Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society
2023 Fall Meeting
November 15 & 16, 2023
Plantation on Crystal River
THEME - Practical Wildlife and Habitat Monitoring Techniques
PROGRAM - See below for the agenda. Wednesday morning will start with the annual business meeting. All are welcome to attend. Presentations will follow for the remainder of the day. Thursday morning’s field component will be at Citrus Wildlife Management Area. Directions & instructions will be given at the end of the day Wednesday. Be sure to bring appropriate field clothes.
ADD-ON TOUR - Snorkel with the Manatees - Thursday 2pm to 5pm, $75 per person. If you are paying for your registration with your agency card but can’t put the tour on it, please add the tours to your cart and check out separately.
REGISTRATION - Registration is open! The fee is $119 per person for current FLTWS members & $149 for non-members. Rate includes Thursday lunch, dinner and two breaks. A cash bar will be available during dinner and the evening social. No refunds are provided at this time as all food counts have been guaranteed to the hotel.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS - Good news! The Plantation on Crystal River room rate has been reduced to $100/night + $28 resort fee. Rates available 3 days pre and post conference dates. Room block cut -off is November 1, 2023. If you did not get a room during the block, but would like to book one now, please email Maryann@FLTWS.org.
The resort fee includes WIFI in all guestrooms and public areas, Parking, Boat Parking, Driving Range, Outdoor Resort Heated Pool, Hot Tub, Fitness Center, Card room & Billiards Table in Pro Shop, Sand Volleyball, Tennis, Pickle ball, Croquet, Shuffleboard, Outdoor Giant Chess & Checkers Pad, Horseshoes and a Variety of Lawn Games. For an additional fee, you can also reserve through Plantation the following: Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Golf Course, Pontoon Boating, Fishing and more!
To guarantee a reservation for individual call in, the Hotel requires a credit card number to guarantee.
Reservations cancelled with the reservations office at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled arrival date will be accepted. If reservations are canceled within 3 days of arrival date, a one-night stay plus taxes and fees, will be charged to the credit card number on file.
SPONSORS & VENDORS- The FLTWS Meeting is a great opportunity to build relationships and support wildlife research and management by registering as an exhibitor and/or sponsor. Sponsor opportunities include door prizes, silent auction items, refreshment breaks, education/research grants, and field trip coordination, just to name a few. If you have additional questions, please contact Mark Ausley, Fundraising Co-Chair at mark.ausley@fltws.org.
Wednesday, November 15
9:00 am– 10:00 am
Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society Fall Business Meeting
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Workshop Registration, Morning Break & Networking
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Presentations on Practical Wildlife and Habitat Monitoring Techniques
(Note: Speaker order may change. Last update 10/24/23)
10:30 am – The Potential of Citizen Science Data for Understanding Biodiversity
Corey Callaghan, PhD, University of Florida
11:00 am – Trail Cameras and Citizen Science
Matt Hallett, PhD, University of Florida/Jacksonville Zoo
11:30 am – How We Monitor 5 Species in a Single Location at Citrus Wildlife Management Area:
Red-cockaded woodpeckers, Kestrels, Quail, Pollinators, and Cogon Grass Oh My!
(Note: This will lead into Friday’s hands-on field trip at Citrus WMA)
Vince Morris, Florida Forest Service
12:00 pm – Lunch (provided)
1:15 pm – Bat Acoustic Data Collection and Florida’s Long-term Bat Monitoring Program
Maria Monarchino, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
1:45 pm – Bat Survey Methods – Roosts, Acoustics and More
Liz Braun de Torrez, PhD & Lisa Smith, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2:15pm – Afternoon Networking Break
3:00 pm – Lessons Learned Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery to Monitor Changes in Vegetation in Deep Marsh Systems
Jennifer Mitchell, St. Johns River Water Management District
3:30 pm – EagleWatch: The Power of Community Science
Shawnlei Breeding, Florida Audubon
4:00 pm – Panel Discussion
Adjourn 5:00 pm
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Networking (Cash Bar)
6:30 pm - 8:30pm dinner (provided)
Social Hours and Dinner
Notes: Casual Attire
Thursday, November 16
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Hands-on Field Demonstrations
Location: Citrus Wildlife Management Area
Notes: Please wear appropriate field attire. Maps and instructions will be provided at the workshop on Wednesday
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm (OPTIONAL, $75/person)
Snorkel with Manatees Tour!
Note: Pre-registration required
If you are signing up for this optional event and you need to pay separately from your agency,
please fill out a second registration for the tour.
Staying longer? Enjoy Amenities at Plantation on Crystal River
Kayaking
Paddle Boarding
Golf Course
Pontoon Boating
Fishing
For questions or concerns about registration, please contact Maryann@fltws.org or 352-434-5025.