Coastal California is the place to be in September of 2009, when The Wildlife Society hosts its 16th Annual Conference at the Monterey Convention Center. We’re writing to invite you to join us at this event—the largest gathering of wildlife professionals in North America.
With its beautiful location on the Pacific coast and its richly diverse wildlife, Monterey offers the ideal setting for a gathering of biologists, managers, students, and researchers dedicated to conserving and sustaining healthy wildlife and habitats. After attending professional symposia and discussions about issues critical to our profession, attendees can enjoy the stunning views, sunsets, breezes, and creatures of coastal California.
Just steps from the convention center, a bayside trail winds past Fisherman’s Wharf and along the water offering views of regional wildlife such as harbor seals, sea lions, pelicans, sea otters, cormorants, dolphins, and occasional migrating whales. Keep walking and explore Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf where you can sample acclaimed food, shops, music, and entertainment. The world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium is also an easy walk away, with enriching programs and exhibits about ocean wildlife and conservation.
Those who want to go farther afield can head across Monterey Bay to Moss Landing, from which extends Monterey Canyon, one of the largest underwater canyons in the world. The canyon lies in the center of Monterey Bay and harbors a wide variety of fish species that attract resident and migratory birds and mammals. The Bay provides a fitting back-drop for discussing and exploring many of the problems relevant to our profession, such as how to manage fisheries, control exotic species, minimize tourism pressures, conserve wildlife on military lands, and manage urban stresses such as encroachment on wildlife and habitat and the threat of wildfire on the suburban landscape.
It’s our concern for wildlife and habitats that ultimately brings us together. Please join us to attend the Annual Conference, which will be held from September 20–24. If you can, come early or stay late to visit nearby California gems like Big Sur, Elkhorn Slough, Santa Cruz, San Francisco Bay, or Yosemite, all within a half-day’s drive of the conference center. This trip will be worth your while, both professionally and personally. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely yours,
Rhys Evans
Cynthia Perrine
Scott Osborn
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
The Wildlife Society | 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200 | Bethesda MD 20814-2144| Phone: (301) 897-9770 | Fax: (301) 530-2471
