NEWSLINK
A Compilation of Migratory Bird & Wetlands News from Around the World

Migratory Bird & Wetlands NewsLink is a bi-monthly news service. Submissions are encouraged and any international news is welcome. Subscribership is available to anyone who asks. Let me know of colleagues that might like to receive this e-mail and I will gladly include them.

News from December 2002 & January 2003

–   Note from the Editor
–   News from Migratory Bird & Wetlands Friends
–   Wetlands News – in the News – from Around the Globe
–   Migratory Bird News
–   Wetland Publications & Web Resources
–   Migratory Bird Resources
–   Funding Opportunity
–   Migratory Bird & Wetlands Job\Internship Opportunities
–   International Calendar of Events (The year 2003 and beyond)

For U.S. Wetland News go to: http://www.aswm.org/br-news.htm

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Friends:

It is a day away from World Wetlands Day, February 2 – a day when wetland enthusiasts all over the world will be engaged in community activities that promote wetlands and the importance of their conservation. If you missed a chance to do something this year mark your calendars and plan something for 2004. A glance at what Australia is up to offers inspiration: http://www.ea.gov.au/water/wetlands/day/index.html#calendar [Why February 2? It marks the anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, February 2, 1971.]

Wishing you well -

Heidi

Heidi Luquer, Editor

Migratory Bird & Wetlands NewsLink

NEWS FROM MIGRATORY BIRD & WETLANDS FRIENDS

Environmental Protection Agency 2nd Annual Wetland Photography Contest (USA)

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)Wetlands Division is sponsoring a wetland photography contest focusing on images that show the wildlife of wetlands, specifically birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and crustaceans. EPA is looking for high quality images that capture the biodiversity, and beauty, of wetlands in different regions of the United States and at different seasons of the year. The winning photographs will be used to produce a 2004 wetlands calendar and will be prominently displayed on their website and at the National Wetland Awards ceremony in Washington, DC in May 2003. The deadline is March 1, 2003. For more information visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/photocontest2003.html For additional information about the contest call 1-800-832-7828 and ask for wetland photo contest. To view the winning photographs of the 2002 wetland photography contest visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/photocontest2002.html

National Audubon’s 6^th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count: February 14 – 17, 2003

All across the Americas, birds face survival challenges from loss of habitat to introduced predators to diseases like West Nile Virus. The Sixth Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will focus on the effects of these threats, bring conservation home by telling participants what they can do about them, and add vital new information to our understanding of our birds and their environment. The National Audubon Society and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology call on volunteers of every age and skill level to make the Count possible. “The Great Backyard Bird Count has become a important means of gathering data to help birds, but it can’t happen unless people take part. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, we need you to take part and help us help birds.” For more information go to: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Society for Wetland Scientists: 24^th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, June 2003

Last Call for Abstracts: 2 Days Late!!! [ January 30, 2003 deadline]

The theme for the 24^th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 8 – 13 is "Wetland Stewardship: Changing Landscapes and Interdisciplinary Challenges.” Late abstracts “may” be accepted. For further information contact the Program Committee Co-chairs: Doug Meffert: dmeffert@tulane.edu or Robert Twilley: ceet@louisiana.edu Register before March 14^th to save on conference registration.

WWF-Turkey Goes to Court to Protect Gediz Delta

In Jaunary, WWF-Turkey initiated a court case against Turkey's Ministry of Culture to reverse the ministry's decision to decrease the protection status of the southeastern part of the area from 2nd degree to 3rd degree, opening the possibility of urban development. For more information contact: Ay_e Ermert, Communications Officer, WWF-Turkey, e-mail: aermert@wwf.org.tr

News from Ramsar

The Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia joins Ramsar as the 134th Contracting Party.

New Sites in the Past Two Months:

Belarus – 4
Bulgaria – 5

Cuba: 5

Government of India – 11

USA – 1

See Intern Openings under “Migratory Birds and Wetland Job & Internship Opportunities”

For further details go to: http://www.ramsar.org/

Wetlands International

Wetland International Welcomes Melanie Steinkamp as the North America Director

Melanie will be the Wetlands International “focal point” in North America for the American and global wetland network and will develop linkages with waterbird and wetland conservation organizations and networks in the Americas. To learn more about her go to: http://www.wetlands.org/news&/NewsItems/NAmanager.html

