Schedule

2026 Annual Meeting Schedule

All scheduled events are included in the meeting registration fee, except those marked *Extra Fee

Monday, February 2

  • 8:00am to 8:45am………R Workshop Registration
  • 8:00am to 5:30pm……….Western Section Executive Board Meeting & Breakfast
  • 8:30am to 5:00pm……….R Workshop: Non-linear regression techniques for modeling wildlife habitat in R, *Extra Fee
  • 4:00pm to 6:00pm……….Evening Birding: Del Monte Beach and Coastal Dunes
  • 7:30pm to 9:30pm……….Registration Packet Production and Poster Board Assembly

Tuesday, February 3

  • 7:30am to 8:45am………Pre-Conference Registration
      • Ungulate Symposium
      • MOTUS Training
      • High Speed Rail Training
  • 7:15am to 6:15pm……….Local Field Trips, *Extra Fee/Pre-Registration Required
      • Small Mammal Trapping, ID, Skull Morphology at Fort Ord, 7:15am-12:00pm
      • Epic Amphibian Safari at Hastings Reservation, 7:45am-12:00pm
      • Early Bird Tour with the Santa Lucia Conservancy, 8am-12pm
      • Monterey Bay Aquarium Meet-Up, 10am AND 1pm
      • Elkhorn Slough Kayaking, 9:15am-12pm
      • Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary Tour, 10am-2pm
      • Elkhorn Slough Happy Hour Catamaran Tour, 3:30pm-6:15pm
      • Guided Hike at the Wildlands Conservancy’s Rana Creek Preserve, 1-4pm
  • 8:00am to 12:00pm……..High Speed Rail Training, *Extra Fee
  • 8:00am to 12:00pm……..Motus: Using Cellular Tracking Technology Nodes for Data Gathering Training, *Extra Fee
  • 8:30am to 5:00pm……….Ungulate Symposium – Ecology and Management of Ungulates in a Changing World, *Extra Fee
  • 12:30pm to 8:00pm……..Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Registration
  • 1:00pm to 3:00pm……….Exhibitor Booth Setup, *Extra Fee
  • 1:00pm to 5:30pm……….WildCAT – Construction Awareness Training for Biologists Workshop, *Extra Fee
  • 1:00pm to 3:00pm……….Wildlife Society Certification Application Workshop/Q&A
  • 1:00pm to 3:00pm……….Sierra Nevada Red Fox Working Group
  • 3:00pm to 9:00pm……….Exhibit Hall Open
  • 3:00pm to 5:00pm……….Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Technical Team (by invite only please)
  • 3:30pm to 5:30pm……….Chapter Leaders Meeting
  • 4:00pm to 5:30pm……….Speed Networking Mixer for All
  • 5:30pm to 8:30pm……….No-Host Bar
  • 5:30pm to 6:00pm………AV Training for Student Volunteers
  • 6:00pm……………………….Official Annual Meeting Opening
  • 6:00pm to 8:00pm……….Welcome Reception & Lite Bites Taco Bar –  Wear your favorite wildlife t-shirt!
  • 8:00pm to 9:30pm……….Student Team Trivia – Come cheer on the students!
  • 8:00pm to 11:45pm……..Karaoke!

