ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching
Wendee (The only reason I changed the subject line is because of my filing system; feel free to change it back): Wl, I think one has to be careful about cases. Personally, I find it repugnant to hunt for any reason other than food, and I would never suggest hunting as a means of fund raising for any creature near the top of the food chain and not in abundance with respect to its habitat. I was joking about primate hunting. I also find it repugnant that billionaires are the only ones to be permitted to hunt bighorns and other trophy species. While money might be useful for habitat preservation and restoration, putting money into a system can have its own corrupting influences. I was raised as a hunter/conservationist, and in my professional life I have seen the results on, for example, deer populations as a result of predator hunting (e.g., mountain lions), e.g., booms and busts with corresponding disastrous effects on forage and other plant species, soils and forests, grasslands and other habitats. The problem with hunting is that it has morphed into a kind of psychopathology. Some European traditions used to cull older and defective animals rather than trophies. In the USA, there needs to be a renewal of hunting traditions away from a bunch of drunks making wildlands into a congested war zone every hunting season. (Some may cry that this is an exaggeration, but I submit that, as a summary, that it is more true than untrue.) Nonetheless, I suggest that hunting and fishing, etc., be studied by ecologists (not just wildlife managers) rather than rejected out of hand. For example, in areas of the western USA where cattle and sheep are destructive to the range (most of it), if landowners could be permitted to reduce certain prey species to levels that would preserve their available forage, vegetation could be in better shape and given a chance to advance on alien species that thrive on domestic stock damage to the range, such as trampling. This is a BIG issue that can't be resolved in a few emails, but it might be taken to a point on ecolog. WT At 03:37 PM 8/13/2007, WENDEE HOLTCAMP wrote: This is a really interesting point. I wrote an article about Louisiana black bears about a year ago, a threatened subspecies of American black bear. I spent a week in the field while biologists relocated bear mommas and cubs to a different habitat in efforts to expand their range. One comment by one of the people there that week was that the best thing that could happen to the LA black bear is to make it a game species. Hunters channel a lot of funds that ultimately (usually) go into conservation. I'd be curious to know how MUCH money exactly has been channeled into conservation through hunting of various species - particularly somewhat rare species hunted in a limited manner? And in what types of scenarios does funding generated from hunting/fishing of rare species outweigh the conservation efforts obtained by listing the species as threatened or endangered? I know, for example, in Texas they give out a very small number of very high-priced permits to hunt bighorn sheep - and as I understand it, a lot of this money goes to conservation/management. I've been told the species is rare enough to be listed as threatened, but as far as I know no stink has been raised about the issue by any group. I would think that the money from hunting a few benefits the overall conservation more than putting it on the ESA. Likewise, Guadalupe Bass, Texas' state fish is nearly extinct IF You consider hybrids not really Guads. Pretty much all Guadalupe bass have hybridized with their introduced cousins - smallmouth and largemouths. (There is one pure population which, ironically, was introduced outside of its range). But listing this species on the ESA would not only be an utterly logistical nightmare (distinguishing them from stocked fish? Nearly impossible if you're talking about genetics and not morphology) it would probably NOT be the most beneficial thing for the species. Any thoughts? Any other similar cases? This has the makings of a great article :) Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian Adventures Blog * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 2:43 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching Bill and Forum: Speaking of weak analogies, primate hunting may not be a sufficiently large sport for the duck-hunter analogy to be of much value, but one of the
Re: primate watching
Hello Linda, I wish that birds were always so easy to see. A typical backyard feeder in North America regularly attracts only a few species depending on season and other factors. Backyard birders put up several types of feeders to attract birds with different feeding strategies and food preferences. Also consider that the birds I see in 105 deg F on an August afternoon in Columbia, SC is very different from what someone will see in Maine, Washington, Arizona, etc. Dedicated birders spend an enormous amount of time and money to see new species at locations distant from their home. I do not count myself among the dedicated birders but I recently spent a week in Nevada and California and saw exactly two species I had never seen before. Backyard birders also spend a lot of time in their yards and neighborhoods hoping to see an unusual migrant or a bird displaced by storms or fires. The good news is that many birders are also dedicated conservationists who truly do care about things like habitat, food availability and quality, and ecosystems. Even those that are simply listers have an indirect effect because the money they spend and their presence in the field is used to help justify natural resource management programs by governments and NGOs. Regards, Daniel L. Tufford, Ph.D. University of South Carolina Department of Biological Sciences 209A Sumwalt(office) 701 Sumter St, Room 401(mail) Columbia, SC 29208 Ph. 803-777-3292, Fx: 803-777-3292 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: http://www.biol.sc.edu/~tufford -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Laura Marsh Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 6:34 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: primate watching Hi all-- I'm a primatologist and although I personally have a list, I think the reason it is harder for folks to think in terms of lists on primates is easy: there are no wild primates in the US or Europe where the bulk of the bird twitchers live. It costs money, sometimes lots of it to go see a wild primate. Birds are easy and at our backyard feeders. Laura PS And oh how I wish monkeys came to our feeders instead! :) At 6:36 PM -0300 8/13/07, James J. Roper wrote: Judith, I certainly did not mean to suggest that birders are not interested in the objects of their attention, but they do so with a different sense of how to go about it. Just ask a birder for some information about the behavior or biology of birds they have seen, and be prepared to have a beer or two while they tell their stories. I would venture to say that ALL people who are animal watchers (and even plant watchers) are interested in the animals they watch. Birds just have so many options tha they must divide their time among the many species, while primatologists often have fewer species and so devote more time to each. Jim On 8/13/07, Judith S. Weis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: One would hope that primate watchers (or watchers of anything else) would become a bit more interested in the behaviors, life history etc. of the creatures they watch than many birders who couldn't care less about the biology of the birds they see, but just want to check them off their list. Does anybody know a way to get these people interested in the life history, behavior etc. of the birds and their conservation rather than just adding names to their lists? There are currently estimated to be 625 species and subspecies of primates,= and 26% of those are in immediate danger of extinction (Critically Endange= red or Endangered). That may seem like only a few primates to some people,= but to those of us who work in primate conservation, it is 160 taxa too ma= ny.