Call for Symposia
The 34th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WATERBIRD SOCIETY—Call for symposia, special paper sessions and workshops. The meeting will be held in Grand Island, Nebraska from 13-16 Mar, 2011 and will be held jointly with the North American Crane Working Group. The Platte River and nearby wetlands in mid-March provide staging habitat for nearly 10 million waterfowl and half a million Sandhill Cranes—a phenomenon of global significance. Due to its use by large numbers of migrating shorebirds, the area also is designated a Landscape of International Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Members and prospective attendees are invited to participate in the development of the scientific program by submitting proposals to organize symposia, sessions and workshops. Potential general topics include: 1) mid-continental waterbird research, conservation and management—including staging behavior/ecology, migration and geospatial population linkages, prairie wetlands, energy infrastructure and avian impacts, 2) integrative sessions that identify synergies between crane research/management and other waterbird taxonomic groups, and 3) emerging topics in waterbird science. Proposals should include 1-2 paragraph summary including rationale, and list of proposed speakers and presentation titles, and should be sent to the Scientific Program Chair (katharinecparsons@gmail.com) by 15 July 2010. Additional information on the meeting can be found at the websites of the Waterbird Society (http://www.waterbirds.org/annual_meeting) and North American Crane Working Group (http://www.nacwg.org/).