Shorebird Banding Training (North American Banding Council)

[Fern Davies]

The North American Banding Council (NABC) and workshop co-chairs Cheri Gratto-Trevor, Lesley Howes and Eveling Tavera are happy to announce the first Shorebird Bander Training and NABC Certification Workshop to be held in association with the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group Meeting (WHSGM), Wallops Island, Virginia, September 12, 2015 from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

The NABC shorebird bander training workshop is a one day classroom based opportunity to learn, review and share best practices for capture, handling and marking shorebirds. Topics will include regulatory responsibilities, scientific and ethical standards for working with migratory birds, capture including cannon netting, working with various visual and electronic markers, data collection, data management and more!

This is an excellent opportunity for students and investigators alike to discuss and share best practices and what to expect in the field. Workshop participants are invited to take an optional exam as a step towards NABC bander or trainer level certification. NABC certification is a voluntary qualification designed to encourage standardized stepwise progressive bird bander development and encourage sharing of best practices. NABC certification demonstrates awareness of best practices in capture, handling and marking of birds for research and conservation purposes.

The $50 registration fee includes lunch and coffee breaks. Those wishing to take the optional certification exam will be charged $35 to be collected upon administration of the exam.

For more information or to download the draft agenda, please visit the meeting website: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/whsg2015/ancillary.html or contact: Lesley Howes , Bird Banding Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Lesley.Howes@ec.gc.ca / Tel: 613-998-0515