Idaho, Oregon, Washington

25th Anniversary International SWS Meeting will be in Seattle, Washington

Charting the Future: A Quarter Century of Lessons Learned

July 18-23, 2004

Watch this space for details!

CALL for Contributed Papers

You can NOW submit your abstract!

Click Here

International Scientists Travel Awards

Colleague Request for Assistance

International Scientists Travel Award

Abstract Submittal Form

Travel Budget Planning Information

Start your planning now at www.sws.org/seattle2004/

·      You are Invited…

The Society of Wetland Scientists cordially invites you to join us July 18-23, 2004 at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington as the Society celebrates 25 years of wetland achievements and embark on a new generation of innovative science, management and stewardship.  The meeting, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Chapter, will examine the wetland profession’s growth in the areas of science, policy, and recognizing wetland resource values, the 25^th Anniversary Conference theme, “Charting the Future: A Quarter Century of Lessons Learned,” explores where our profession goes from here, bridging those gaps between traditional and applied sciences, policy, management, education, and cultural uses and opportunities of wetlands around the globe.  Symposia and technical sessions will present interdisciplinary, integrated approaches and technologies for assessing wetlands, co-managing fisheries, studying insects and other wildlife, educating the public and the next generation of wetland professionals, engaging the politics of wetlands management, and identifying uses of wetlands by cultures in different regions of the world.

·      Seattle: Host City

Seattle is a vibrant city with a thriving urban core surrounded by distinct neighborhoods having unique personalities.  People are lured to Seattle for its expansive green-spaces, stunning views, extraordinary restaurants, active lifestyles, world-class arts, live music and theatre.  Water dominates the local landscape while the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges encircle the greater region.  Small and large independent bookstores abound in this city with a reputation for literacy.  Food from every culture and within all price ranges can be found across the city: from world class haute cuisine to ‘hole-in-the-wall’ dives with the real secret sauce…dim sum to pahd se ewe, fresh fish, organic beef, four-star vegetarian venues. If you love food, you will love this city (http://seattle.citysearch.com/section/restaurants ). 

July is a great time to be here, as our renowned winter rain takes the summer off, allowing you to experience pleasant temperatures, verdant gardens, and friendly locals.  Stay in a small private B&B’s in a friendly neighborhood setting, in the dorms on campus, at a hotel within walking distance of the University of Washington campus venue, or even minutes away in the always active downtown area.  Downtown has the old Pike Place Market (www.pikeplacemarket.org/) where farmers brush elbows with the high-rise business people looking for fresh dinner ingredients.  The Seattle Art Museum (www.seattleartmuseum.org) has a stunning permanent collection of local and foreign pieces as well as ongoing shows.  And the nearby Washington Park Arboretum (http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/) will introduce you to thousands of woody species of plants from around the world.  To learn more about Seattle and the Puget Sound region, wander through the cultural connections corner of the 2004 conference website to learn more about Seattle and the surrounding region as the meeting date draws near.

·      Conference Venue

The University of Washington (http://www.washington.edu/) is the location for the 25^th anniversary meeting.  The campus is a beautiful mix of old and new architecture scattered throughout the forested campus.  Meetings will be centrally located in the HUB building (http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/northcentral.html?76,122,900,531), which offers a variety of meeting rooms and auditoriums, as well as a large food-court on the lower floors.  A meeting at the HUB means you can spend the entire day indoors going from session to session, or wander outside to the quad to sit in the sun and catch up with colleagues.  The campus sits on a hill overlooking Lake Washington with views of the Cascades and Mt. Rainier in the distance. The campus also includes incredible libraries, the Henry Art Gallery (www.henryart.org/), and the Burke Museum of History and Culture (http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum). And if that isn’t enough to fill your week, then check out the on-campus waterfront canoe rentals, outdoor rock climbing walls, and the city’s 10+ mile pedestrian / skating / bicycling trail.

·      Call for Abstracts

Click Here to submit your abstract. Deadline is January 16, 2004.

The Society of Wetland Scientists 25th Anniversary Meeting steering committee invites you to submit an ABSTRACT for the SWS 25^th annual meeting to be held July 18-23, 2004 at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington.  All individuals or groups interested in wetland science, management, policy, and education are encouraged to present in this international conference of wetland science and management.  ORAL and POSTER presentations are solicited to support the conference theme entitled, “CHARTING THE FUTURE:  A QUARTER CENTURY OF LESSONS LEARNED”

Recognizing past and present innovations to and the multidisciplinary approach of wetlands science, regulation and use by humans, the 25^th anniversary conference will focus on future directions we need to explore as we increase our understanding, management, and stewardship of wetland ecosystems.  Topics will be presented by individuals who have executed innovative research or projects in the following sessions.

