2020 meeting workshops

CONSERVATION COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP
Instructor:  Dr. Bruce Thompson

Tuesday, April 28  8:00am – 5:00pm
Registration: $25 for established professionals; $10 for students, early career professionals (5 years since most recent degree), and retired.

Enrollment limited to 30 individuals

This workshop will introduce and explore key facets of effective communication processes in natural resources conservation settings among a variety of resource professional backgrounds in a day-long interactive workshop to help participants think and judge as professionals. For more information click here.

Prior Preparation:  Participation only requires an interest in improving communication skills and insight in a professional natural resources conservation setting.  Limited written materials requiring about 45-minutes preparation time will be provided to registrants for completion in advance.  Laptops, smart devices, and other media connectivity are not required but are welcomed among the participants as personally desired in the workshop.

NATURAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATION
Instructor: Anne Yen

Tuesday, April 28  1:00 pm  to 5:00 pm
$35 regular/$25 student Enrollment limited to 25 individuals

Have you ever wanted to draw but felt intimidated by the blank page? Have you ever been inspired to depict the nature and wildlife you work so intimately with? Has the thought “but I’m a scientist” stopped you from expressing your artistic side? Don’t despair! In this hands-on workshop, artist and scientist Anne Yen will break down the barriers between art and science and get you to draw and express yourself artistically on paper. Oftentimes in popular media and culture, art and science are juxtaposed in opposition with each other: right brain vs. left brain, creativity vs. exactitude, fantasy vs. fact. However, art and science are quite complementary and throughout history, art, especially natural science illustration, plays a vital role in science communication and conservation advocacy. In a no-fear and judgement-free space, practice drawing through simple exercises, develop an eye for line, shadow and tone, and explore ways to use art to communicate your own scientific work and passion for nature. Feel free to bring a photograph, specimen or natural artifact to illustrate. Natural objects will also be on hand to practice sketching.

FUNDEMENTALS OF DECISION ANALYSIS WORKSHOP

Instructor: Dr. Sarah Converse
Tuesday, April 28  8:00am – 5:00pm
$30 /$15 for students, early career professionals, and retirees

Wildlife management is, at its core, a decision-making exercise. The field of decision analysis offers a vast set of tools for framing, structuring, solving, implementing, and revisiting decisions, as well as for understanding the frailties of humans and institutions as decision
makers. This workshop will outline the fundamentals of decision analysis, with an emphasis on participatory discussion and hands-on exercises. The course will build skills that will help participants to (1) be effective advocates for structured decision processes, (2) be productive participants in structured processes, (3) design structured processes to inform their own decisions, (4) develop skills necessary to lead individual or small-group decision processes, or (5) most effectively interact with decision-making agencies as researchers or advocates. To learn more click here: http://thesnvb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fundementals-of-Decision-Analysis.pdf

FEDERAL WILDLIFE LAWS WORKSHOP

An all-star line up of professional federal wildlife biologists will provide topical discussions.
Tuesday, April 28  8:00am – 5:00pm
Enrollment limited to 30 individuals
$25 /$10 for students, early career professionals, and retirees

This workshop will cover the history of Federal involvement in U.S. wildlife conservation and discuss the roles and limitations of the Federal Government.Topics will include distinguishing differences between laws, regulations, and other guidance / policy documents and how laws and regulations are made as well as detailed discussion of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald Eagle Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act:  how species are listed and recovered, how effects from non-federal actions are handled, how we assess effects from Federal actions through “consultation”, and the components of a Biological Assessment prepared by the lead action agency that informs the consultation process.  To learn more click here: http://thesnvb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FederalLawWkshopDescriptionWATWS2020_draft-1.pdf

SCIENCE GRAPHIC DESIGN: FOUNDATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

Instructor: Kathryn Ronnenberg, US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Tuesday, April 28  8:30am – 12:00pm
Enrollment limited to 30 individuals
Free! for students, early career professionals, and retirees

Visual display of scientific information, whether as charts, diagrams, or maps is a necessary skill that may not be specifically taught as part of a science degree. Communicating science effectively to a variety of audiences, in a variety of media (print, presentations, posters, online) is
more important than ever. This workshop covers the basics of graphic design terminology and techniques: fonts, resolution versus dimensions, text placement, chart styles and design, with a major focus on the use of color to make graphics effective and color-blind friendly. These design basics will be applied to improving figures for publications, posters (including principles of poster design), and slide presentations (with a primer on slide design). Participants are encouraged to bring a figure, map, or set of slides for comments and  improvements based on what they’ve learned.