=0A=0AAsia actually leads the world in endangered primates with 55 taxa = (some down to a handful of individuals), Neotropics with 34, Africa with 33= , and Madagascar with 28. The Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN's Speci= es Survival Commission, Conservation International, and the International P= rimatological Society put out a list of the Top 25 Most Endangered Primates= every 2 years (the list created during the 2006 IPS meetings should be rel= eased soon). As is said every other year when that list is debated, the li= st could easily be 50 or 100 species long. Check out the Red List or the 2= 004 list of the top 25 most endangered primates (http://web.conservation.or= g/xp/news/press_releases/2005/040705.xml). =0A=0AJulie Wieczkowski, admit= tedly someone who studies one of the 43 endangered primates in Africa=0A = =0A- Original Message =0AFrom: William Silvert [EMAIL PROTECTED] =0ATo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Monday, August 13, 2007 6:40:18 A= M=0ASubject: Re: primate watching=0A=0A=0AThis is an interesting idea, but = the analogy to bird-watching is weak. There =0Aare only a few
Re: field-worthy SUV
Hi Robert- I've got about 160,000 miles on my 1991 Trooper and it's still going strong. Although a bit hard to find on the used market, they're still out there. Truck body, true 4WD, and rugged sheet metal and fabric interior hold up well for equipment and messy field assistants! Since I work with small mammals in southwestern deserts it's also been nice to have an air conditioned enclosed cabin for temporary transport. -- James E. Biardi, PhD Assistant Professor Fairfield University Biology Department - BNW 206 1073 North Benson Road Fairfield, CT USA06824 Phone: 203-254-4000, ext. 3465 Fax: 203-254-4253 -- Please consider wise use of resources prior to printing this email From: Robert Long [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2007 08:23:34 -0400 Subject: field-worthy SUV Hi folks, This is a fairly general question, but I'm looking for a small- or mid-sized SUV to serve as a field vehicle. It will be used extensively both on- and off-highway, although need not be capable of truly ruggged off-roading. A good amount of rear cargo space would be best (which eliminates some of the smaller SUVs like the Honda CRV), and decent gas mileage will be a strong plus. Can anyone recommend a few makes and models based on personal experience in the field? Thanks, Robert _ Robert Long Research Ecologist Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University _
Euclidean distances and SAS
Hi All, Just wanted to thank you all for the responses I've gotten about euclidean distances and SAS. They were all very helpful and I've have figured out how to do my analysis. Thanks, Lene _ Lene Jung Kjaer, PhD. Candidate Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Department of Zoology Life Science II Room 269B Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Il 62901-6504 Phone Office: 618-453-5495 Fax Office: 618 453-6944 Phone Home: 618-303-6136 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _
Climate Change Positions: Climate Adaptation Specialists- Freshwater and Terrestrial
Sorry for cross-posting. Climate Adaptation Specialists- Freshwater and Terrestrial World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the global conservation organization seeks two Climate Adaptation Specialists, one to work on freshwater ecosystems, the other on terrestrial ecosystems. This Senior Program Officer position plans, manages, communicates, and implements project as part of the EpiCenter of Climate Adaptaiton and Resilience Building. Leads the development of successful adaptation field projects and manages other strategic efforts to build WWFs profile and knowledge around adaptation/resilience-building in order to protect nature from the impacts of climate change. Works under the supervision of the Chief Climate Change Scientist/Director of the EpiCenter of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building and is part of the WWF Climate Change Global Program Unit. Basic Requirements: Basic requirements include a graduate degree in a relevant field. Position requires a minimum of five years of work experience in conservation biology, ecology or climate change science. Candidates should be a strong persuasive communicator, in person and in writing and have proven ability to work with scientists and funding agencies. Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising and proposal development is a plus. Excellent organizational and project management skills required. Location to be determined. Details can be found at www.worldwildlife.org/jobs
Perm Aquatic Ecologist Position Yosemite NTPK
A permanent Aquatic Ecologist position at Yosemite National Park opened on 8/13/07 and will close on 8/24/07. Applications must be received on-line by following the link below- http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/ftva.asp?seeker=1JobID=61036414 Please distribute this notice to anyone who may be interested! Thanks! Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist, Yosemite National Park
Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!)
Hi, Had an error returned, linking to enclosed Youtube submittal. Not to hijack the link, but, in searching, came upon a very interesting carbon experiment that I hadnt seen before, A for profit company PLANKTOS (www.planktos.com) is proposing to dump iron bearing particulates in various parts of the worlds ocean on a regular basis to (ostensibly)restore plankton populations and sequester carbon (see below). I apologize if this has been discussed before, (didnt see it in an archive search) but very curious as to folks reactions and science-based impressions of the approach. )Apparently WWF and Green-Peace arent immediately among the projects supporters...) -John ** Planktos, Inc. is a for-profit (ecorestoration posters quotes) company based in San Francisco with offices in the European Union and British Columbia. Our primary focus is to restore damaged habitats in the ocean and on land. Through iron-stimulated plankton blooms in the oceans and afforestation projects in Europe, we are able to generate carbon credits. We then sell these offsets to individuals and businesses that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their impact on climate change. The profits from the sale of these carbon credits finance further ecosystem restoration projects. Graphical presentation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPF2HyX8SrI --- Thomson, David Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sorry I can't help you out with your specific question, but I can't = resist sharing a link with you to a video from some British youths that = takes a very novel approach to explaining carbon credits or offsets:=20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Df3_CYdYDDpk I am reply to the list just in case there are a few scientists out there = who have not come across it. It appears the BBC covered this, but I = don't have TV, so the whole western world might know... apologies if = that is the case. =20 Enjoy, David -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of = Sara Viernum Sent: Mon 8/13/2007 6:31 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Carbon Calculator =20 Dear Listserv, We have a question: Are there any carbon calculators available for=20 specific consumer items (i.e. cup of coffee, load of laundry, etc.)? All we've been able to find are calculators for driving, home heating, = and=20 airtravel. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Sara E. Viernum Clifford J. Webb All persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. K. Vonnegut
Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!)
