Meeting Announcement
Spring Meeting of the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society March 26-27, 2009.
Location: International Plaza Resort and Spa, 10100 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821.
Phone 800-327-0363 · Fax 407-354-5007
Room rate $119/night; must be reserved between Feb 19 and March 10, 2009 to get the reduced rate.
Early (through March 20) online registration fee (includes dinner, evening speaker, and workshop): $95 members, $110 nonmembers, and $10 students. Additional dinner tickets available for $35. We strongly encourage early and easy registration on line at the Chapter’s new website (http://fltws.org/store/). Late registration on site (March 26) $110 members, $125 nonmembers, and $15 students.
Because of travel restrictions for state employees, our meeting in the spring of 2009 will not include the usual set of technical papers and plenary speakers, and it is shortened to require a one night stay rather than 2. Nevertheless, the spring meeting will include a dinner and guest speaker the evening of March 26 and it will offer a plant identification workshop the morning of March 27.
We encourage all Chapter members to attend because this is a rare opportunity for members, which are often scattered around the state, to gather in real space rather than cyberspace. Also, the workshop will provide TWS certification credits for those interested in continuing education. If your employer does not provide financial support for attendance, you may want to investigate tax benefits from personal payment. If you are not currently active in the Chapter but would like to become more engaged in Florida conservation issues, this meeting is the way for you to start. Please join other Chapter members for a discussion about the issues related to conservation in Florida.
Plant Identification Workshop at Wekiwa Springs State Park
Join us at Wekiwa Spring State Park, just 20 miles from the conference hotel in Orlando, as we discuss basic plant classification, anatomy and field identification for various central Florida habitats. We will have three biologists who are experienced in Florida plant identification presenting information and providing assistance to attendees. Field time is approximately three hours, expect moderate walking conditions and central Florida March weather (i.e. who knows if it will be warm or cold). A plant identification field guide will be developed and provided specifically for this workshop.
Schedule: Leave hotel at 7:30 am and arrive at Wekiwa Springs State Park at 9:00 am.
Plant Identification Workshop 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.
Participants 25 maximum; transportation will be via carpooling; water will be provided.
Meeting Agenda
Spring meeting of the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society March 26-27, 2009
International Plaza Resort and Spa, Orlando, Florida
Thursday March 26
12:00 - 1:00 pm Registration
1:00 – 3:00 pm Spring Business Meeting
3:00 – 3:30 pm Break
3:30 – 5:00 pm Spring Business Meeting
5:00 - 9:00 pm Cash bar social, dinner, and speaker
Friday March 27
7:30 - 9:00 am Travel to Wekiwa Springs State Park
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Plant Identification Workshop