Request for Input on Latin American and Caribbean Wetlands

Dr. Lucas Fernandez, coordinator of the XVII CYTED Wetlands Network has announced that the Iberoamerican Network is preparing a monograph on Latin American and Caribbean wetlands. Specialists are invited to submit research results from regional wetlands studies, conference presentations from professors having participated in the Network's recent training course, and presentations from course students. Please contact Mr. Fernandez in La Habana, Cuba for more details: fernandez@geprop.cu

WETLAND NEWS – IN THE NEWS – FROM AROUND THE GLOBE (by most recent date)

Explaining Frog Deformities: An eight-year investigation into the cause of a shocking increase in deformed amphibians has sorted out the roles of three prime suspects

February 2003, Scientific American, By Andrew R. Blaustein and Pieter T.J. Johnson – Whether exposure to ultraviolet radiation could disrupt leg development remained uncertain until the late 1990s, when Gary Ankley and his co-workers at the Environmental Protection Agency in Minnesota carried out the most focused experimental research on this question to date. For the full article go to: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D5DCC-CA4A-1E1C-8B3B809EC588EEDF&pageNumber=2&catID=2

Marine Reserve Safeguards Southern Islands South of New Zealand

January 27, 2003, Environment News Service, Wellington, New Zealand – The Auckland Islands Marine Reserve is closer to becoming a reality now that the application of a New Zealand government agency for this protected status has been approved. The Aucklands are subantarctic islands south of New Zealand that offer a haven for marine mammals and sea birds. For the full story go to: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-27-02.asp

Nepal Facing Glacier Catastrophe

21 January, 2003, BBC, by Richard Wilson – This is a lake that should not exist. It is 6,000 metres above sea level, a kilometre long and 100 metres deep. Twenty-five years ago it was a glacier. For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2681339.stm

Shark Populations Plunge in North Atlantic

January 21, 2003, Environment News Service, by Cat Lazaroff, Washington DC – Shark populations in the north Atlantic have plummeted by more than half since 1986, shows a new study by researchers in Canada. The decline, blamed largely on over-fishing, has affected top predators including the great white and hammerhead sharks, impacting marine food chains in ways that are still being studied, the researchers said. For the full article go to: http://www.ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-21-06.asp

Hot Springs Found in Arctic Ocean

January 16, 2003, Environment News Service, Seattle, Washington – Scientists have found active hot springs in the icy Arctic Ocean, which may host new varieties of marine life. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and partners around the world were surprised to discover about a dozen hydrothermal vents along the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. For the full article go to: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-16-09.asp

Proposed Rules for Clean Water Act Spark Debate – Some Streams, Wetlands May Lose Federal Protections

January 7, 2003, National Public Radio – The Environmental Protection Agency is about to issue a document that could make it easier to drain and fill prairie potholes in the Northern Plains, sinkhole wetlands in Idaho, Delmarva potholes in Delaware, pocosin wetlands in North Carolina, cranberry bogs in Maine and kettle hole bogs in Nevada and Arizona. Added together these disconnected waterways make up at least 20 percent of the country's remaining wetland areas.

Where Wetter is Better

December 31, 2002, by Mark Stabb, Ontario Wetland Habitat Fund – It took Mother Nature about 10,000 years to create a massive wetland along the northeast shore of Lake Ontario. It took loggers, settlers, and developers only a few centuries to convert most of that wetland for human uses. Fortunately, conservation groups have protected some valuable remnants and are rehabilitating areas with help from the Ontario Wetland Habitat Fund. For the full article go to: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2002/12/12312002/s_49214.asp

Hunting Nutria in Louisiana’s (USA) Bayous

December 28, 2002, National Public Radio –- Voracious orange-toothed rodents called nutria are devouring Louisiana's endangered wetlands. In the latest attempt to stop the decades of destruction, Louisiana officials have placed a $4 bounty for each rodent captured and killed. In the bayous of southern Louisiana, NPR’s Melanie Peeples met with some enterprising trappers who make money killing the pests. For the full story go to: http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=893207

Mexico to Give Water to United States

January 1, 2003, Reuters, Washington –- Mexico has agreed to give the United States some 400,000 acre feet of water by September 30, delivering more than half in time for the growing season of drought-hit U.S. farmers, a U.S. official said. The agreement does not resolve a long-standing dispute over the large deficit of water that Mexico owes the United States under a 1944 treaty, but it should provide some relief to hard-hit farmers in the U.S. Southwest. For the full story go to: http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2003/01/01102003/s_49328.asp

MIGRATORY BIRD NEWS (by most recent date)

Colombia Designates its First Important Bird Area

The Ecoparque Los Besotes was designated as the first Important Bird Area (IBA) in Colombia during a ceremony in Valledupar on November 8, 2002. The Colombian IBA program is coordinated by the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute and BirdLife International. For more information contact: Loreta Rosselli, Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Cra. 7 No. 35-20, Bogota D.C., Colombia; Tel: (57-1) 6 08 69; http://www.humboldt.org.co or Angelica Estrada [ehma@birdlife.org.ec], Manager, IBA Program, BirdLife International.

