Dear conservation colleague:
--many apologies for the incorrect date of the symposium in the previous mailing of this invitation—The Conservation Day Symposium will be held at the Belle Isle Aquarium onApril 9, 2016. The abstracts and brief bio are due March 23, 2016.
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This letter is an invitation to you to present a 20-minute talk in our Second Annual Earth Month Conservation Day symposium on Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 11 am to 3:30 pm at Detroit’s Belle Isle Aquarium, as part of our celebration of April as Earth Month.
Conservation Day is intended to bring Great Lakes conservation science to the public and to be an opportunity for scientists and conservation leaders to interact with each other to advance the mission of environmental stewardship.
To participate, please submit a short abstract (up to 5 sentences) of your 20-minute presentation by return email on the form below. Relevant topics include (but are not limited to) water conservation, watersheds, aquatic wildlife, Great Lakes ecology, and fish conservation (not necessarily limited to Great Lakes fish). Submission deadline for abstracts: Wednesday, March 23, 2016. We will schedule the talks between 11 am and 3:30 pm according to the number and theme of the abstracts submitted. If you wish to give a somewhat longer “keynote” talk for the symposium, please also indicate your interest, and we will choose one.
This Conservation Day Symposium will be held in the meeting room of the Belle Isle Aquarium (900 Inselruhe Ave, Detroit 48207) in Belle Isle State Park. The aquarium and adjacent botanical conservatory were designed in the early 1900’s with architectural grandeur to bring the majesty of the natural world into the experience of the public. These buildings are a magnificent space for inspiring reverence for biodiversity. The Aquarium is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm with excellent staff and outstanding, unique collections that include air-breathing fish, educational displays about invasive species, conservation activities and research, and exhibits of Great Lakes, South American, African, and marine species.
Please feel free to extend this invitation to interested colleagues, team members or students who might be interested in speaking or leading a discussion.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Ram, Ph.D., Belle Isle Aquarium Director of Science Education
Professor, Wayne State University
Proposed presentation (for 20 minute talk):
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Send in this form by return email by March 23, 2016 to jeffram@gmail.com with the subject line “Conservation Day”
[ ] I am interested in presenting in the Conservation Day Symposium
[ ] I would be willing to expand my presentation into a longer “keynote” talk (35 min)
[ ] I am interested in presenting at the Aquarium but cannot attend this particular event.
Presentation Title: ______________________________
Presenter Name: ______________________________
Coauthor names, if any: ______________________________
Organization: ______________________________
Email address: ______________________________
Abstract (5 sentences, maximum; see example below):
Short Biography (5 sentences, maximum; see example below):
Event Details
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No registration fee will be charged. Entrance to the Aquarium is free. Refreshments for presenters will be provided during the day.
We expect to accept most submissions; however, we reserve the right to reject a submission or suggest a poster presentation depending on the number and theme of abstracts submitted.
All are invited to visit the Aquarium whether or not presenting in this symposium.
Example Abstract
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Lake sturgeon have been decimated in the Great Lakes since the days when their prolific fishery was exploited in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Studies of sturgeon spawning environments indicated that artificial reefs might yield an increase in spawning in the St. Clair River and the Detroit River. Artificial reefs have been built in both rivers with varying results, with lake sturgeon having been observed spawning on some reefs but not on others. Ongoing improvements in the number, size, and genetic diversity of lake sturgeon in these locations will be described. The building of lake sturgeon spawning reefs represent a success in using the analysis of sturgeon ecological needs and creating conditions for recovery.
Example Biography (names have been fictionalized in this example)
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Robert Smith is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the Great Lakes State Water Commission’s Aquatic Species Conservation Program. He has extensive experience in a wide range of issues relating to freshwater endangered species and currently leads GLSWC’s efforts to develop restoration protocols. Before joining GLSWC, Bob was part of the National Biodiversity Research Center’s Restoration Program, where he did genetic studies of rare and endangered species. Bob earned his Master of Science in Ecology and Systematics from Bay State University and a BS in Biology from Peninsula State College.
