Conference. the Program We’Ve Put Together for These Next Three Days Exhibitors Happy to Help Answer Any Questions You Might Have
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* Bloomington, Indiana Building Resilience: October 23–25, 2018 The Future of Natural Areas Natural of Future The FORTY-FIFTH Hello, and welcome to the 45th Natural Areas Conference. The Natural Areas Conference would not be possible I’m pleased you could join us for this event, which is something of a homecoming without the generous support of our sponsors. for the Natural Areas Association. Bringing the conference to Bloomington was Presented by the Natural Areas Association an intentional choice — the NAA was founded in this region 45 years ago to be a forum for people working in state and private natural areas programs. Carbon Offset Over the years, NAA has weathered changes and challenges, but we have The Natural Areas Association is grateful to Sustain managed to persevere and grow. We hear echoes of our history in this year’s IU (www.sustain.iu.edu), which has underwritten a conference theme, “Building Resilience.” portion of the cost of offsetting the carbon footprint of Resilience is a familiar topic for natural areas professionals. We expend a lot of the Natural Areas Conference. NAA is committed to the effort trying to study, measure and enhance it in natural systems. goal of making the conference a carbon neutral event. It’s harder to appreciate the resilience that exists in ourselves. It’s there in the times when we continue to do our jobs in spite of obstacles that seem to appear out of nowhere — red tape, budget cuts, policy changes. And it’s there as we Wabash River Sponsor ($10,000 to $24,999) grapple with confounding situations, like how to manage national parks that Indiana Department of Natural Resources — are being simultaneously loved to death by the public and claimed for natural Division of Nature Preserves resources extraction by executive order. It’s true our resilience is facing unprecedented challenges. But I’ve learned Blue River Sponsor ($5,000 to $9,999) from my years in this organization that saying, “We’ve never experienced this Cleveland Museum of Natural History before” inevitably leads to someone remarking, “Well, actually, back in …” Over the Indiana Academy of Science span of this organization’s existence, we have faced long odds and lean years, and Indiana Forest Alliance we have persevered. The Nature Conservancy in Indiana If we can tap our inner resilience, stay strong, and be a voice for the conservation community, we will find a way to persist through these times. If we Buckner Cave Sponsor ($2,500 to $4,999) continue to support good science and use it as the foundation for protecting and iDigBio (Institute for Digital Information and maintaining natural areas, we can protect the core of our work. Scientific Communication) I’m inspired when I think of our closing plenary speakers. Former director Davey Resource Group, Inc. of the National Park Service Jonathan Jarvis and Dr. Gary E. Machlis co-wrote Eco Logic The Future of Conservation in America: A Chart for Rough Water. The book is prescriptive — at once hopeful and a call to action. It’s about looking toward the Bobcat Sponsor ($1,000 to $2,499) future, putting things in context, and offering ideas for how we can be better Environmental Resilience Institute — Indiana University collaborators and advocates on behalf of natural areas and ourselves. Sitka Technology Group The NAA is positioned well to lead our profession into the future. I’m inspired Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) by the energy and forward thinking I see being put forth by our staff and board. INPAWS (Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society) We’ve finalized changes that were in process last year. We’re offering more programming, continuing to advocate for our members and their work, and Hellbender Sponsor ($500 to $999) generating new ideas for making membership as valuable as possible. Applied Ecological Services I’d like to thank the conference planning committee for their hard work on Indiana Karst Conservancy coordinating this event. Thanks also to our sponsors for their support. And finally, Indiana University Department of Biology thank you for joining us back where it all began! Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs Sincerely, Sycamore Land Trust Woody Warehouse Nursery, Inc. In-kind Donor Wines ‘Til Sold Out — www.wtso.com Lisa L. Smith Executive Director, Natural Areas Association Welcome to Bloomington and the Questions and Conference Student Competition state of Indiana! Updates We thank those who entered the student awards competition. A team of judges will evaluate student The planning team is proud to welcome you to this year’s Natural Areas The staff at the conference registration desk will be posters and oral presentations. The top student Conference. The program we’ve put together for these next three days Exhibitors happy to help answer any questions you might have. We presenters will receive their monetary awards and explores the theme of “building resilience” from many angles. We hope that will post information concerning last-minute updates certificates on Wednesday night at the awards dinner. you come away from these presentations, field workshops, and events full of Frangipani Room to the conference schedule and other important Students must be present at the dinner to receive their new ideas and the inspiration to put them into practice in the natural areas information at the registration desk. awards. you steward. We want to thank this year’s This area of Indiana boasts many natural features that make it ideal for this exhibitors. Please stop by anytime event. The city is located in the heart of one of the largest eastern deciduous during the conference and pay Name Badges WiFi Access hardwood forest regions in the Midwest. There are three state parks within them a visit. a 45-minute drive of the Indiana University campus. Just 10 miles south lies Please wear your name badge to all conference events. Wireless internet access is available free throughout the Lake Monroe, which at more than 10,000 acres is the largest inland lake in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History It is your ticket to sessions, workshops, breaks, and Indiana Memorial Union and IU campus. To connect, state. Several of our field workshops make use of natural areas that are within Davey Resource Group, Inc. social events. Look inside the sleeve of your name badge make sure your device’s wireless networking (WiFi) 2 about 15 minutes of the IU campus, some of which feature the sinkholes, Eco Logic for tickets to the events you chose to attend during is turned on, and select the “attwifi” network (SSID). 3 caves and springs that comprise the region’s signature karst landforms. Eppley Institute of Parks registration. You may need to start your web browser to finish We start the conference proceedings with what is sure to be a memorable and Public Lands authenticating to AT&T. For assistance, contact the opening plenary. Our keynote speaker is award-winning nature writer and Great Lakes Phragmites Biddle Hotel front desk at 812-856-6381. Indiana University professor emeritus of English Scott Russell Sanders. Also Collaborative Cell Phones presenting as plenary speakers are Indiana University biology professor iDigBio Heather Reynolds and Indiana Department of Natural Resources plant Indiana Academy of Science Please silence cell phones during sessions as a courtesy ecologist Mike Homoya. Indiana Forest Alliance to presenters and participants. This year, we’re offering identification workshops in addition to field Spence Restoration Nursery workshops as part of our conference programming. There will also be plenty The Nature Conservancy in Indiana of opportunities for networking during the poster session and reception, Truax Company, Inc. Stay Current NAA awards dinner and luncheon, and of course informally after hours. USDA Forest Service We are offering a strong program for the next generation of conservation Woody Warehouse Nursery, Inc. Please use #NACBloomington on social media related to professionals with a Keys to Conservation Careers Session for students and the conference, and to stay up to date with conference U.S. Forest Service-sponsored job outreach event. We hope that you take events on both Facebook (www.facebook.com Job Outreach Event full advantage of these opportunities to make new contacts, explore new /NaturalAreasAssc) and Twitter (@naturalareas). Located in the Exhibits Area, this habitats, and expand your conservation knowledge. event will be open to all attendees That said, the full conference experience should definitely include some time outside the Indiana Memorial Union. Bloomington boasts a restaurant Exhibitors during Exhibit hours. Human Resource scene that allows you to be as adventurous as you’d like. Go and find an personnel from USFS will offer on-site amazing place to eat on 4th Street, with its selection of Tibetan, Turkish, and Frangipani Hall, our Exhibits Area, will be open from Thai cuisine, to name a few. Microbreweries and distilleries abound as well. 8 am to 6 pm on Tuesday, and 8 am to 4 pm Wednesday help and counseling on how to use In addition to feeding your body, you can feed your soul at Bloomington’s and Thursday. the federal government’s USAJOBS cultural institutions. Take in the intriguing exhibits at the Mathers Museum, Indiana University’s museum of world cultures. Those musically inclined platform, as well as how to apply for and might want to attend a concert hosted by the top-ranked Jacobs School of Field Workshops learn about current job opportunities. Music at IU. Bloomington is an active, friendly city, and the university campus is If you preregistered for a field workshop, you will find known for its beauty. We encourage you to explore all that it has to offer. We a ticket indicating your field workshop choice behind hope that you find your visit here, and the time you spend at the conference, your name badge.