
    • Ecology and Conservation of Birds
    • Ecology and Conservation of Invertebrates
    • Ecology and Conservation of Mammals
    • Endangered Species: Planning for Recovery
    • Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • Human Dimensions in Wildlife Conservation and Management
    • Impacts to Lands and Wildlife from Recreation
    • Innovation in Wildlife Science, Conservation, and Management
    • Inputs and Methods for Conservation Planning & Ways to Measure Success
    • Landscape-level Wildlife Management
    • Pacific Islands Conservation
    • Professionalism and Ethics 
    • Public-Facing Projects
    • Public Policy and Wildlife Management
    • Topics at Intersection of Law Enforcement and Natural Resource Conservation
    • Waterfowl
    • Wildlife and Forest Management Policy
    • Wildlife and Renewable Energy
    • Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management in Nevada
    • Wildlife Diseases and Pathology
    • Wildlife, Pollution, and Ecotoxicology
    • Wildlife Professionals: Agency Coordination and Collaboration
    • Wildlife Professionals: Consultant Case Studies
    • Wildlife Responses to Fire and Post-Fire Restoration/Recovery
    • Wildlife Techniques and Technologies
    • Other

Abstract Submission Instructions:

Abstracts should not exceed 200 words and must adhere to format and layout elements provided in the example below. Indicate whether the paper will be an oral presentation or a poster, and if an oral presentation, indicate your preferred session. 

ABSTRACT EXAMPLE:

Preferred Session: Ecology and Management of Shorebirds 

Type of paper: Oral presentation

If a student, indicate if you intend to participate in the Student Judging program. (See below for more information on this program.)

Paper Title: Status and Habitat Use of Long-Billed Curlews in the Central Valley in Fall

  1. David Shuford, PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954, dshuford@prbo.org, (415) 868-0371×310; Co–authors: Gary W. Page; Gary M. Langham; and Catherine Hickey

Abstract: The long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) – a large shorebird of conservation concern at the continental level – is a migrant and winter resident in California’s Central Valley, where it concentrates primarily in agricultural lands. Despite recent estimates of the size of the curlew’s North American breeding population, little is known about its abundance and habitat needs at migratory stopovers and wintering areas. To help fill these gaps, we coordinated three broad-scale surveys of curlews in the central and southern portions of the Central Valley in fall and winter in 2007-2008 and a more comprehensive survey of the entire Central Valley in August 2009. In the latter survey, we recorded 20,775 curlews in 197 flocks. In all years in autumn, the vast majority of curlews were found in irrigated croplands, primarily alfalfa and irrigated pastures, during this otherwise arid season. More frequent surveys at the local level in Solano County and more recent radio-telemetry studies indicate that some curlews shift their distribution from fall to winter. More work on fine-scale habitat preferences and movements in the Central Valley is needed to aid in the conservation of this at-risk shorebird.

Competition for Student Awards at the TWS Western Section Annual Meeting:  

The Western Section of The Wildlife Society is pleased to offer six cash awards for students who speak in an oral session or present a poster at our annual meeting. “Student” is defined as any individual, any age, who is currently enrolled or has received a degree within six months of the meeting date from any high school, accredited college, or university (not limited to those within the Western Section). From high school to post-doc, we welcome your participation! 

The value of the cash awards varies slightly, based upon the number of students in the competition. In general, the more students who compete, the more cash we award! Please be sure to indicate when you submit your abstract whether you intend to compete in the student judging competition. It is your responsibility to express your intent to participate. By participating in the competition, you will receive positive remarks and constructive criticism from the judges (typically at least three), telling you what they liked and how you can improve your next presentation.  Link to more information