WELCOME  TO PROJECT WILD 2023!

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Thank you to our sponsors!

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Location:

This year, our meeting will be held on the beautiful campus of Alaska Pacific University. Enjoy four nights and 5 days on a campus where you just might wake up to a moose outside your window! Fly into Anchorage airport. APU is seven miles from the airport. Anchorage is a bustling town with many amenities and great restaurants. Taxis and Ubers/Lyfts are readily available.

If you are attending, please fill out this form regarding food preferences: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/9MfM5PX7CK

Lodging:

To keep prices as low as possible, we will be using University housing. Long to hearken back to the carefree college days? Well, here's your chance! You have two housing options: Graduate student housing or dorm rooms. Graduate student housing has 3-5 rooms, a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Dorms are mostly suites with a shared bathroom...they're dorms. You will be supplied with bed linen, towls, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels. The graduate housing also comes with pots, pans, utensils.

Atwood Dorms Schematic
Graduate Student Housing Schematic
 

Field Excursion:

We will be taking a wildlife cruise. The cruise includes lunch and they sell snacks/drinks. They guarantee no sea sickness! The excursion prices include cruise, bus fare, and tip. We depart for the cruise around 8:30 a.m.. The cruise departs at 12:30 p.m. and returns at 5:45 p.m. We will return to Anchorage around 7:30 p.m., where dinner will be on your own (maybe we can get pizza delivered?). We have added a trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at no extra cost to you! We'll have 60-90 minutes to explore the area before we need to get on the bus to the cruise ship. On the cruise ship, high-powered binoculars will be available for rent for $5. Tripods are not allowed, but monopods are (tripods are a tripping hazard). There is a heated indoor area, but dress appropriately for the weather outside.
 

Draft Agenda:

Monday May 15:
      Check in 3 p.m.
     Dinner on your own (we'll most likely plan for something, somewhat informally, downtown)
Tuesday May 16:
     8:30                     Project WILD Business meeting (coordinators only)
    10:00 - 12:00     DEI Outreach Plans (coordinators only)
     12:00-1:00        Lunch (open to everyone)
     1:00                    Welcome - Alaska Fish & Game
                                   Sue Rodman, Refugee Manager for Alaska Fish & Game/Fire Management Team
     1:30-3:00          Keynote: Dr. Elena Sparrow, International Arctic Research Center
                                  Note: You may want to download the GLOBE Observer app ahead of time
     3:30                     Wildlife Safety
     4:00                     Sessions
     5:30                     Dinner on your own.
Wednesday May 17:
     8:30-12:00        Visit a wildfire burn area
     12:00-1:00        Lunch
     1:00 - 5:00        Sessions
     6:30 - Banquet celebration and auction
Thursday May 18:
     8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Field Learning
Friday May 19: Breakfast and departure. Check out by noon

Auction:

Bring an item for our auction! Preferably something that can fit in a suitcase.

Registration:

Registration is now closed.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations receive by April 13, 2023 will be refunded less a $100 administrative fee. No cancellations received after April 13, 2023 will be refunded, but substitutions will be allowed.

AFWA Duty of Care (Updated 2/2/2023)
We are excited to gather again in person! Our concern for your health and safety is our top priority, and we want to make your experience at the conference positive, and as professionally successful as in pre-COVID days. To that end, we are implementing the following guidelines that we hope will make you and your colleagues comfortable and safe. These guidelines are subject to change if new guidance is issued on, before, or during the conference by the State of Alaska or local jurisdiction.

Association guidelines:

  • You will be required to sign a waiver when you register.
  • If you have COVID symptoms while you are at the meeting, please remove yourself from conference event spaces and quarantine. Please let Elena know that you are symptomatic at etakaki@fishwildlife.org. We will share this with attendees but will maintain your confidentiality.

Call for Session Proposals  (NOW CLOSED. Proposal Deadline was March 24):

Complete the Call for Propolals Form by March 24.  If you can not use Google Docs, use this Word version.
 

Nominate a State Project WILD Coordinator for the Outstanding Coordinator Award!

NOW CLOSED. Nomination deadline was March 24.
Each year the Conference Committee reviews nominations and selects a recipient for Project WILD Outstanding Coordinator.  You may nominate a fellow Project WILD coordinator or yourself.  You may also share this nomimation form with other collegues. The deadline to submit nominations is March 24, 2023.  Use this Google Form to submit a nomination or, if you are not able to use Google apps, you can use this Word version of the form.

See the list of past recipients of the Outstanding Coordinator Award.

 

Facilitator of the Year Awards: (NOW CLOSED. Deadline for designating a Facilitator of the Year was March 24)

WILD state coordinators have the option to have AFWA recognize a facilitator in your state for 2022-23.  Use this Google Form to submit a name , or use this Word version of the form.  Deadline to submit a name is March 24, 2023. 

Dress and Travel:

Dress is casual. Be prepared for rainy weather - stay warm and dry. We have a lot of outdoor activities planned.
If you would like to share you travel information so you could possibly share a ride to/from the airport, please put your information in this Google Doc. If you cannot access it, but want to share your information, please contact Elena at etakaki@fishwildlife.org. 

Wildlife Safety

Even on the APU campus, you may encounter wildlife such as moose or possibly even bear. Your safety is of the utmost importance! Please take some time to watch this wildlife safety video for your stay in Alaska. Bear and Moose Safety with Tom Griffin

Fun Around Town

Check out Best Easy Day Hikes Anchorage (20 hikes) or Best Hikes (30 hikes)

Some Resources on Indigenous Eduation:

Natural Resource Management from an Indigenous Perspective
ISTEAM Activity Materials
Guidelines for Respecting Indigenous Knowledge

 

Questions?

Email projectwild@fishwildlife.org.  Include "WILD Conference Question" in subject line.

Thank you to our supporters!

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