FLTWS 2017 Spring Meeting
April 5 - 7
Orlando Hilton Garden Inn - SeaWorld
6850 Westwood Boulevard • Orlando, Florida 32821
***EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS March 15, 2017***
The Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society will hold its annual Spring Meeting at the Orlando Hilton Garden Inn - SeaWorld, 6850 Westwood Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32821. The special meeting room rate is $114 per night with a valid tax exempt certificate. Our room block will be held until March 14, 2017, so make your room reservations soon! Rooms can be reserved at HERE.
The conference theme is New Techniques in Wildlife Research & Management, but papers and posters dealing with any wildlife-related topic are encouraged, including ecology, economics, management, restoration, risk assessment, policy and regulation, evolutionary biology, and interdisciplinary projects.
Continuing education credits will be offered for the Meeting. Social events will include a pool-side networking event on Wednesday, natural history quiz contest during Meeting breaks, poster session mixer, and the popular awards ceremony banquet dinner on Thursday. There will be a special pre-conference behind-the-scenes tour of SeaWorld’s animal rescue program on Wednesday morning. Friday includes a workshop on analyzing animal movement data or field trips to Shingle Creek conservation areas (urban fire ecology) or Lake Tohopekaliga (snail kite ecology/lake management).
The deadline for submitting presentation and poster abstracts is 1 March 2017. Abstracts will be edited and included in a meeting program booklet; proceedings will not be published. For more information, including submission details and guidelines, please visit CALL FOR PAPERS.
STUDENTS!!!! Student papers and posters are greatly encouraged, and as extra incentive, we will award cash prizes for the best student paper ($100) and best student poster ($50). Additional incentives to attend include reduced registration fee and a FREE 1-night double occupancy room stay, available on a first-come basis. If you want to take advantage of the free room stay, please contact Monica Folk at monica.folk@fltws.org for scheduling and details; some volunteer time is required.
A limited number of non-student travel grants are available. See HERE for the grant application and submission instructions.
Please note that travel grant applications are due by March 15 and notification will be given by March 29. If your grant application is submitted on time, even if it is not approved, we will honor the early registration fee.
REGISTRATION - Register Online Here. (Prices include pre-meeting field trip to SeaWorld, conference program, evening socials (2 nights), morning coffee, meeting breaks/snacks, and Thursday banquet. Friday field trips or movement data workshop available on first-come basis, with slight charge for logistics as required).
· Members - $125 prior to March 15; $145 after March 15
· Nonmembers - $155 prior to March 15; $175 after March 15
· Students - $75 prior to March 15; $95 after March 15
-Banquet dinners for additional guests can be purchased for $35 each
-Lake Toho Airboat field trips $10/person
-Student/Mentor Breakfast $5/person (onsite)
-A $25 cancellation fee will apply to registrations cancelled after March 31.
Lodging
The Meeting will take place on April 5-7, 2017 at the Orlando Hilton Garden Inn - SeaWorld, 6850 Westwood Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32821. The special meeting room rate is $114 per night with a valid tax exempt certificate. Our room block will be held until March 14, 2017, so make your room reservations soon! Rooms can be reserved at HERE.
Be a Sponsor or Exhibitor!
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@btc-inc.com.
Workshops and Field Trips
The meeting includes a pre-conference walking tour of SeaWorld’s animal rescue program on Wednesday morning, and a workshop and several field trips on Friday morning. Each activity will be over by lunchtime. Plan to bring appropriate field gear, water and sun protection for the field trips. Click here for additional information, and please pre-register for chosen activities, as they will fill up quickly.