Whooping Crane Patriarch Dies at 39

January 23, 2003, Environment News Service, Patuxent, Maryland –- Canus, a one-winged whooping crane that played a crucial role in establishing a captive breeding population of his endangered species, died last weekend of natural causes, just a few weeks short of his 39th birthday. Scientists believe that the average lifespan of a whooping crane lasts from 25 to 30 years, although captive birds can live much longer. Canus was part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) captive breeding program at the Wildlife Research Center in Patuxent. For the full story go to: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-23-09.asp

Prestige Oilspill

January 2, 2003, Royal Society for Bird Protection –- The latest official data from wildlife recovery centres in Galicia, Spain, show that 837 oiled seabirds have been collected and sent for cleaning, the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife) reports. The most affected species are razorbill (356 birds), gannet (112), guillemot (141), shag (90), puffin (47), yellow-legged gull (31). A total of 1159 dead birds have also been collected and sent for post mortem, including 312 puffins, 279 razorbills, 128 guillemots, 118 shags and 89 gannets. For more of this article go to: http://www.rspb.org.uk/caffairs/default.asp

Hungary Joins the African Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

Hungary is now the 38th Party to the Agreement. Bert Lenten, Executive Secretary of AEWA, wrote, “ On behalf of the 'AEWA family' I would like to welcome Hungary as a new Party and to take this opportunity to thank all policy officers and others that have work hard over the last few years to convince the Government on the importance of AEWA for the conservation of migratory waterbirds.”

WETLANDS PUBLICATIONS & WEB RESOURCES

Wise Use of Mires and Peatlands: Background and Principles Including a Framework for Decision-Making
This 304 page book is based on specialized input from some fifty experts, written and edited by Hans Joosten (Greifswald University, IMCG) and Donal Clarke (Bord na Móna, Ireland, IPS). This softcover volume includes 35 pages of bibliographical references, 50 pages of indices, a 15-page glossary, maps and photographs. The book is essential reading for all those who influence mire and peatland management, public sector officials, land-use planning officers, licensing bodies, heritage agencies, grant authorities, environmental protection groups, commercial companies, and others. It can be ordered for 30 EUR plus postage and packing from Natural History Book Service at www.nhbs.com (order code #136158W), sales@nhbs.co.uk

Joint Danube Survey (JDS) Report Available
This technical report of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River was released in September 2002. JDS was conducted in August and September 2001. It covered the entire stream of the river and included a thorough examination of samples from more than 200 locations. The Ramsar Bureau has a limited number of hard copies of the report to give away. Please send requests to europe@ramsar.org

Wetland Design: Principles and Practices for Landscape Architects and Land-use Planners
Dr. Robert France, Harvard University, WW Norton Publishers, December 2002, $45.00

Partial excerpt from front flap: Wetland Design lays out the key principles of the design of wetlands, exploring their creation, restoration, enhancement, and construction, and reviewing the impact of wetland design projects on watersheds. A practical, user-friendly guide based on the author's courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, this book distills the diffuse and specialized scientific material on wetlands to allow design professionals to apply these principles to their own disciplines and practices. For further information contact Robert France by e-mail at: rfrance@gsd.harvard.edu

From Tamilnadu, India: Wetland conversion and Environmental Consequences: Land Conversion Policy in Tami Nadu Cities
For further information about this 36 page paper contact Arul Raj, assistant professor at: avoor@yahoo.com

The Wetland Journal: Back Issues Available
The Wetland Journal was a quarterly publication featuring practical articles on several wetland topics, including wetland education issues, restoration and research. Its purpose was to provide the wetland professional, informed lay person or student a forum for exchanging results, information, and experiences. Purchase the complete library (31 issues from 1993-2001) for $100.00. Individual back-issues may also be purchased. You will find a complete listing of articles in back-issues of the Wetland Journal at: http://www.wetland.org/jrnlback.html or for more information visit Environmental Concern at www.wetland.org [Courtesy of Breaking News]