Wednesday, February 4

  • 7:00am to 8:00am……….Stretch & Move Yoga
  • 7:30am to 8:00pm……….Annual Meeting Registration
  • 7:30am to 9:00pm……….Exhibit Hall Open
  • 7:30am to 9:30am……….Poster Setup Hours
  • 8:00am to 9:45am……….Breakfast Roundtable, *Extra Fee
  • 8:00am to 9:45am……….Workshop – Publishing and Peer-Reviewing Scholarly Papers: Process, Pitfalls, and Responsibilities
  • 8:00am to 10:00am……..Joint SSN/CA Fisher Working Group Meeting
  • 8:00am to 10:00am……..Mohave Ground Squirrel Working Group Meeting
  • 8:00am to 5:00pm……….Speaker Practice Room
  • 10:00am to 11:30am……Keynote Address & Dialogue
      • Welcome from Louise J. Miranda Ramirez, Tribal Chairwoman, Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation
      • Keynote Address by Dr. Carol Chambers, What will your Legacy Be?
  • 10:00am to 9:00pm……..Poster Viewing and Judging 
  • 11:30am to 1:00pm……..Lunch on Your Own
  • 12:00pm to 1:00pm…….ERTEC Wildlife Exclusion Fence Training & Lunch (free lunch, advance signup required-here)
  • 12:00pm to 1:00pm……..Wildlife Acoustics Lunch n’ Learn – Using Wildlife Audio Recorders as a Valuable Research Tool (free lunch, advance signup required-here)
  • 11:30am to 12:30pm……Pickup Prepaid Box Lunches, *Extra Fee
  • 12:00pm to 1:00pm……..Student Meet-Up
  • 1:00pm to 3:05pm……….Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions 
      • Wildlife Connectivity – Chair: Fraser Shilling, UC Davis/Dudek
      • Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals I – Chair:  Michael Buchalski, CDFW
      • Innovative Techniques – Chair: Colleen Wisinski, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
      • Ecology and Conservation of Bats I – Chair: Dave Johnston, H. T. Harvey & Associates
      • Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 1 – Genetics & Distribution – Chairs:  Johanna Varner, Colorado Mesa Univ AND Jessica Castillo Vardaro, San Jose State University
  • 3:05pm to 3:25pm……….Afternoon Break, Coffee and Lite Snacks Served
  • 3:05pm to 3:25pm……….Friendship Bracelet Making in the Exhibit Hall
  • 3:25pm to 5:30pm……..Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions
      • Transportation Ecology – Chair:  Michaela Robbins, CDFW
      • Ecology and Conservation of Large Mammals II – Chair: Jeff Villepique, CDFW
      • Working Toward Success in Wildlife Restoration & Species Recovery – Chair: Rob Schell, WRA, Inc.
      • Ecology and Conservation of Bats II – Chair: Jill Carpenter, LSA/UCLA
      • Ecology and Conservation of Pikas 2 – Occupancy & Climate – Chairs: Johanna Varner, Colorado Mesa Univ AND Jessica Castillo Vardaro, San Jose State University
  • 5:30pm to 8:30pm……….No-Host Bar
  • 6:00pm to 8:00pm……….Poster Session & Reception with Appetizers & No-Host Bar
      • Scientific Poster Session – Chairs: Carlos Alvarado, Ascent AND Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
  • 8:00pm to 10:00pm……..Chapter Meetings
      • CA Central Coast
      • North Coast
      • Sac-Shasta
      • SF Bay Area
      • San Joaquin Valley
      • Southern California
      • Hawaii Chapter, No Meeting
      • Nevada Chapter, No Meeting

