| "Throughout the country, Montana is seen as the
last, best place because much of it is still in relatively pristine condition ..." |
~ Daniel Pletscher |
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Flora and
fauna
Montana draws conservation
biologists for June meeting
The Society for Conservation Biology will hold its 14th annual meeting at
UM June 9-12. More than 1,000 scientists and students are expected to attend the
conference, titled "Large-Scale Conservation: Genes, Landscapes and People." The
idea behind this year's theme is "to search for conservation solutions at different
scales, from the backyard to the continental," said Daniel Pletscher, director of
UM's Wildlife Biology Program. Pletscher and Biology Professor Fred Allendorf are the
meeting's co-chairs.
The conference is international in scope, Pletscher said, with invited speakers coming
from six continents.
Gov. Marc Racicot and University of Montana President George Dennison will open the
meeting on Saturday morning, followed by plenary speakers Daniel Simberloff, a professor
at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and seminal author in the field of conservation
biology; Michael Soule, a founder of the Society for Conservation Biology and now with The
Wildlands Project; Jamie Rappaport Clark, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
and Jack Ward Thomas, Boone and Crockett professor of wildlife conservation at UM and
retired chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
Some events, such as the plenary lectures and screening of films from the recent
International Wildlife Film Festival on Saturday and Sunday evenings, may be open to the
public if space is available.
"We're very excited the meeting is being held here in Montana," Pletscher
said. "Throughout the country, Montana is seen as the last, best place because much
of it is still in relatively pristine condition and contains a nearly complete complement
of native plants and animals. The Society for Conservation Biology conference will put a
spotlight on what we do so well here in the state and at The University of Montana in
particular."
This will be the second major conference at UM in as many months. The National
Conference on Undergraduate Research brought more than 2,000 people to campus April 27-29.
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