In my mind, this is just chimerical geoengineering fix that distracts us from focusing on permanent, structural changes that can ultimately decarbonize our economic system. Here's some issues associated with iron fertilization: 1. Phytoplankton will only remove CO2 from air permanently if they die and sink to the bottom of the sea; however, large portions may be consumed by zooplankton, which in turn will be consumed by larger species. Some researchers believe this could release most of the CO2 back into the atmosphere via respiration; recent studies using thorium as a proxy for CO2 in the ocean indicates that only a small portion of carbon ultimately sinks to the bottom of the ocean when iron fertilization is utilized; 2. Iron fertilization give rise to a plethora of different phytoplankton species, some of which might be undesirable for food web, or even toxic in some cases; 3. A model developed at Ohio University estimates that even fertilizing 20% of the oceans that are High Nutrient-Low Chlorine (those areas conducive to seeding) would only reduce concentrations of CO2 by about 38ppm, and we ain't going to fertilize anywhere near that extent of the oceans; 4. Some studies point out that when phytoplankton begins to die and decay it results in more consumption of oxygen through the respiration process; this could result in anoxic or oxygen deprived dead zones. Beyond threatening lots of species, anoxic environments produce lots of methane and nitrous oxides, two greenhouse gases with much higher global warming potential than CO2. The nitrous oxide production alone might negate all of the purported benefits of seeding according to some recent research. Dr. Wil Burns Senior Fellow, International Environmental Law Santa Clara University School of Law 500 El Camino Real, Loyola 101 Santa Clara, CA 95053 USA Phone: 408.551.3000 x6139 Mobile: 650.281.9126 Fax: 408.554.2745 [EMAIL PROTECTED] SSRN Author Page: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=240348 International Environmental Law Blog: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/intlenvironment/ -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Mickelson Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:13 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!) Hi, Had an error returned, linking to enclosed Youtube submittal. Not to hijack the link, but, in searching, came upon a very interesting carbon experiment that I hadnt seen before, A for profit company PLANKTOS (www.planktos.com) is proposing to dump iron bearing particulates in various parts of the worlds ocean on a regular basis to (ostensibly)restore plankton populations and sequester carbon (see below). I apologize if this has been discussed before, (didnt see it in an archive search) but very curious as to folks reactions and science-based impressions of the approach. )Apparently WWF and Green-Peace arent immediately among the projects supporters...) -John ** Planktos, Inc. is a for-profit (ecorestoration posters quotes) company based in San Francisco with offices in the European Union and British Columbia. Our primary focus is to restore damaged habitats in the ocean and on land. Through iron-stimulated plankton blooms in the oceans and afforestation projects in Europe, we are able to generate carbon credits. We then sell these offsets to individuals and businesses that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their impact on climate change. The profits from the sale of these carbon credits finance further ecosystem restoration projects. Graphical presentation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPF2HyX8SrI --- Thomson, David Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sorry I can't help you out with your specific question, but I can't = resist sharing a link with you to a video from some British youths that = takes a very novel approach to explaining carbon credits or offsets:=20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Df3_CYdYDDpk I am reply to the list just in case there are a few scientists out there = who have not come across it. It appears the BBC covered this, but I = don't have TV, so the whole western world might know... apologies if = that is the case. =20 Enjoy, David -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of = Sara Viernum Sent: Mon 8/13/2007 6:31 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Carbon Calculator =20 Dear Listserv, We have a question: Are there any carbon calculators available for=20 specific consumer items (i.e. cup of coffee, load of laundry, etc.)? All we've been able to find are calculators for driving, home heating, = and=20 airtravel. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Sara E. Viernum Clifford J. Webb All persons, living or dead, are
Assistantship available
M.S. Graduate Research Assistantship in Forestry Available January 2008 =20 I am seeking a M.S. student to begin studies in Spring or Fall Semester 2008. This project will involve summarizing and modeling the past and future growth and yield of a long-term, disturbance-based silvicultural study located in central Maine. Although much of the data has been already acquired, there will be opportunities for 1-2 months of data collection in Summer 2008 or 2009 at the field site in Maine. This project allows for the unique opportunity to develop silvicultural knowledge in two systems-the hardwood forests of Indiana and the mixed-conifer forests of Maine, and build collaborative relationships both at Purdue University and the University of Maine. =20 Coursework in forestry/silviculture is required; expertise in modeling design and theory, biometrics and statistics are desirable. Candidates with familiarity with the U.S. Forest Service's growth and yield model, Forest Vegetation Simulator, will be given preference. Candidates should have a GPA of at least 3.0, and score higher than the 50th percentile on both the Verbal and Quantitative components and higher than 4.0 on the Analytical Writing component of the GRE. =20 This position has guaranteed support for 2 years, with extension as needed to complete an ambitious program. Graduate stipends currently are $16,676 per year and include tuition waivers. Competitive stipends at higher amounts may be available. I prefer that interested candidates contact me by email ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), although you may contact me by phone (765-494-2155).=20 =20 Purdue University is an Equal Access/Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer. Women and individuals in under represented groups are encouraged to apply. =20 Mike R. Saunders Assistant Professor of Hardwood Silviculture Department of Forestry and Natural Resources 221C Pfendler Hall 715 West State Street Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907-2061 Phone: 765-494-2155 Cell: 765-430-1440 Fax: 765-494-9461 =20
Low GPA; grad school?
I am posting this message to solicit advice. My situation is that I graduated in 2000 with a B.S. in wildlife biology with an abysmal GPA: 2.77. During school and since Ive done a lot of technician type jobs in the fields of wildlife and ecology but at 30 years old I no longer find these types of positions intellectually fulfilling, feel that I can contribute more, and would like to pursue a graduate education. I took the GRE for the first time this year (with 2 weeks to prepare) in order to apply for a RA (didnt get it). My scores are 720 quantitative, 580 verbal. I can likely do better. So my question is how can I pursue a graduate education with a less then stellar GPA? Is it even possible? Would taking classes help? Classes would be expensive, as Ive moved a lot for the temporary jobs and do not qualify for instate tuition anywhere. In hindsight I shouldve taken undergraduate education more seriously, but I feel Ive gained experience and maturity since then and that it is really time to move forward. I am particularly interested in advice from those who have served as graduate advisors and from those who have completed a M.S. despite having a low undergraduate GPA. Thanks.
Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!)
