DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WILDLIFE PROFESSIONALS: TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND TRAINING NEEDS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0223409
• Grant No.: 2010-38832-21685
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $10,000.00
• Proposal No.: 2010-03666
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2010
• Project End Date: May 30, 2013
• Grant Year: 2010
• Program Code: [MG.1]- NRE-Admin. Discretionary & Cong.-Extension

Recipient Organization
The Wildlife Society, Inc
5410 Grosvenor Lane
Bethesda,MD 20814

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
The Wildlife Society's long-range strategic plan laid out several goals in key areas related to the organization's mission. Included among these was TWS' strong desire to assist in the development of the next generation of wildlife professionals. A study of state fish and wildlife agencies commissioned by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies revealed that some 70% of current professionals are predicted to retire in the next decade. The Wildlife Society's Blue Ribbon Panel will identify trends tha may influence wildlife managment and conservation for the next 50 years. Their findings will be shared with the academic community as well as Federal and State Agencies and other similar professional societies. This should help identify the needs in providing the proper educational tools for the next generation of wildlife professionals.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

100%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
135	0850	1060	10%
135	0860	1060	10%
135	0899	1060	10%
306	0850	1060	10%
306	0860	1060	10%
306	0899	1060	10%
307	0850	1060	10%
307	0860	1060	10%
307	0899	1060	20%

Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife; 307 - Animal Management Systems; 306 - Environmental Stress in Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
0850 - Wildlife habitats; 0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other; 0860 - Endangered species;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

the wildlife society

blue ribbon panel

wildlife professionals

wildlife management

wildlife conservation

future trends in wildlife mgmt

climate change

energy development

pollution

invasive species

emerging diseases

habitat loss

threatened and endangered species

urbanization

human dimensions.

Goals / Objectives
The Wildlife Society will convene a blue ribbon panel of forward-thinking experts, representing various aspects of the modern wildlife profession, who will elucidate the major trends expected to influence wildlife management and conservation over the next 50 years. These are likely to include climate change, energy development, pollution, invasive species, emerging diseases, habitat loss, fragmentation and alteration, threatened and endangered species, urbanization and other human dimensions.

Project Methods
Panel will meet and develop a list of major trends expected to influence wildlife managment and conservation over the next 50 years. Deliverables of this project will include: 1. A written report from the expert panel reviewing the results of their findings concerning the above topics and providing clear recommendations. 2.This report will be distributed to the academic community through organizations such as the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, and National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs, to state and federal agencies, and to relevant professional societies 3. Follow-up with academic community, federal agencies, and other partners to assess if the recommendations are being used to improve training programs and guide the subject matter covered. 4. Additional efforts to plan cooperatively with the academic community, state and federal agencies, and professional societies about how various roles will be split up and how resources will be shared to reach desired goals.

Progress 09/01/10 to 02/28/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A Blue Ribbon panel convened in Nov. 2010 and again in Nov. 2011. A final report was completed with their recommendations on recruitment of students into the wildlife profession. The final report will be distributed to universities, govt agencies and other NGOs. Recommendations of the panel: .Curriculum must reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the wildlife profession and the expectations of prospective employers. A core curriculum should include natural sciences along with communications and critical-thinking skills . Universities, agencies, NGSs and other employers should collaborate to improve curriculum develpment and expand course offerings and experiential learning opportunities. . Greater emphasis should be placed on recruiting students into the field and on advising them throughout their academic careers. . Universities and employers should examine opportunities for improving recruitment and retention of under-represented groups. . Employers should support mentoring of employees throughout their professional careers and place greater emphasis on leadership development, taking advantage of partnerships with existing programs . Employers, academic institutions, and professional societies should partner to provide academic development and life-long learning opportunities for wildlife professionals. PARTICIPANTS: Verdie J. Abel, Ohio Division of Wildlife Rick Bayday, University of Manitoba Vonda K. Bell, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service DeeCee Darrow, Missouri Dept. of Conservation Sue Haseltine, U.S. Geological Survey (retired) Michael Hutchins, The Wildlife Society Marti Kie California Dept of Water Resources Kirsten Leong, National Park Service Roel R. Lopez, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources Kelly Millenbah, Michigan State University John D. Perrine, California Polytechnic State University Patty Reixinger,New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Gary SanJulian, Pennsylvania State University Jim Siegel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dan Svedarsky, University of Minnesota-Crookston T. Bently Wigley, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. Peregrine L. Wolff, Nevada Dept. of Wildlife TARGET AUDIENCES: Universities, government Agencies, Professional Societies, other wildlife professinal employers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
A written report was created with the panel's findings and recommendations. This report should help employers, universities, and other stakeholders in the future of the wildlife profession to train and retain more students into the field

Publications

• The Wildlife Society Blue Ribbon Panel final report The Future of the Wildlife Professiona and its Implications for Training the Next Generation of Wildlife Professional. Published in March 2012