2003 Conservation Directory Now Available
Now available, this resource gives you access to nearly 4,000 governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and colleges and universities, as well as more than 18,000 officials concerned with environmental conservation, education, and natural resource use and management. The 2003 Conservation Directory can be ordered at: http://www.islandpress.org/nwf/nwfem03.html or can be accessed on line at no charge: http://www.nwf.org/conservationdirectory/

Migratory Bird Web Resources

New Shorebird Management Listserve

Now available –- a place where professional wildlife managers can seek and share information with each other and others as well as present questions, comments and/or discussions. This listserve will be monitored and questions will be routed to qualified shorebird management experts. To subscribe (or for further information) contact Brad Andres: Brad_Andres@fws.gov Coordinator, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Revised Web Site for Shorebirds!
Take a peek at the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network’s (WHSRN) updated web site. WHSRN’s 54 shorebird sites have been updated in the past 8 months. More changes to come. Go to: http://www.manomet.org/WHSRN/

The Internet Bird Collection [IBC]
Created by Lynx Edicions, and sponsored by the Handbook of the Birds of the World, IBC uses the web to provide information about the world's avifauna. It is also considered an on-line complement to the Handbook of the Birds of the World. Access IBC from: http://www.hbw.com/ibc/

A Bibliographic Database on the Web of North American Waterfowl (Anatidae) and Their Wetland Habitats
Duckdata provides a comprehensive bibliography of published literature on the ecology, conservation, and management of North American waterfowl and their wetland habitats. Go to: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/library/duckdata/

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant Instructions Available

The 2003 U.S. standard grant instructions are now available at the NAWCA web site: http://birdhabitat.fws.gov Click on Wetlands Grants Program and then click on U.S. Standard Grants. 2003 proposal due dates are March 7 and July 25.

MIGRATORY BIRD & WETLANDS JOB\INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Wetland Hydrologist

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) United Kingdom
A position is available within the Water Resources and Environment Division of CEH Wallingford which involves undertaking field measurement and modelling of hydrological processes, development of assessment techniques and formulation of policy for sustainable management. For more details about the job contact: Heather Turner at CEH Wallingford, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BB. UK. Tel: 01491 838800 email hjt@ceh.ac.uk Please quote reference 01/03. Closing date for receipt of completed application is Friday 14 February 2003.

Operations Manager for GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project

The International Crane Foundation (ICF)

ICF invites applications for an Operations Manager of the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) for a Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Project "Development of a Wetland Site and Flyway Network for Conservation of the Siberian Crane and Other Migratory Waterbirds in Asia." Candidates will live in Beijing, China and should be willing and able to travel frequently to all four project countries (China, Russia, Iran, and Kazakhstan) and the USA. Applicant review will begin 15 December 2002 and continue until the position is filled. Project is due to start 1 March 2002. For more information contact Claire Mirande, Project Director, International Crane Foundation: mirande@savingcranes.org

BirdLife International Seeks Web Editor
BirdLife International seeks Web Editor in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Applocants should have experience in writing and editing websites. This first full-time web position signals growth in BirdLife's internet services. For further details contact Rosina Abudulai rosina.abudulai@birdlife.org.uk or visit: http://www.birdlife.net Closing Date: 19 February 2003.

The Ramsar Bureau Seeks Home-based Interns for the Americas, Asia and Europe

- Intern/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Europe: apply by 28 February 2003, to begin on 20 May 2003.

- Intern/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for the Americas: apply by 28 February 2003, to begin on 16 June 2003.

- Intern/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for the Asia Region: apply by 15 February 2003, to begin on 22 April 2003.