Abstracts must be submitted using the on-line abstract form located on the 25^th Anniversary Meeting website at www.sws.org/seattle2004/abstracts/.  All abstracts will be peer reviewed by the program committee technical chairs to assess applicability to the meeting theme and relevance to the special session chosen.  All accepted abstracts will be published in the meeting program.

Abstract Submission Guidelines:

·        The deadline for submission of all abstracts is January 16, 2004.  Abstracts received after the January 16, 2004 deadline are not guaranteed to be considered by the program committee.

·        Abstract submissions via the conference website submission form are strongly preferred.  Fill in all required fields on the form to be considered a complete abstract submittal.  Please contact session chairpersons regarding paper or floppy disk submissions.

·        Abstracts must be informative and concise (250 word maximum) describing the problem, results, and conclusions or implications sufficient to represent your presentation in the Conference Program.

·        If you are presenting an oral paper, choose a first and second choice for special sessions.

·        Student presenters please indicate you are a student

·        Keywords will be used to develop an index in the Program Guide.  Please enter at least one but no more than three key words in the key word field.

·        Deadline for submissions is January 16, 2003.

·        Presenters will be notified of acceptance in mid-February 2004.  All presenters whose abstracts are accepted are encouraged to register for the meeting by April 9, 2004, the early registration deadline, for their abstract to be guaranteed to appear in the 25^th Anniversary Meeting Program Booklet. 

·        Presenters who are unable to register by April 9, 2004, the early registration deadline, should contact the program co-chairs to verify intent to present at this conference, and to ensure their abstract will appear in the Program Booklet.

·        Contact the technical committee co-chair Jennifer Thomas (mikjencolfoo@msn.com) with questions regarding submission requirements.

·      Special Symposia

·      Poster Session

Overview

These draft guidelines have been developed to assist participants in preparing and displaying poster presentations at the International Society of Wetland Scientists 25^th Annual Conference 19-23 July 2004 in Seattle, Washington. We are making every effort to provide facilities, accommodations and layout that will increase exposure and give presenters an improved opportunity to share their work and gain feedback from conference participants. Our goal is to provide a high quality poster session that is comparable to oral sessions in providing exposure, participation and feedback. Keep in mind that posters will be up for the duration of the conference, whereas oral presentations provide only 15 minutes of exposure (i.e., 10-12 min. talk plus 3-5 minutes of Q&A).

In order for us to provide a high quality poster session, we will need the cooperation of all contributors. Therefore, we have prepared the following guidelines to address poster requirements, recommendations, restrictions and, hopefully, special accommodations that may be needed. We ask that you review the guidelines, adhere to the requirements, accept our recommendations, advise us of special needs and feel free to make special requests (we're not completely inflexible!), or contact us if you need clarification. We are also planning awards for the best posters in several categories to encourage quality work and to reward those that show creativity and good science through poster displays.

Location and Timing of Posters

All posters will be displayed in the HUB on the University of Washington Campus. We ask that you put up all posters at the beginning of the conference (Sunday July 18 1-5pm or Monday July 19 8-10am) and they will remain on display through 5PM Friday, July 23. This will allow conference participants to view posters throughout the entire conference. Posters will be organized by theme, or subject matter and a map of pre-assigned poster locations will be included in the conference packet. Conference organizers are working to design the "Poster Hall" in a layout that will allow for easy access, spacious displays and opportunities to sit and discuss your work with other conference attendees.

Please note that:

·         Poster presenters will be responsible for putting up and removing their posters. All posters must be removed by 5 PM, Friday, or they will be discarded.

·         Presenters are expected to make themselves available during the conference at the times designated for viewing posters. Poster presenters are requested to make themselves available during these assigned times and also should try to be available during other poster sessions.

Poster Content and Format

Conventional Posters

Mounting

Posters will be displayed on 4-foot (high) by 6-foot (wide) easels with a 3-inch border (interior dimensions = 45" X 69").

Dimensions

Each poster should be no more than 69-inches (174cm) wide and 45-inches (113cm) high and no less than 60-inches (152cm) wide and 36-inches (91cm) high.

Composition

Posters should be composed of a lightweight, durable material (i.e., heavy paper, laminated or mounted on foam board). Corkboard backing will be provided for mounting posters.