I also could not get to the YouTube video posted by David. Wil makes some excellent points regarding the Planktos experiment. For those interested, there was a substantial exchange about this on the Fish-Sci listserv not long ago. If you go to the archives at http://segate.sunet.se/cgi-bin/wa?S1=FISH-SCI enter planktos as a search term, and limit the Since date to January 2007, you'll get the whole thread. At 11:43 AM 8/14/2007 -0700, Wil Burns wrote: In my mind, this is just chimerical geoengineering fix that distracts us from focusing on permanent, structural changes that can ultimately decarbonize our economic system. Here's some issues associated with iron fertilization: 1. Phytoplankton will only remove CO2 from air permanently if they die and sink to the bottom of the sea; however, large portions may be consumed by zooplankton, which in turn will be consumed by larger species. Some researchers believe this could release most of the CO2 back into the atmosphere via respiration; recent studies using thorium as a proxy for CO2 in the ocean indicates that only a small portion of carbon ultimately sinks to the bottom of the ocean when iron fertilization is utilized; 2. Iron fertilization give rise to a plethora of different phytoplankton species, some of which might be undesirable for food web, or even toxic in some cases; 3. A model developed at Ohio University estimates that even fertilizing 20% of the oceans that are High Nutrient-Low Chlorine (those areas conducive to seeding) would only reduce concentrations of CO2 by about 38ppm, and we ain't going to fertilize anywhere near that extent of the oceans; 4. Some studies point out that when phytoplankton begins to die and decay it results in more consumption of oxygen through the respiration process; this could result in anoxic or oxygen deprived dead zones. Beyond threatening lots of species, anoxic environments produce lots of methane and nitrous oxides, two greenhouse gases with much higher global warming potential than CO2. The nitrous oxide production alone might negate all of the purported benefits of seeding according to some recent research. Dr. Wil Burns Senior Fellow, International Environmental Law Santa Clara University School of Law 500 El Camino Real, Loyola 101 Santa Clara, CA 95053 USA Phone: 408.551.3000 x6139 Mobile: 650.281.9126 Fax: 408.554.2745 [EMAIL PROTECTED] SSRN Author Page: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=240348 International Environmental Law Blog: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/intlenvironment/ -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Mickelson Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:13 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!) Hi, Had an error returned, linking to enclosed Youtube submittal. Not to hijack the link, but, in searching, came upon a very interesting carbon experiment that I hadnt seen before, A for profit company PLANKTOS (www.planktos.com) is proposing to dump iron bearing particulates in various parts of the worlds ocean on a regular basis to (ostensibly)restore plankton populations and sequester carbon (see below). I apologize if this has been discussed before, (didnt see it in an archive search) but very curious as to folks reactions and science-based impressions of the approach. )Apparently WWF and Green-Peace arent immediately among the projects supporters...) -John ** Planktos, Inc. is a for-profit (ecorestoration posters quotes) company based in San Francisco with offices in the European Union and British Columbia. Our primary focus is to restore damaged habitats in the ocean and on land. Through iron-stimulated plankton blooms in the oceans and afforestation projects in Europe, we are able to generate carbon credits. We then sell these offsets to individuals and businesses that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their impact on climate change. The profits from the sale of these carbon credits finance further ecosystem restoration projects. Graphical presentation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPF2HyX8SrI --- Thomson, David Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sorry I can't help you out with your specific question, but I can't = resist sharing a link with you to a video from some British youths that = takes a very novel approach to explaining carbon credits or offsets:=20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Df3_CYdYDDpk I am reply to the list just in case there are a few scientists out there = who have not come across it. It appears the BBC covered this, but I = don't have TV, so the whole western world might know... apologies if = that is the case. =20 Enjoy, David -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of = Sara Viernum
Environmental Education Internship
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTERNSHIP Internship Period: October 1 December 21, 2007 Accommodations: Room and board gratis Compensation: Undergraduates - $100 weekly stipend; Graduates - $150 weekly stipend Deadline for application: September 3, 2007 Archbold Biological Station is an independent biological research facility founded in 1941 by Richard Archbold. The Station conducts and promotes long-term ecological research and conservation, emphasizing the unique biological communities of the Lake Wales Ridge, one of the most distinctive and endangered biotic regions of Florida. For more information, please visit our website at www.archbold-station.org The Environmental Education Intern will assist the Education Coordinator in running a 3rd-5th grade outdoor environmental education program in the threatened Florida scrub habitat. This program allows the intern to escape from the classroom setting and participate in a wide variety of hands-on environmental education activities. Further details can be found at: http://www.archbold-station.org/abs/education/envedk-12.htm As part of his/her compulsory independent project, the intern will have an opportunity to develop new educational activities that take advantage of the ongoing research and specialized knowledge at Archbold Biological Station. College students are encouraged to make arrangements with their home institutions for academic credit. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and two references with addresses/phone numbers to: Rick Lavoy Education Coordinator Archbold Biological Station P. O. Box 2057 Lake Placid, FL 33862 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Note: Applications are encouraged by email to expedite the process. Minimum requirements: Applicant must be at least 18 yrs. old, have a strong interest in Biology/Environmental Education and have experience working with children. First Aid and CPR certification is desirable. For specific details contact Rick Lavoy at 863-465-2571 ext. 276 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching
I think it is a sad state of affairs when the people who pay for conservation are the hunters and the fishermen, and the people who do not pay are the rest. I think that if conservation is ever really going to happen, people need to learn how to live WITH nature. There are many species that will never be hunted or watched, yet we (most of us, I hope) believe that they should be preserved too. Who will pay? It seems a particularly American way of thinking that Nature must pay for itself, whic= h usually means we sell permits to hunters and fishermen and use that money for conservation. If the species has no appeal, who will speak up for it and pay for it? There are many places in the world where hunting on a larg= e scale does not happen, here in Brazil, for one example (legal hunting). Many Brazilians don't like the idea of having guns so readily available to anybody in order for hunting to work (fishing is a different story, but it still does not generate conservation dollars). Be that as it may - if conservation depends on the people that kill the animals being preserved, I find it both philosophically and scientifically problematic, and it says much for the apathy of the non-hunters, who should also be willing to pay for conservation. Jim On 8/13/07, WENDEE HOLTCAMP [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is a really interesting point. I wrote an article about Louisiana black bears about a year ago, a threatened subspecies of American black bear. I spent a week in the field while biologists relocated bear mommas and cubs to a different habitat in efforts to expand their range. One comment by one of the people there that week was that the best thing that could happen to the LA black bear is to make it a game species. Hunters channel a lot of funds that ultimately (usually) go into conservation. I'd be curious to know how MUCH money exactly has been channeled into conservation through hunting of various species - particularly somewhat rare species hunted in a limited manner? And in what types of scenarios does funding generated from hunting/fishing of rare species outweigh the conservation efforts obtained by listing the species as threatened or endangered? I know, for example, in Texas they give out a very small number of very high-priced permits to hunt bighorn sheep - and as I understand it, a lot of this money goes to conservation/management. I've been told the species is rare enough to be listed as threatened, but as far as I know no stink has been raised about the issue by any group. I would think that the money from hunting a few benefits the overall conservation more than putting it on the ESA. Likewise, Guadalupe Bass, Texas' state fish is nearly extinct IF You consider hybrids not really Guads. Pretty much all Guadalupe bass have hybridized with their introduced cousins - smallmouth and largemouths. (There is one pure population which, ironically, was introduced outside o= f its range). But listing this species on the ESA would not only be an utterly logistical nightmare (distinguishing them from stocked fish? Nearly impossible if you're talking about genetics and not morphology) it would probably NOT be the most beneficial thing for the species. Any thoughts? Any other similar cases? This has the makings of a great article :) Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian AdventuresBlog* http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 2:43 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching Bill and Forum: Speaking of weak analogies, primate hunting may not be a sufficiently large sport for the duck-hunter analogy to be of much value, but one of the most insightful ecologists I have ever known, Dick Vogl, used to lecture widely on the value of the Ducks Unlimited approach for habitat preservation--an ironic but useful route to success, especially when heavy industries with political clout tend to like filling wetlands for their oil and gas depots, etc. Few took his eco-logic seriously, many rejecting it out-of-hand. Then there's the just-beginning-to-be-explored transformational concept (struggling though it may be). To illustrate, Dayton Hyde once told me that he finally figured out that probably the real reason he took up hunting ducks was to get a closer look at their incredible beauty. He told of the moment this dawned on him. Having picked up the corpse of a duck he had just shot, he was struck by the iridescent colors and
Re: Low GPA; grad school?
