Header Photo Courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation
Workshops
We’re pleased to offer the following high-quality pre-conference workshops on Sunday, January 25, 2026. Thank you to the workshop organizers for their efforts to provide these additional educational opportunities with an emphasis on a specific skill, technique, or process.
Pre-registration and additional fees are required for participation. Sign-up will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis via the online registration form.
Pre-registration and additional fees are required for participation. Sign-up will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis via the online registration form.
W-01: Succeed in Wildlife Management: Navigate an Uncertain Future and Adapt to Challenges Through Strategic Positioning
FULL DAY - SUNDAY; 9AM - 5PM (lunch on own)
Fee: $40
Contact: Joseph Conroy, [email protected]
Overview:
WHY: The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted. But future outcomes can be shaped through Strategic Positioning, a 2-step process. First, Futurecasting helps identify strategic goals that guide decisions. Second, Adaptive Planning ensures actions progress toward these goals, while adjusting to unforeseen challenges. Combined, these two processes ensure long-term success in fisheries – and life. The Strategic Positioning Committee of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) has adopted Futurecasting and Adaptive Planning to strategically position AFS units for future success. By coordinating unit activities at all levels with the long-term vision, AFS can improve communication and helps all members lead and succeed.
WHAT: The workshop will first cover a short introduction to Futurecasting. Participants will then practice Futurecasting in small break-out groups to (1) create strategic goals that align with a long-term vision, (2) identify resources needed to build that future, and (3) formulate an action plan to implement this future. Ideas from each group will be discussed to identify potential challenges and how to use adaptive planning to succeed.
HOW: The workshop is based on active-learning principles, with participants absorbing preparatory materials pre-workshop (~1 h), minimizing lecture time. Emphasis is on experiential learning during small-group activities, followed by whole-group interactive discussions to share and synthesize ideas. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Participants will learn how to (1) develop long-term strategic thinking to set themselves up for future success, (2) adaptively plan to deal with uncertainty, (3) confidently articulate ideas, and (4) effectively communicate visionary goals and strategic actions.
Intended Audience: Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference attendees at any career stage, from students to late-career professionals are invited. The workshop is organized by the AFS Strategic Positioning Committee to introduce Futurecasting and Adaptive Planning approaches.
FULL DAY - SUNDAY; 9AM - 5PM (lunch on own)
Fee: $40
Contact: Joseph Conroy, [email protected]
Overview:
WHY: The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted. But future outcomes can be shaped through Strategic Positioning, a 2-step process. First, Futurecasting helps identify strategic goals that guide decisions. Second, Adaptive Planning ensures actions progress toward these goals, while adjusting to unforeseen challenges. Combined, these two processes ensure long-term success in fisheries – and life. The Strategic Positioning Committee of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) has adopted Futurecasting and Adaptive Planning to strategically position AFS units for future success. By coordinating unit activities at all levels with the long-term vision, AFS can improve communication and helps all members lead and succeed.
WHAT: The workshop will first cover a short introduction to Futurecasting. Participants will then practice Futurecasting in small break-out groups to (1) create strategic goals that align with a long-term vision, (2) identify resources needed to build that future, and (3) formulate an action plan to implement this future. Ideas from each group will be discussed to identify potential challenges and how to use adaptive planning to succeed.
HOW: The workshop is based on active-learning principles, with participants absorbing preparatory materials pre-workshop (~1 h), minimizing lecture time. Emphasis is on experiential learning during small-group activities, followed by whole-group interactive discussions to share and synthesize ideas. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Participants will learn how to (1) develop long-term strategic thinking to set themselves up for future success, (2) adaptively plan to deal with uncertainty, (3) confidently articulate ideas, and (4) effectively communicate visionary goals and strategic actions.
Intended Audience: Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference attendees at any career stage, from students to late-career professionals are invited. The workshop is organized by the AFS Strategic Positioning Committee to introduce Futurecasting and Adaptive Planning approaches.
W-02: Introduction to Vertebrate Specimen Preparation: Tools, Techniques, and Best Practices
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 9AM - 12PM
Fee: $30
Contact: Rachel Brent, [email protected]
Overview:
This hands-on workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of vertebrate specimen preparation for research, teaching, and collections management. Attendees will learn about preparation techniques for study skins and skeletal material, with emphasis on ethical handling, proper documentation, and curation standards. The workshop will cover essential tools and supplies, safety practices, preparation workflows, and troubleshooting common issues. Participants will also gain an understanding of relevant federal and state laws and permitting requirements related to collecting and preparing specimens. As part of the session, each participant will prepare a small mammal specimen, which they may take home as a reference, leaving with both practical experience and resources they can apply in academic, museum, or agency settings.