Display

Easels and hooks, push pins, tape and other materials for mounting posters will be available.

Content Recommendations

·         Provide an abstract. This can be part of the poster, or may be provided separately (recommended). Bring 50-100 copies of an abstract, keeping the original for additional copies if necessary.

·         The header on the poster should contain the title, authors name(s) and affiliation. The title should be composed of CAPITAL letters at least one inch high.

·         Use the minimum amount of text possible. Only use what is necessary to make your point. Be concise, but answer the basic questions (What, When, Where, How, Why) using the standard format:

·         Introduction (background, statement of problem, purpose/objectives)

·         Methods (experimental design, techniques)

·         Results (data summary, findings)

·         Conclusions (interpretations, implications)

·         Organize the material to tell a logical, coherent story.

·         Use large, BOLD lettering for readability. Use fonts that are easy to read (i.e., avoid fancy fonts). All text should be easily read from a 2-meter (+) distance.

·         Use borders or white space to separate sections.

·         Avoid large, continuous blocks of text.

·         Use figures (graphs, charts and illustrations) (with captions) as much as possible, making sure that they are legible.

·         Avoid use of photographs as backgrounds that are extremely complex and make text difficult to read; if you choose this style, make your background photograph semitransparent.

·         The use of color will enhance poster readability (i.e., for contrast and to highlight important points) and attractiveness. Use muted colors that blend well and do not overpower text or graphics. Aesthetics are an important part of preparing a poster that will attract attention.

·         Summarize results/findings. Bullets work well to summarize key points or contributions of the study.

·         Keep your poster simple and provide a clear "take-home" message; you can provide details in discussions or during the conference proceedings.

·         Consider having supplemental information by your poster (e.g., 8.5" x 14" copies of the poster, business cards, printed abstracts, etc.).

·         Early notification of needs and coordination with conference organizers is very important!

Additional Considerations/Recommendations

·         Think about your target audience. Although most of the participants will likely be technical folks, there will also be many non-technical attendees. Technical or non-technical, it is likely that most people will have less knowledge about your subject than you do. Keep it simple, but informative.

·         If you are traveling with your poster, make sure it can be broken down, rolled, etc, and transported in a container that will preserve the integrity of the poster.

·         Provide a schedule of times you (or someone else) will be available at your poster for questions or for providing additional information, in addition to your assigned presentation day/time.

·         Make yourself available during the conference for follow up discussions

·         Provide preprinted abstracts with contact information

·         Bring a good supply of business cards

·         Please assemble and remove your poster on time. We can not be responsible for its disposition.

·         The University of Washington provides security and the poster hall will be locked after hours. However, presenters may want to remove valuables (i.e., computers) at the end of each day.

Helpful Sites for Poster Production

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/

http://fish.washington.edu/computing/posters.html

·      Field Trips

Field trips are always a highlight of the SWS meetings, and the Seattle meeting will be no different.  Field trips are scheduled for Wednesday, July 21.  As we go to press, field trips have been confirmed to the following destinations:

·        Snoqualmie Bog

·        Cedar River Watershed

·        Mima Mounds/Scatter Creek

·        Pocket Estuaries and Coastal Lagoons of Puget Sound

·        North Creek Wetland at the University of Washington/Bothell

·        Nisqually River Delta

·        Duwamish River (COE restoration sites)

·        Daily Prairie Fen in Whatcom County

·        Rubey Creek Marsh, Port Orchard

·        Wetlands of Mt. Rainier

·        Stillaguamish Watershed Wetlands

·      Workshops

Workshops, another conference highlight, are also scheduled for Wednesday, July  21.  Approximately one dozen workshops are being planned, including the following confirmed workshops:

·         Creation of Off-Channel Fish Rearing Habitat through Wetland Mitigation

·        Preparing Plant Specifications for Mitigation Plans

·        Amphibian Identification

·        Working with Volunteers in Restoration Projects

·        Mitigation Banking

·        Basic Statistics for Ecologists

·        Vegetation Monitoring Techniques

·      International Scientists Travel Award

The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists invites you to join us as the society celebrates 25 years of wetland achievements.  As a part of that invitation, there are special plans being made for the International wetland community.

The International Scientists Travel Awards committee has worked hard to make available travel awards equaling approximately $2,000 each to be applied towards attendance of the SWS 25^th Anniversary Conference in Seattle, Washington on July 18-23, 2004.  Awards are reserved for wetland scientists and wetland professionals residing outside of the United States and who are not graduate or undergraduate students. 