I believe it is becoming increasingly competitive to enter graduate school and get funding. An A is the new B. (In Canada) There are two ways to get in with a low GPA: 1. Find a supervisor (with access to funding) and demonstrate you're a good worker with academic potential. Working as a field assistant is a good way to do this. With all your technical skills, you'd probably have your choice of jobs and projects. Once you're a known quantity, there's a better chance a supervisor will take you on as long as the minimum GPA requirements are met. You may have less independence in terms of project development, but it's a good way to break into the system and there's always opportunities at the PhD level to be creative. If you're interested in applied fields with economic bases (e.g., forest sciences), supervisors tend to have more funding for students. 2. Find your own funding first. Nearly any student that comes in with a scholarship will be welcomed with open arms. Clearly, a good GPA helps but there are funds that don't require that killer GPA (e.g., NSERC Industrial), just someone willing to network. Once you snag one scholarship, it becomes easier to win more. Best of luck! At 04:18 PM 8/14/2007, Malcolm McCallum wrote: Many people are late bloomers, but 2.77 (A = 4.0) is not an abyssmal GPA. I suspect you will find many PHDs whose undergrad GPA was in this ballpark, I know of several. others are very focused on a particular subfield at an early age. Occassionlly people are both! These things cause GPA's to be a little lower. Your last 60 hrs is particularly important. There are many schools that will admit you, but you can't expect to be admitted to Harvard. Look into the smaller regional state universities and I bet you can get admitted to an MS program. I suspect you may even get an assistantship at a smaller state institution. On Tue, August 14, 2007 2:09 pm, S wrote: I am posting this message to solicit advice. My situation is that I graduated in 2000 with a B.S. in wildlife biology with an abysmal GPA: 2.77. During school and since I've done a lot of technician type jobs in the fields of wildlife and ecology but at 30 years old I no longer find these types of positions intellectually fulfilling, feel that I can contribute more, and would like to pursue a graduate education. I took the GRE for the first time this year (with 2 weeks to prepare) in order to apply for a RA (didn't get it). My scores are 720 quantitative, 580 verbal. I can likely do better. So my question is how can I pursue a graduate education with a less then stellar GPA? Is it even possible? Would taking classes help? Classes would be expensive, as I've moved a lot for the temporary jobs and do not qualify for instate tuition anywhere. In hindsight I should've taken undergraduate education more seriously, but I feel I've gained experience and maturity since then and that it is really time to move forward. I am particularly interested in advice from those who have served as graduate advisors and from those who have completed a M.S. despite having a low undergraduate GPA. Thanks. Malcolm L. McCallum Assistant Professor of Biology Editor Herpetological Conservationa and Biology [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Emily Gonzales, Ph.D. Candidate Centre for Applied Conservation Research 3041-2424 Main Mall, Forest Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 604-822-1256 (office)
Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon trials!)
