Call for Proposals

The Wildlife Society’s 32^nd Annual Conference

Call for Proposals for Educational and Training Sessions: Closed March 9, 2025

Call for Abstracts: Opens April 9 / Closes May 11, 2025

Call for Working Group Meetings: TBA

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Call for Abstracts

32nd Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society

October 5 -9, 2025

The submission deadline is May 11, 2025

 

The Wildlife Society will hold its 32nd Annual Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from October 5-9, 2025. Proposals for education and training programs including workshops, symposia and panel discussions are invited. Proposals related to all aspects of wildlife ecology, management, policy, human dimensions, and conservation are invited.

Symposium and Contributed Oral Presentations will be presented live and in-person in Edmonton. Each oral presentation will be allotted 15 minutes, which includes 12 minutes for the presentation and three minutes for questions. Along with preparing a slide deck for their in-person presentation, presenters will be required to upload a 12-minute video recording of their talk prior to the conference. Video presentations are due approximately one week before the conference and will be used to create a video archive of presentations at the conference, which will be available both during and following the event. The recorded format enhances accessibility of conference content.

Contributed Posters will be presented live and in-person in Edmonton. Presenters will present a printed version of their poster at the conference. Along with preparing a printed poster for their in-person presentation, contributed presenters will be required to upload a PDF version of their poster for asynchronous viewing through the mobile app and online.They will also have the option of uploading a short, recorded video summary of their poster.

Student Research in Progress Posters – All undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students with research in progress can submit an abstract for this session. Abstracts submitted can include 1) research that is in progress; 2) a proposed research project (with a focus on study design); 3) results from completed undergraduate research projects; or 4) student chapter research projects that may not be appropriate for the regular poster sessions (these may include a class or group research project). Along with preparing a printed poster for their live, in-person presentation, SRIP presenters will be required upload a PDF version of their poster for asynchronous viewing and have the option of uploading a short, recorded video summary of their poster.

Instructions for Submitting Abstracts

The submission site will lead you through the submission steps; guidelines for submissions are summarized below. The submission deadline is Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Abstracts that miss this deadline will not be considered. Please note: TWS allows only one contributed oral, contributed poster or student work in progress abstract per primary author; however, you may give more than one presentation if you have been recruited to participate in a symposium session.   

Abstracts must be under 250 words, and should include a statement of objectives, brief description of methods, results, and conclusions.

If you have been recruited to participate in a symposium you will be asked to select that symposium session. If your abstract was not invited but is appropriate for a symposium please select that symposium first, then select a contributed topic. If not selected for the symposium, your abstract will still be considered for a contributed topic.

Symposium Sessions (click to see descriptions)

• Adaptive management: reducing uncertainty in wildlife and natural resources decision making
• Addressing Avian Influenza Virus in Research and Practice
• Applying Forestry Practices to Biodiversity Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities
• Bioeconomic modeling to inform wildlife management
• Broadening perspectives of rangeland and wildlife management professions
• Coastal and Marine Wildlife Conservation: Challenges, Innovations, and Future Directions
• Communicating Effectively on Contentious Topics: Education and Outreach Focused on Predator Species
• Conservation applications of species abundance models for birds (and friends!)
• Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management in Northern Ecosystems
• Disabilities, Neurodiversity, and Advocacy in Academia and the Workplace
• Ecological theory applications for conservation
• Ecology and Management of Mesocarnivores
• Ecology and Management of Moose
• Fire as a driver of animal interactions and populations
• Game Bird Translocation
• Integration of Nutrition into On-The-Ground Management: Potential and Challenges
• Mountain sentinels in a changing world: population ecology and conservation of mountain goats in North America
• One Health in Action
• Research, Management, and Education on Private Lands: Innovative Methods for the Future of Wildlife
• Rewilding and Landscape-Scale Ecosystem Restoration: A Wildlife Perspective
• Sharp-tailed Grouse Conservation and Management in North America
• State-of-the science for reducing bat mortality at wind energy facilities
• The ecology of polar bears in a changing Arctic
• Wetland and Wildlife Stewardship in Canadian Boreal Forest Management
• Wildlife Policy and Governance in Canada: Next Steps
• Wildlife Research in Alberta’s Oil Sands: Challenges, Insights, and Conservation Applications.
• WomenX at Work: Stories of Wildlife Research and Management

*Symposium session descriptions can be found here.

Contributed Topics

• Biometrics and Population Modeling
• Climate Change
• Conservation and Ecology of Birds
• Conservation and Ecology of Mammals
• Conservation and Ecology of Reptiles and Amphibians
• Conservation and Ecology of Wildlife Communities
• Cultural Aspects of Wildlife Conservation
• Endangered Species Conservation
• Habitat Ecology and Management
• Human Dimensions
• IDEA -Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness
• International Wildlife Management
• Invasive Species
• Molecular Ecology
• New Technology and Applications
• Physiology and Nutrition
• Planning and Policy
• Public Engagement, Education and Communication
• Spatial Ecology and Modeling
• Urban Wildlife Management
• Wildlife Damage Management
• Wildlife Disease and Toxicology

Abstract Evaluation

Abstracts will be evaluated based on technical merit and contribution to our knowledge of species, populations, communities, ecological processes, management practices, conservation initiatives, education models, communication, or policy issues. Oral presentations and posters should present results from completed studies or completed phases of long-term projects. Work in progress is more appropriate for presentation at local or regional meetings.

Student Research-in-Progress abstracts will be evaluated based on technical merit and contribution to our knowledge of species, populations, communities, ecological processes, management practices, conservation initiatives, education models, communication, or policy issues. Work does not need to be completed to be submitted.

Student Presentation Awards

Students who submit abstracts for a contributed presentation may request to be considered for the Best Student Oral Presentation or Poster Award. Please note, abstract quality is an important part of being considered for this award.

Notice of Decision

Due to time/space limitations we may not be able to accept all papers and posters submitted. Notice of decision will be made on or about June 2, 2025 via email.

Registration

All presenters MUST register and pay the appropriate conference registration fee. Registration information will be posted on TWS’ conference website, twsconference.org. We expect registration to open in June 2025. Early Bird registration is strongly encouraged and will be available through at least July 30.

Questions? Questions about the conference program may be directed to Program Committee Coordinator, Tricia Fry at tricia@wildlife.org. For all other conference questions, please call (301) 897-9770 or email membership@wildlife.org.

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