Join us on Feb 7, 2017, for the Playa Wetland Ecology Symposium at the 77th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, NE. On March 17, 2011, the RWBJV and Playa Lakes Joint Venture co-hosted the first Playa Wetland Ecology Symposium in Grand Island, Nebraska. More than 80 people attended, representing 23 government agencies, conservation organizations, and universities from 11 states. Building on the success of the previous symposium, this event will again bring together a group of regional partners to share the most recent results and findings of playa research and conservation programs.
A wide variety of playa-focused research projects will be covered in 18 presentations during this full-day symposium. Topics will include mapping inundation in the spring, landscape biodiversity, groundwater recharge, pollinators, waterbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, impacts of cattle grazing on vegetation, agricultural contaminants, climate change, human dimensions, and more. Seven students from Kansas State University, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and Oklahoma State University will present, along with researchers from Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, UNL, and OSU. Immediately following the scientific presentations, we will hold a roundtable discussion to review progress that has occurred since the previous playa symposium six years ago and future research needs. Afterwards, we will host a social reception for speakers, co-authors, attendees, and partners to encourage further discussion and collaboration.
The Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference is an annual event that brings together hundreds of wildlife and fishery biologists, students, and other professionals from across the Midwestern U.S. and Canada. This year’s four-day event will feature nearly 300 presentations in symposia and technical sessions, over 100 posters, along with several plenaries, educational workshops, and associated meetings. More information can be found at www.midwestfw.org.