Sorry all,=20 A couple of folks said it worked, and a couple of others said it did = not... anyways, the search term you will need is:=20 cheatneutral that will make sense after you see the video. Cheers, David -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of = John Mickelson Sent: Tue 8/14/2007 2:12 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: Carbon Calculator (and very interesting ocean carbon = trials!) =20 Hi, Had an error returned, linking to enclosed Youtube submittal. Not to hijack the link, but, in searching, came upon a very interesting carbon experiment that I hadnt seen before,=20 A for profit company PLANKTOS (www.planktos.com) is proposing to dump iron bearing particulates in various parts of the worlds ocean on a regular basis to (ostensibly)restore plankton populations and sequester carbon (see below). I apologize if this has been discussed before, (didnt see it in an archive search) but very curious as to folks reactions and science-based impressions of the approach. )Apparently WWF and Green-Peace arent immediately among the projects supporters...) -John ** Planktos, Inc. is a for-profit (ecorestoration posters quotes) company based in San Francisco with offices in the European Union and British Columbia. Our primary focus is to restore damaged habitats in the ocean and on land. Through iron-stimulated plankton blooms in the oceans and afforestation projects in Europe, we are able to generate carbon credits. We then sell these offsets to individuals and businesses that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their impact on climate change. The profits from the sale of these carbon credits finance further ecosystem restoration projects. Graphical presentation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DUPF2HyX8SrI --- Thomson, David Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sorry I can't help you out with your specific question, but I can't =3D resist sharing a link with you to a video from some British youths that =3D takes a very novel approach to explaining carbon credits or offsets:=3D20 =20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3Df3_CYdYDDpk =20 I am reply to the list just in case there are a few scientists out there =3D who have not come across it. It appears the BBC covered this, but I =3D don't have TV, so the whole western world might know... apologies if =3D that is the case. =3D20 =20 Enjoy, David =20 =20 -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of =3D Sara Viernum Sent: Mon 8/13/2007 6:31 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Carbon Calculator =3D20 Dear Listserv, =20 We have a question: Are there any carbon calculators available for=3D20 specific consumer items (i.e. cup of coffee, load of laundry, etc.)? =20 All we've been able to find are calculators for driving, home heating, =3D and=3D20 airtravel. =20 Any help would be greatly appreciated. =20 =20 Thanks Sara E. Viernum Clifford J. Webb =20 All persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. K. Vonnegut
microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations
Why don't people who care about conservation (nonhunters) consider tithing to causes they care about in the way religious people pay a tenth of their income to their church (or are asked to - not all do)? Is it too much to ask to contribute back a significant part of everyone's earnings to tax deductible causes that will invest in our children's future and the Earth's future? Another idea I just had is microlending for conservation. Heck if I had a Harvard MBA maybe I'd start it myself. Kiva.org is one such organization that lends small loans to small business owners in 3rd world countries, and that enables them to draw themselves out of the cycle of poverty. They have an extremely high repayment rate (97-98%), partly due to the concept of community loans where everyone has to repay when one in the community defaults. You can go online and invest from $25 on up, divided by as many people as you want - you can see their photo and the business and the country. The interesting thing is this is not a donation, but an investment and you actually get your money back (unless the person defaults) and then you can reinvest. It's brilliant, really. Mohammad Yunus won the Nobel prize not long ago for this concept of microlending. Not a lot are environmental or conservation things though. What if we could create a system where conservation investors could choose to fund the grassroots individuals working throughout the world to raise awareness of their local individual causes. The businesses, like organic farms, or eco-products, could make the money and the rest could be donations. There are probably a lot of people who would do a lot more if they had small amounts of capital (rather than their own bank account). The merits of their conservation project would be chosen by you and I, who donate, rather than the people having to apply for some grant. (Of course there is also a screening to get approved) Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian Adventures Blog * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of James J. Roper Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 7:56 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching I think it is a sad state of affairs when the people who pay for conservation are the hunters and the fishermen, and the people who do not pay are the rest. I think that if conservation is ever really going to happen, people need to learn how to live WITH nature. There are many species that will never be hunted or watched, yet we (most of us, I hope) believe that they should be preserved too. Who will pay? It seems a particularly American way of thinking that Nature must pay for itself, whic= h usually means we sell permits to hunters and fishermen and use that money for conservation. If the species has no appeal, who will speak up for it and pay for it? There are many places in the world where hunting on a larg= e scale does not happen, here in Brazil, for one example (legal hunting). Many Brazilians don't like the idea of having guns so readily available to anybody in order for hunting to work (fishing is a different story, but it still does not generate conservation dollars). Be that as it may - if conservation depends on the people that kill the animals being preserved, I find it both philosophically and scientifically problematic, and it says much for the apathy of the non-hunters, who should also be willing to pay for conservation. Jim On 8/13/07, WENDEE HOLTCAMP [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is a really interesting point. I wrote an article about Louisiana black bears about a year ago, a threatened subspecies of American black bear. I spent a week in the field while biologists relocated bear mommas and cubs to a different habitat in efforts to expand their range. One comment by one of the people there that week was that the best thing that could happen to the LA black bear is to make it a game species. Hunters channel a lot of funds that ultimately (usually) go into conservation. I'd be curious to know how MUCH money exactly has been channeled into conservation through hunting of various species - particularly somewhat rare species hunted in a limited manner? And in what types of scenarios does funding generated from hunting/fishing of rare species outweigh the conservation efforts obtained by listing the species as threatened or endangered? I know, for example, in Texas they give out a very small number of very high-priced permits to hunt bighorn sheep - and as I
Re: hunting conservation
This is a conservation challenge that really needs discussion. For over 100 years hunters and anglers have carried the load when it comes to wildlife conservation. This has produced mostly good results -- restoration of elk, pronghorn, waterfowl, bighorn sheep and many other huntable species. It has also produced some unfortunate results -- extirpation of large predators over much of the American west, for example. (Okay, a lot of this was also a result of livestock industry pressure, but hunters supported predator removal both financially and politically.) Programs for increasing hunted wildlife have provided benefits for non-hunted wildlife also, primarily as a side result of habitat restoration and improvement aimed at game wildlife. However, non-hunted wildlife species make up nearly all of today's wildlife recovery challenges. State wildlife agencies are mostly restricted from directly spending hunter and angler dollars on these other wildlife species. So there is a real need for the non-hunting public to step forward, partner with the hunters and anglers, and take on this financial responsibility. This has happened to some degree in some states through funding initiatives such as general sales taxes (Missouri and Arkansas), lotteries (Arizona, Colorado and Maine), or an outdoor equipment sales tax (Texas and Virginia). There are also several minor but insufficient funding initiatives such as state income tax refund check-offs, special license plates and nongame stamp and print sales. For most states, adequate funding for a wide range of wildlife conservation programs has not occurred. This needs to happen, and a wider range of conservation organizations need to get directly involved and supportive of wildlife conservation programs at the state level. This is where much of the meaningful wildlife conservation action (and inaction) occurs. I have been researching and promoting this change for some time, so I have a lot more information (and opinion) in case anyone wants to take this topic farther down the road. Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist Tigard, Oregon -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of James J. Roper Sent: Tuesday, 14 August, 2007 17:56 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching I think it is a sad state of affairs when the people who pay for conservation are the hunters and the fishermen, and the people who do not pay are the rest. I think that if conservation is ever really going to happen, people need to learn how to live WITH nature. There are many species that will never be hunted or watched, yet we (most of us, I hope) believe that they should be preserved too. Who will pay? It seems a particularly American way of thinking that Nature must pay for itself, whic= h usually means we sell permits to hunters and fishermen and use that money for conservation. If the species has no appeal, who will speak up for it and pay for it? There are many places in the world where hunting on a larg= e scale does not happen, here in Brazil, for one example (legal hunting). Many Brazilians don't like the idea of having guns so readily available to anybody in order for hunting to work (fishing is a different story, but it still does not generate conservation dollars). Be that as it may - if conservation depends on the people that kill the animals being preserved, I find it both philosophically and scientifically problematic, and it says much for the apathy of the non-hunters, who should also be willing to pay for conservation. Jim On 8/13/07, WENDEE HOLTCAMP [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is a really interesting point. I wrote an article about Louisiana black bears about a year ago, a threatened subspecies of American black bear. I spent a week in the field while biologists relocated bear mommas and cubs to a different habitat in efforts to expand their range. One comment by one of the people there that week was that the best thing that could happen to the LA black bear is to make it a game species. Hunters channel a lot of funds that ultimately (usually) go into conservation. I'd be curious to know how MUCH money exactly has been channeled into conservation through hunting of various species - particularly somewhat rare species hunted in a limited manner? And in what types of scenarios does funding generated from hunting/fishing of rare species outweigh the conservation efforts obtained by listing the species as threatened or endangered? I know, for example, in Texas they give out a very small number of very high-priced permits to hunt bighorn sheep - and as I understand it, a lot of this money goes to conservation/management. I've been told the species is rare enough to be listed as threatened, but as far as I know no stink has been raised about the issue by any
Re: microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations
Wendee may be onto something, and apparently she's not the only one thinking along this line. There's an article in the July-September Conservation Magazine about using microlending for women in poor coastal communities to curtail overfishing: Good Credit Risk by Amanda Vincent. (This magazine is a publication of the Society for Conservation Biology.) Warren W. Aney -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of WENDEE HOLTCAMP Sent: Tuesday, 14 August, 2007 19:14 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Why don't people who care about conservation (nonhunters) consider tithing to causes they care about in the way religious people pay a tenth of their income to their church (or are asked to - not all do)? Is it too much to ask to contribute back a significant part of everyone's earnings to tax deductible causes that will invest in our children's future and the Earth's future? Another idea I just had is microlending for conservation. Heck if I had a Harvard MBA maybe I'd start it myself. Kiva.org is one such organization that lends small loans to small business owners in 3rd world countries, and that enables them to draw themselves out of the cycle of poverty. They have an extremely high repayment rate (97-98%), partly due to the concept of community loans where everyone has to repay when one in the community defaults. You can go online and invest from $25 on up, divided by as many people as you want - you can see their photo and the business and the country. The interesting thing is this is not a donation, but an investment and you actually get your money back (unless the person defaults) and then you can reinvest. It's brilliant, really. Mohammad Yunus won the Nobel prize not long ago for this concept of microlending. Not a lot are environmental or conservation things though. What if we could create a system where conservation investors could choose to fund the grassroots individuals working throughout the world to raise awareness of their local individual causes. The businesses, like organic farms, or eco-products, could make the money and the rest could be donations. There are probably a lot of people who would do a lot more if they had small amounts of capital (rather than their own bank account). The merits of their conservation project would be chosen by you and I, who donate, rather than the people having to apply for some grant. (Of course there is also a screening to get approved) Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian Adventures Blog * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of James J. Roper Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 7:56 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching I think it is a sad state of affairs when the people who pay for conservation are the hunters and the fishermen, and the people who do not pay are the rest. I think that if conservation is ever really going to happen, people need to learn how to live WITH nature. There are many species that will never be hunted or watched, yet we (most of us, I hope) believe that they should be preserved too. Who will pay? It seems a particularly American way of thinking that Nature must pay for itself, whic= h usually means we sell permits to hunters and fishermen and use that money for conservation. If the species has no appeal, who will speak up for it and pay for it? There are many places in the world where hunting on a larg= e scale does not happen, here in Brazil, for one example (legal hunting). Many Brazilians don't like the idea of having guns so readily available to anybody in order for hunting to work (fishing is a different story, but it still does not generate conservation dollars). Be that as it may - if conservation depends on the people that kill the animals being preserved, I find it both philosophically and scientifically problematic, and it says much for the apathy of the non-hunters, who should also be willing to pay for conservation. Jim On 8/13/07, WENDEE HOLTCAMP [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is a really interesting point. I wrote an article about Louisiana black bears about a year ago, a threatened subspecies of American black bear. I spent a week in the field while biologists relocated bear mommas and cubs to a different habitat in efforts to expand their range. One comment by one of the people there that week
Re: Low GPA; grad school?
Actually, I would say that an A is much easier to get these days with grade inflation. When I took comparative anatomy under Lauren Brown the class dominated our life, staying in the lab until 2 3 am every night just to get a B. Now I see many students with As in that course that can't tell you basic anatomy. So, that is why high grades are increasingly important (in my opinion) since they are frankly easier to get. Or, at least there are enough easy schools around to water down the crop. However, grades are not everything. You aren't going to get funding in your situation, so that is unrealistic. What you can do is rack up a few minor publications. Contact a professor who you are interested in working with and ask them if you can work on a project with them. Or, go to your local university and do the same. My guess is that you can get at least a couple of minor papers pretty easily. This will go a long way to getting into graduate school. Why? Because graduate school is more about producing new knowledge than learning former knowledge. People who prove they can publish are few. In fact, I know a lot of PHDs who seldom publish anything, meanwhile you have several BS and MS people who publish out there ears. Its not that hard to do, just people get lazy. Or maybe I should say publishing isn't hard, but publishing in good journals is. Ecology is hard to get a paper in, it is not so difficult to get published in a naturalist journal. If you need guidance in setting up an easy project to work on in your spare time, I'm sure many people would help you out. MLM If you are willing to pay your own way, you also have no issue. In the states there are a lot of programs. On Tue, August 14, 2007 7:07 pm, Emily Gonzales wrote: I believe it is becoming increasingly competitive to enter graduate school and get funding. An A is the new B. (In Canada) There are two ways to get in with a low GPA: 1. Find a supervisor (with access to funding) and demonstrate you're a good worker with academic potential. Working as a field assistant is a good way to do this. With all your technical skills, you'd probably have your choice of jobs and projects. Once you're a known quantity, there's a better chance a supervisor will take you on as long as the minimum GPA requirements are met. You may have less independence in terms of project development, but it's a good way to break into the system and there's always opportunities at the PhD level to be creative. If you're interested in applied fields with economic bases (e.g., forest sciences), supervisors tend to have more funding for students. 