For full details go to: http://ramsar.org/about_internships.htm

INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR

THE YEAR 2003

[“New” indicates new announcement since last issue]

FEBRUARY

10 – 14 February
Successful Mangrove Restoration: The Importance of Hydrology. Mangrove Action Project, USA, is offering a five day course in mangrove restoration methods that use natural restoration processes that are potentially both more economical and effective. Robin Lewis will teach this intensive workshop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where the 500 ha "West Lake Park Mangrove Restoration Project", he designed is located. This five day intensive course is offered to a select group of 3 to 5 more people. Funding is restricted, so interested persons are asked pay all their expenses and $250 in tuition. [We are now considering allowing one valid student to attend for expenses only (no tuition charge)] For a description of the methodology to be taught: http://www.wes.army.mil/el/wrtc/wrp/tnotes/vnrs3-2.pdf and www.lewisenv.com

New
11 - 14 February
The 2^nd International Symposium on the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries – Sustaining Livelihoods and Biodiversity in the New Millennium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This symposium provides a forum to review and synthesize the current status of large rivers systems including their ecology, fisheries, environmental impact assessments, multiple uses of resources and associated socio-economic considerations; raise the political, public and scientific awareness of the importance of river systems, the living aquatic resources they support and the people that depend upon them; and contribute to better management, conservation and restoration of the living aquatic resources of large rivers. For more information e-mail: info@lars2.org; or visit this web site: http://www.lars2.org/

MARCH

16 – 23 March
3^rd World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan. A Ministerial Conference will be held during the Forum, where Ministers will work towards framing and adopting a political declaration concerning global water problems. For more information contact, the Forum Secretariat: Tel: +81-3-5212-1645; e-mail: office@water-forum3.com; Web site: http://www.worldwaterforum.org

New
22 March
World Water Day, a day to inspire worldwide political and community action and encourage greater global understanding of the need for more responsible water use and conservation. The theme for this year’s event is “Water for the Future,” calling on all to observe sustainable approaches to water use for the benefit of future generations. For more information contact: tel: +254-2-621-234; fax: +254-2-624-489/90; e-mail: waterday2003@unep.org; Internet: http://www.waterday2003.org

22 –23 March
The 84^th Annual Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists will meet jointly at Ohio Wesleyan University, Ohio, USA (no web link available yet.)

23 – 27 March
Environmental Future of Aquatic Ecosystems, organised by the Foundation for Environmental Conservation and Swiss Federal Office of Environmental Science & Technology (EAWAG) will take place in Zurich, Switzerland. Form ore information go to: http://www.icef.eawag.ch/ Likely changes in each of 21 marine and freshwater systems will be reviewed and discussed by the best scientists in the field, with a view to understanding likely climatic and population impacts over the next 25 years. For further enquiries please write: icef@eawag.ch

24 – 28 March
Society for Ecological Restoration, Northwest Chapter, Regional Conference. Theme: The Restoration Toolbox. Portland, Oregon. For conference highlights and updates go to: http://216.119.67.178/2003conf/Index.htm

26 – 30 March
68th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the Adam's Mark Winston Plaza.

APRIL

New
13 – 16 April
National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration, hosted by Restore America’s Estuaries, Baltimore, Maryland. To be held at The Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor Hotel. The program Saving Our Coastal Heritage will feature experts in aspects of restoration, representing all coastal regions of the United States, including the Great Lakes. For more information go to: http://www.estuaries.org/nationalconference.php

MAY

1 – 4 May
American Wetlands Conference. The Izaac Walton League, Minneapolis, Minnesota. This biennial conference will include three tracks: education and outreach, wetland science, and wetland conservation policy. The conference is targeted to volunteer and professional wetland stewards interested in learning more about wetlands and how to conserve them. For more information go to: www.iwla.org/sos/awm/conference

5 – 9 May
26th World Conference on the International Bird Strike Committee, Warsaw, Poland. This meeting will address collisions between aircrafts and birds. Conference forms can be downloaded from the International Bird Strike Committee website at: www.int-birdstrike.com For more information contact: International Bird Strike Committee, Chairman's Office: Royal Netherlands Airforce c/o Luit Buurma STL/AOO/SNEB, PO Box 20703 2500 ES, The Hague Netherlands, Tel:+ 31 70 3396346, Fax: + 31 70 3396347, Email: luitbuurma@worldmail.nl

20 – 24May
Mangrove 2003: Connecting Research and Participative Management of Estuaries and Mangroves, Bahia Othon Palace, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. To learn more about this conference go to: http://www.mangrove2003.ufba.br/ The Conference Secretary: mangrove2003@ufba.br . Full papers: January 31, 2003

JUNE

8 – 13 June
Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) 24th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Hyatt Regency. The SWS meeting will focus on the interdisciplinary scientific needs and innovative approaches for the stewardship of wetland ecosystems. What approaches are needed to meet the challenges of management across diverse and changing geographical landscapes, socio-political boundaries, scientific disciplines, and varying time scales? The conference will encourage symposia that present interdisciplinary, integrated approaches and technologies for wetland science, assessment, conservation, rehabilitation, and management to sustain wetlands in diverse environments across different continental regions of the world. Fur further information contact Lisa C. Gandy: gandylc@swbell.net or call (501) 225-1552.

