The Berkeley Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology is sponsoring a one-day scientific meeting on Saturday, February 6, 1999 at the University of California, Berkeley. The objectives of the meeting are to bring together Bay Area students and faculty interested in conservation biology, to increase communication and interchange of ideas, and to provide a forum for feedback on current research. We hope this will become an annual event.

Participants in this meeting include the students and faculty of San Francisco State University, Sonoma State University, Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Davis, U.C. Santa Cruz and other bay area institutions. Michael Gilpin of U.C. San Diego will give the Plenary Address. Four sessions of scientific papers will each last approximately one and a half hours and will be grouped by topic to maximize discussion. Faculty facilitators will moderate the presentations and provide a forum for discussion. In addition to talks, we will also have a poster session. A buffet at the feet of the T-rex with keynote speaker Steven Beissinger of U.C. Berkeley will finish the day. Carol Boggs, Hall Cushman, Adina Merenlender, Christine Schonewald and others will be chairing sessions and attending to provide feedback throughout the sessions.

This meeting will be an opportunity for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and undergraduate students from local universities to get to know each other better and to discuss ongoing research efforts. The conference will also serve to strengthen linkages both between conservation biology professionals and students, and among universities in the Bay Area.

Abstracts for 15 minute talks and posters are due by postmark date November 20, 1998, and any topic within conservation biology is eligible. Registration is due by postmark date January 9, 1999 to avoid a late fee. Registration and other information can be obtained at http://www.CNR.Berkeley.EDU/consbio/. If you have questions or comments, contact Jodi Hilty at Jodihilty@aol.com or (707) 443-0293.