2. Find your own funding first. Nearly any student that comes in with a scholarship will be welcomed with open arms. Clearly, a good GPA helps but there are funds that don't require that killer GPA (e.g., NSERC Industrial), just someone willing to network. Once you snag one scholarship, it becomes easier to win more. Best of luck! At 04:18 PM 8/14/2007, Malcolm McCallum wrote: Many people are late bloomers, but 2.77 (A = 4.0) is not an abyssmal GPA. I suspect you will find many PHDs whose undergrad GPA was in this ballpark, I know of several. others are very focused on a particular subfield at an early age. Occassionlly people are both! These things cause GPA's to be a little lower. Your last 60 hrs is particularly important. There are many schools that will admit you, but you can't expect to be admitted to Harvard. Look into the smaller regional state universities and I bet you can get admitted to an MS program. I suspect you may even get an assistantship at a smaller state institution. On Tue, August 14, 2007 2:09 pm, S wrote: I am posting this message to solicit advice. My situation is that I graduated in 2000 with a B.S. in wildlife biology with an abysmal GPA: 2.77. During school and since I've done a lot of technician type jobs in the fields of wildlife and ecology but at 30 years old I no longer find these types of positions intellectually fulfilling, feel that I can contribute more, and would like to pursue a graduate education. I took the GRE for the first time this year (with 2 weeks to prepare) in order to apply for a RA (didn't get it). My scores are 720 quantitative, 580 verbal. I can likely do better. So my question is how can I pursue a graduate education with a less then stellar GPA? Is it even possible? Would taking classes help? Classes would be expensive, as I've moved a lot for the temporary jobs and do not qualify for instate tuition anywhere. In hindsight I should've taken undergraduate education more seriously, but I feel I've gained experience and maturity since then and that it is really time to move forward. I am particularly interested in advice from those who have served as graduate advisors and from those who have completed a M.S. despite having a low undergraduate GPA. Thanks. Malcolm L. McCallum
Re: microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations
The article Warren mentions is online at http://www.conbio.org/CIP/article30713.cfm if anyone is interested. Scroll down as it's the 4th on the list. So who wants to start a business venture with me ;) W. ~~ Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian Adventures * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Nature Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Warren W. Aney Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:37 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Wendee may be onto something, and apparently she's not the only one thinking along this line. There's an article in the July-September Conservation Magazine about using microlending for women in poor coastal communities to curtail overfishing: Good Credit Risk by Amanda Vincent. (This magazine is a publication of the Society for Conservation Biology.) Warren W. Aney -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of WENDEE HOLTCAMP Sent: Tuesday, 14 August, 2007 19:14 To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: microlending/RE: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Why don't people who care about conservation (nonhunters) consider tithing to causes they care about in the way religious people pay a tenth of their income to their church (or are asked to - not all do)? Is it too much to ask to contribute back a significant part of everyone's earnings to tax deductible causes that will invest in our children's future and the Earth's future? Another idea I just had is microlending for conservation. Heck if I had a Harvard MBA maybe I'd start it myself. Kiva.org is one such organization that lends small loans to small business owners in 3rd world countries, and that enables them to draw themselves out of the cycle of poverty. They have an extremely high repayment rate (97-98%), partly due to the concept of community loans where everyone has to repay when one in the community defaults. You can go online and invest from $25 on up, divided by as many people as you want - you can see their photo and the business and the country. The interesting thing is this is not a donation, but an investment and you actually get your money back (unless the person defaults) and then you can reinvest. It's brilliant, really. Mohammad Yunus won the Nobel prize not long ago for this concept of microlending. Not a lot are environmental or conservation things though. What if we could create a system where conservation investors could choose to fund the grassroots individuals working throughout the world to raise awareness of their local individual causes. The businesses, like organic farms, or eco-products, could make the money and the rest could be donations. There are probably a lot of people who would do a lot more if they had small amounts of capital (rather than their own bank account). The merits of their conservation project would be chosen by you and I, who donate, rather than the people having to apply for some grant. (Of course there is also a screening to get approved) Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com Bohemian Adventures Blog * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of James J. Roper Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 7:56 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: hunting conservation/was ECOLOGY Conservation Principles and Transformations Re: primate watching I think it is a sad state of affairs when the people who pay for conservation are the hunters and the fishermen, and the people who do not pay are the rest. I think that if conservation is ever really going to happen, people need to learn how to live WITH nature. There are many species that will never be hunted or watched, yet we (most of us, I hope) believe that they should be preserved too. Who will pay? It seems a particularly American way of thinking that Nature must pay for itself, whic= h usually means we sell permits to hunters and fishermen and use that money for conservation. If the species has no appeal, who will speak up for it and pay for it? There are many places in the world where
Biogeochemistry in Polar Environments at AGU
Greetings Colleagues, =20 We are hosting a session entitled Biogeochemistry in Polar Environments that will provide a forum for researchers investigating the interactions of microbes with geology and chemistry in polar and general cryosphere environments. We invite you to submit an abstract for presentation at the 2007 Fall AGU meeting in San Francisco. The deadline for submission in September 7. To submit an abstract, visit the AGU Fall Meeting website at http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/ . The session title and description are listed below. =20 Biogeochemistry in Polar Environments =20 The polar regions are unique in many ways, containing ecosystems that are subject to extended periods of annual light and dark cycles as well as extreme temperatures. These environments have proven to be much more dynamic than expected, given the cold, dark conditions for significant periods of time. Polar ecosystems, though extreme, can serve as ideal systems to study the relationship between the microbial world, geology, and chemistry because of limited direct human impacts and the lower complexity of trophic structure. In fact, 14% of our planet is polar, yet we know little about it. As the climate continues to change, polar regions are affected quickly and dramatically, with potential feedbacks to the rest of the globe. Understanding polar biogeochemical cycles is essential for better prediction of impacts of increased temperatures and other climate change effects. Polar biogeochemical research reveals the workings of unique ecosystems, documents a baseline of material transformation for more complex temperate regions and highlights ecosystem functions sensitive to climate change. =20 We propose a session to bring together an array of researchers investigating biogeochemical processes and cycling in marine, terrestrial, atmospheric, and freshwater polar environments, as well as those that cross over these systems. Studies investigating a range of biogeochemistry, from trace metals to nutrient cycling are encouraged, with special emphasis on studies integrating field, lab, molecular and/or computational techniques. =20 Hope to see you in December. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact any one of us. =20 Sincerely, =20 Jenny Baeseman Arctic Research Consortium of the US [EMAIL PROTECTED] =20 Lydia Zeglin University of New Mexico [EMAIL PROTECTED] =20 Michael Gooseff Pennsylvania State University [EMAIL PROTECTED] =20 =20 =20
