GRC Annual Meeting Workshops
Every year GRC members develop and conduct a workshop for graduate students. Workshops are focused on professional development and/or topics in aquatic ecology that are specific to the conference location.
The workshops take place the Sunday before the SFS conference week. Lunch and any transportation costs are included in the workshop fee. Students can sign up for the workshop as part of the online conference registration.
Upcoming Workshop
2013 - Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Date & Time: 19 May 2013, 8am-4pm
Cost: $75
Limit: 20-30
We are partnering with Okefenokee Adventures to provide a boat tour through the Okefenokee Swamp to learn about its ecology, natural history and cultural history. Trips frequently encounter egrets, herons, ibis, Sandhill Cranes, Red-shouldered Hawks, American Alligators, as well as otters in the winter and Wood Storks in the summer and fall. The refuge is also critical habitat for black bear and Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
For the dissolved organic matter enthusiasts, vast peat deposits make this the largest “blackwater” swamp in North America. The Suwanee River originates here and high concentrations of DOM leached from the peat give the water its dark color. This is the perfect trip for DOM enthusiasts wanting to see where their International Humic Substances Society Suwanee River Fulvic Acid standard comes from!
The excursion will last approximately 8 hrs (2-3 hrs on water, 3 hrs in transport, 2 hrs lunch/mingle). To keep the cost of the trip down, lunch is not included, although we will stop at a local eatery for a late lunch prior to returning to Jacksonville. Also, water levels fluctuate in the refuge and, depending on winter rains, may not be suitable for an excursion in May. The trip is open to all participants, but priority will be given to graduate students and undergraduates. If you cannot make this trip, there is a separate post-conference trip scheduled for Friday. Contact: Thomas Parr with any questions.
More information:
http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/
http://okefenokeeadventures.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okefenokee_Swamp
Jacksonville, FL. Organized by Thomas Parr (Thomas.parr@maine.edu)
Previous Workshops
2012 - Cave Ecosystems
Date & Time: 20 May 2012, ~7am-7pm
Cost: $35
Limit: 28
Students are invited to spend an exciting day of learning about the ecology and biology of cave ecosystems in south-central Kentucky. We will interact with cave ecosystem researchers and managers from Mammoth Cave to learn more about its unique organisms, processes, and management challenges. We expect this to be a full day trip, bring clothes that can get dirty. Fee covers transportation, lunches, and a small speakers fee. If you are not a graduate student and would like to participate or if you have any other questions, please contact the organizers. Website: http://www.wku.edu/mcicsl/
Louisville, KY. Organized by Thomas Parr (Thomas.parr@maine.edu) and Quenton Tuckett (Quenton_Tuckett@umit.maine.edu)
2011 - Systematic Evaluation of Ecological Literature to Support Causal Inference: tools & methods
Providence, R.I. Co-sponsored by Sue Nichols, Angus Webb & C. Richard Zielger and the GRC (Quenton Tuckett).
2010 - Highly Variable Water in Arid Lands (Cancelled)
Santa Fe, NM. Organized by Emily Campbell, J.Ryan McShane, & Chris Patrick.
The GRC planned a workshop that included 1) a hike in the Santa Fe watershed led by local stream ecologists to learn about how aquatic organisms adapt to variable water in the desert southwest, 2) speakers from state governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and a resident aquatic entomologist from New Mexico Highlands University.
2009 - Aquatic Ecosystems in the Great Lakes Region
Grand Rapids, MI. Organized by Natalie Griffiths, Laura McMullen, & Julie Frank.
The workshop began with a presentation by Dr. Alan Steinman, director of Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI). Next, we traveled to Muskegon for a tour of AWRI and an educational cruise on Muskegon Lake. The workshop concluded with an afternoon hike on local dunes to learn about their ecology.
2008 - Current Issues Facing the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem
Salt Lake City, UT. Organized by Erin Hotchkiss & Amber Ulseth.
Students visited Antelope Island State Park and the Great Salt Lake Nature Center at Farmington Bay, where they collected aquatic invertebrates, identified numerous water bird species, and discussed important GSL ecological and management issues with representatives from the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program, USGS Water Science Center, Friends of the Great Salt Lake and the Great Salt Lake Nature Center.
2007 - Collaborative Research: How Many Scientists Does it Take to Manage a Watershed?
Columbia, SC. Organized by Ryan McShane, Chip Small, & Patrick Belmont.
During this half-day workshop participants took a virtual tour of the Congaree River watershed, traveled to nearby sites along the river, and met with some of the experts to discuss the real-life challenges and opportunities of managing watersheds in an increasingly urbanized landscape.
2006 - Easy Ways to Keep Up With Current Research
Anchorage, AK. Organized by Christopher Hoagstrom & Lusha Tronstad.
This graduate student workshop focused on special features offered by article databases that are seldom used. Knowledge of these resources is extremely useful for keeping current with research with minimal time and effort. Many databases allow users to save searches, which can be run at regular intervals, alerting users of newly published articles for a subject area. The workshop also covered the selection of search terms and databases in the field of aquatic sciences.
2005 - Career Choices with an Advanced Degree: Qualifications, Sources, and Strategies
New Orleans, LA. Organized by Lusha Tronstad, Patrick Belmont, & Christopher Hoagstrom.
2004 - Effective Grant Writing: Networking and Skills Marketing
Vancouver. Organized by Ely Kosnicki, Walter Johnson, & Chris Wood.
2003 - Effective Public Speaking Skills: How and What to Consider When Writing a Manuscript for Publication
Athens, GA. Organized by John Kominoski & Priscila Andrade.