Please visit the conference website (www.sws.org/seattle2004/) for eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and an application.  All application materials must be received no later than January 16, 2004.  Earlier than normal submittal of application materials will be required so the successful applicants can complete Visa requirements prior to the Annual Meeting on July 18-23,2004.

We encourage you to share the awards information with your wetland colleagues around the world.  If you have questions, you can contact Jim Goudzwaard by email at goudzie1@aol.com, by FAX at 1-503-808-4375 or by telephone at 1-503-642-0175 (evening) or 1-503-808-4376 (daytime) Pacific Standard Time.

·      25^th Anniversary Celebration Banquet

We invite you to send in your photos, memorabilia, and memories that illustrate the past, present, and future of the Society of Wetland Scientists.  They will be featured during celebration activities at the 2004 meeting.

A highlight of the 25^th Anniversary activities will be the Celebration Banquet, to be held on Tuesday, July 20.  We are attempting to invite original charter members and past board members, so please, if you are in contact with any of these folks, please let us know.  Please contact Glenn Guntenspergen (glenn_guntenspergen@usgs.gov).

·      Sponsorships

Sponsorship Invitation

Society of Wetland Scientists

25th Anniversary Meeting

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

July 18 – 23, 2004

Sponsorship Invitation: The Sponsorship Committee of the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) 25^th anniversary meeting would like to extend an invitation to companies, agencies, organizations and individuals interested in sponsoring the SWS annual meeting in Seattle, Washington in July 2004

The theme for the 25^th annual meeting, Charting the Future: A Quarter Century of Lessons Learned, will focus on what we have learned in the last 25 years and how to use this knowledge to meet the challenges of today, such as defining isolated wetlands, protecting endangered species, and managing wetlands on an individual, size-specific level as well as on a landscape scale.

In addition to the quality of scientific sessions being planned and the diverse wetland, cultural, and entertainment opportunities the city and region have to offer, we anticipate outstanding attendance this year because this is our 25^th anniversary.  The ability to put on a high quality conference at a reasonable cost is dependent on tax-deductible contributions from wetland supporters.  To demonstrate our appreciation for the generosity of our sponsors, we have established several mechanisms to acknowledge contributions.

How Sponsorships Benefit SWS: Through general or targeted sponsorship donations, SWS is able to offer a reasonably priced technical conference in one of the world’s greatest convention and tourism cities. Our commitment to providing an affordable, high quality technical conference is based on our belief that a well-priced conference will increase attendance and thus, scientific exchange.

Because our program for this conference will be focused on learning from the past as well as charting the future, it is our goal to include a diverse group of professionals involved in all levels and fields of wetland science.  To encourage this, we want to make the conference affordable for not only U.S. wetland professionals and students, but international wetland scientists and practitioners in allied fields. Your sponsorship donations will help us to achieve our goals.

How Sponsorship Benefits You: We know of no better way to say “thank you” to our sponsors than to recognize and acknowledge the generosity of our sponsors to registered and prospective conference delegates.

The sponsorship committee has established several mechanisms to acknowledge contributions that play a part in the success of the SWS 25^th annual meeting. For example, all of our sponsors will be recognized in the conference program. At certain levels of sponsorship, we also will provide you with a number of opportunities to highlight your individual expertise, services, products, specialties, or work in wetland sciences and to send several individuals from your organization to participate in this conference. 

Because SWS is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, your sponsorship contribution to the SWS 25th annual meeting is tax deductible.

Sponsorship Opportunities and Needs: As we continue to plan and finalize the technical, social, and business events of the SWS 25^th annual conference, we will revise and add more information to our website at www.sws.org/seattle2004.  However, as you consider our invitation to sponsor the SWS 25^th annual meeting in Seattle, we hope the following list of potential sponsorship opportunities and needs helps you make your decision to be a part of this event. 

·         Student Housing Assistance & Transportation

·         International Scientists Travel Awards/Stipends

·         Coffee Breaks

·         Poster Sessions/Mixer

·         Symposia

·         Plenary Sessions

·         SWS Awards Luncheon

·         SWS Business Luncheon

·         Field Trips (box lunches, supplies)

·         Evening Social Events

For more information, please contact the Sponsorship Committee Chairperson, Becki Kniveton, by phone at

(206) 695-6673 or by email at bsk@shanwil.com.

E-mail information to Ralph Garono at rgarono@earthdesign.com, Web Site Manager    

Last Updated: November 2003