New

9 – 13 June
3rd Latin American Meeting on River Basin Management, Arequipa, Peru, (Spanish)
Tercer Congreso Latinoamericano de Manejo de Cuencas Hidrográficas, Arequipa, Perú. Organizado por la Red Latinoamericana de Cooperación Técnica en Manejo de Cuencas Hidrográficas (REDLACH), en colaboración con la Oficina Regional de la FAO para América Latina y el Caribe y el Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales de Perú (INRENA). contactarnos en congresocuencas@fao.org o congresocuencas@inrena.gob.pe

New

16 – 20 June

21^st Congress of the International Commission on Large Dams, Montreal, Canada. This triennial meeting will convene approximately 2000 decision makers, experts, engineers, geologists and other professionals from the dam industry. For more information contact: Lise Pinsonneault; tel: +1-514-289-4628; fax: +1-514-289-4546; e-mail: pinsonneault.lise@hydro.qc.ca; Internet: http://www.cigb-icold.org

22 – 26 June
46th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research and the 10th World Lakes Conference: Global Threats to Large Lakes: Managing in an Environment of Instability and Unpredictability. For more information go to: http://www.iaglr.org/conference/2003/sessions.php

29 June – 2 July
International Water Congress: Watershed Management for Water Supply Systems, New York, New York. To improve watershed management and the operation of public water supplies, where agriculture, forestry and related land uses exist on water supply surface watersheds or over ground water recharge zones. Go to: http://www.awra.org/meetings/NewYork2003/index.html

AUGUST

4 – 9 August
The 4th Conference of the Working Group on Aquatic Birds of the International Society of Limnology(SIL) Limnology and Waterbirds 2003 will be held in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. The preliminary announcement and the expression of interest return form are found at: http://www.links.umoncton.ca/lw/

New
11 – 14 August
World Water Week in Stockholm and Stockholm Water Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden. The 2003 Stockholm Water Symposium theme is Drainage Basin Security: Balancing Production, Trade and Water Use. Plenary sessions will include experts focusing on this theme from a variety of perspectives, and a high-level panel debate will address the role of agricultural subsidies that constrain the trade exchange of food products between the North and the South. The Symposium will also be a key forum for follow-up discussion from the WSSD in Johannesburg and the 3rd World Water Forum to be held in March 2003 in Kyoto, Japan. For more information contact: David Trouba; tel: +46-8-522-139-89; fax: +46-8-522-139-61; e-mail: dave.trouba@siwi.org; Internet: http://www.siwi.org/waterweek2003

SEPTEMBER

New

24 – 27 September

Meeting of the Waterbird Society, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. If you would like to sponsor a symposium please contact Betty Anne Schreiber at: SchreiberE@aol.com Further details will soon be found at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/birdnet/ Questions about the meeting should be addressed to: uestions about the meeting should be addressed to Silvia del Lama: dsdl@paoer.ufscar.br

OCTOBER

2 – 6 October
International Wader Study Group Conference in Cadiz. Details will be on the WSG web-site in due course: www.waderstudygroup.org

5 – 11 October
The VIIth Neotropical Ornithological Congress will be held in Puerto Vargas, Chile. For more information, visit the web site of the Neotropical Ornithological Society: http://www.neotropicalornithology.org/ or go directly to: www.nocchile.cl

NOVEMBER

New
5 – 8 November
3rd North American Duck Symposium, Sacramento, California. Go to: www.ducksymp3.com Abstract deadline: May 1, 2003

The Year 2004

April

3 – 8 April
Global Waterbird Flyway Conference (details to come soon), Edinburgh, United Kingdom. A global review of the conservation, management and research of the world’s major flyways. This is a Wetlands International conference jointly hosted by The Netherlands (Ministry of Agriculture - Nature Management and Fisheries, Department for Nature Management) and The United Kingdom (DEFRA, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Scottish Heritage, English Nature.) For further information contact: Dr. Gerard C. Boere, E-mail: boere@wetlands.agro.nl

THE END

January 31, 2003

CONTENTS

News from December 2002 & January 2003

North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant Instructions Available

April