Thursday, February 5

  • 7:00am to 8:00am………Stretch & Move Yoga
  • 7:30am to 5:00pm………Annual Meeting Registration
  • 7:30am-6:00pm………….Exhibit Hall Open 
  • 7:30am-6:00pm………….Poster Viewing and Judging 
  • 7:30am to 8:00am……..Hot Drinks Social
  • 8:00am to 10:05am……Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions
      • Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles I – Chair: Eric Stitt, ICF
      • Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals – Chair: Brian Cypher, CSU Stanislaus Endangered Species Recovery Program
      • Resilience in Wildlife Populations – Chair: Sean MacDonald, SWCA
      • Ecology and Conservation of Birds I – Chair:  Angel Ramirez, Stantec
      • Studies from the Salton Sea – Chair: Melinda Dorin Bradbury, CA Dept of Water Resources
  • 8:00am to 3:30pm………North American Pika Consortium Working Group Meeting
  • 8:00am to 4:00pm………Speaker Practice Room
  • 10:05am to 10:25am……Morning Break, Coffee and Lite Snacks Served
  • 10:25am to 12:10pm…...Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions
      • Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles II – Chair: Farley Connelly, Alameda County Resource Conservation District
      • Stakeholders and Policy – Chair: Ona Alminas, CDFW
      • Ecotoxicology – Chair: Deana Clifford, CDFW & UC Davis
      • Ecology and Conservation of Birds II – Chair: Neil Clipperton, CDFW
      • Lessons Learned: High Speed Rail – Chair: Melony Wood, California High-Speed Rail Authority
  • 12:10pm to 1:30pm…….Lunch on Your Own
  • 12:00pm to 1:00pm……..Retirees Meeting
  • 12:10pm to 1:10pm…….Pickup Prepaid Box Lunches, *Extra Fee
  • 1:30pm……………………….Turn in Raffle Tickets by 1:30pm for Raffle Drawing!
  • 1:30pm-3:15pm………….Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions
      • Techniques / Pathology / Herps – Chair: Rhys Evans, Vandenberg Space Force, Retired
      • Natural History of Mammals – Chair: Katie Smith, WRA, Inc.
      • Natural History of Birds – Chair: Dan Airola, Conservation Research and Planning
      • Human Effects on Wildlife – Chair: John McNerney, City of Davis
  • 3:15pm……………………….Online Auction Bidding Owl Closes
  • 3:15pm to 3:30pm……..Afternoon Break, Coffee and Lite Snacks Served
  • 3:30pm to 4:00pm………Members Town Hall 
  • 4:00pm to 4:30pm………The Return of the Gray Wolf: Ten Years of Recolonization in California – Axel Hunnicutt, CDFW
  • 4:30pm to 6:00pm………Student/ECP Speed Networking Mixer with Wildlife Professionals
  • 4:30pm to 5:30pm………Professional Development Committee Meeting (PDC)
  • 4:30pm to 6:00pm.……..Humboldt Alumni Meeting
  • 5:00pm to 6:00pm………Western Wildlife Committee Meeting
  • 5:00pm to 5:50pm………Conservation Affairs Committee Meeting (CAC)
  • 6:00pm to 8:30pm………No Host Bar
  • 6:30pm to 8:30pm………Member Awards, Grand Prize Raffle and Lite Bites  (Pre-Registration and Entrance Ticket Required)
      • Address by TWS Incoming President – Dr. Fidel Hernández, Where will our future wildlife biologists come from?
  • 8:30pm to 10:30pm………..No Host Bar
  • 8:30pm to 10:30pm………..Exhibit Hall Open
  • 8:30pm to 9:00pm………….Student Team Trivia Finals
  • 9:00pm to 10:30pm………..Wildlife Trivia!

Friday, February 6

  • 7:30am to 10:30am……….Exhibit Hall Open 
  • 7:30am to 10:30am……….Annual Meeting Registration
  • 7:30am to 8:00am…………Hot Drinks Social
  • 8:00am to 10:05am……….Concurrent Scientific Technical Sessions
      • A.I. and eDNA – Chair: Julie Stanford, eDNA Explorer
      • Ecology and Conservation of Meso-carnivores – Chair: Sophie Preckler-Quisquater, UC Davis
      • Studies on Impacted Wildlife – Chair: Noriko Smallwood, Smallwood Ecology
      • Ecology and Conservation of Birds III – Chair: Dave Riensche, East Bay Regional Park District
      • Habitat Restoration and Bees – Chair: Dylan Winkler, CDFW
  • 8:00am to 10:00am……….Speaker Practice Room
  • 7:30am to 10:30am……….Poster Removal
  • 10:05am to 10:30am……..Morning Break, Coffee and Lite Snacks Served
  • 10:30am to 2:00pm………Exhibitor Move Out
  • 10:30am to 12:00pm……..Capstone/Plenary Presentation 
      • Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Success: A Journey, Not a Destination
  • 12:00pm to 1:00pm…….Book Signing with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
  • 12:30pm to 5:30pm………Wildlife Tracking Training Field Day, *Extra Fee
  • 2:00pm to 3:00pm………..Planning Committee Wrap-Up Meeting (By Invite)
  • 2:00pm to 6:00pm………..Monterey Bay Aquarium Meet-Up – On your own

Saturday, February 7

  • 8:00am to 4:00pm……….One-Day Certification with CyberTracker, *Extra Fee
  • 9:00am to 1:00pm……….Monterey Bay 4-Hour Whale Watching Tour, *Extra Fee