Intended Audience: Students, early-career professionals, and natural resource educators interested in developing foundational skills in vertebrate specimen preparation. Content level: Beginner
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 9AM - 12PM
Fee: $30
Contact: Rachel Brent, [email protected]
Overview:
This hands-on workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of vertebrate specimen preparation for research, teaching, and collections management. Attendees will learn about preparation techniques for study skins and skeletal material, with emphasis on ethical handling, proper documentation, and curation standards. The workshop will cover essential tools and supplies, safety practices, preparation workflows, and troubleshooting common issues. Participants will also gain an understanding of relevant federal and state laws and permitting requirements related to collecting and preparing specimens. As part of the session, each participant will prepare a small mammal specimen, which they may take home as a reference, leaving with both practical experience and resources they can apply in academic, museum, or agency settings.
Intended Audience: Students, early-career professionals, and natural resource educators interested in developing foundational skills in vertebrate specimen preparation. Content level: Beginner
W-03: CVs and Interviews
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 1PM - 4PM
Fee: $10
Contact: Geriann Albers, [email protected]
Overview:
This workshop is for students and early career professionals in the beginning of job searching. For the first half we’ll cover CVs vs resumes, what to include on a CV, nuances for the entity you are applying for, and resources available. In the second half we’ll dive into interviewing tips, common norms and expectations, in-person vs online and run through some common interview questions.
Intended Audience: Students and early career professionals
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 1PM - 4PM
Fee: $10
Contact: Geriann Albers, [email protected]
Overview:
This workshop is for students and early career professionals in the beginning of job searching. For the first half we’ll cover CVs vs resumes, what to include on a CV, nuances for the entity you are applying for, and resources available. In the second half we’ll dive into interviewing tips, common norms and expectations, in-person vs online and run through some common interview questions.
Intended Audience: Students and early career professionals
W-04: Assess, Protect and Restore Resilient Rivers
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 1PM - 4PM
Fee: Student - $15; Professional $30
Contact: Mary Khoury, [email protected]
Overview:
Not even a tenth of rivers in the conterminous United States are under conservation: 7% are resilient for biodiversity in a changing climate and sufficiently protected, 23% are resilient and not sufficiently protected, 7% are restorable (close to resilient) and protected; and the rest (63%) are in need of a lot of restoration and are unprotected. The Nature Conservancy’s Center for Resilient Conservation Science mapped freshwater resilience and brought this together with information on freshwater protection in the Resilient River Explorer web tool (https://www.maps.tnc.org/resilientrivers) to give managers the means to assess, protect and restore rivers and streams. The workshop will provide hands-on training in how to apply our information to conserving resilient freshwater systems using the Resilient River Explorer. In this workshop, you will:
Assess
1. Understand freshwater resilience and find out how resilient is your river system.
2. Identify what needs improvement for your river to be more resilient.
3. Prioritize where to focus your conservation efforts using the Freshwater Resilient and Connected Network.
4. Assess gaps in conservation for both protection and restoration of a given river.
Protect
5. Evaluate protection opportunities based on the resilience of freshwater ecosystems.
Restore
6. Visualize the primary restoration needed to improve resilience.
7. Evaluate the benefits of a specific dam removal or series of dams.
Access data and reports
8. Download the data and integrate into your spatial analysis.
9. Access the full methods report.
10. Access case studies and frequently asked questions.
Give Feedback
The final part of the workshop will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback and input to us about how this tool meets and doesn’t meet your decision-making support needs. We want to understand from our participants the decisions you are making regarding freshwater conservation so that we can evolve our work and web tools to serve those needs better.
Intended Audience: The workshop is intended for professionals mainly and students are welcome. We imagine this content being most relevant to managers who are involved in the strategic planning for river and wetland restoration and protection. The content is beginner in that no prior experience with the Resilient River Explorer is required. We will explain the key concepts underlying freshwater resilience but will not be providing detailed information in the workshop on the methods.
NOTE: Attendees will need to bring their laptops to participate.
HALF DAY - SUNDAY; 1PM - 4PM
Fee: Student - $15; Professional $30
Contact: Mary Khoury, [email protected]
Overview:
Not even a tenth of rivers in the conterminous United States are under conservation: 7% are resilient for biodiversity in a changing climate and sufficiently protected, 23% are resilient and not sufficiently protected, 7% are restorable (close to resilient) and protected; and the rest (63%) are in need of a lot of restoration and are unprotected. The Nature Conservancy’s Center for Resilient Conservation Science mapped freshwater resilience and brought this together with information on freshwater protection in the Resilient River Explorer web tool (https://www.maps.tnc.org/resilientrivers) to give managers the means to assess, protect and restore rivers and streams. The workshop will provide hands-on training in how to apply our information to conserving resilient freshwater systems using the Resilient River Explorer. In this workshop, you will:
Assess
1. Understand freshwater resilience and find out how resilient is your river system.
2. Identify what needs improvement for your river to be more resilient.
3. Prioritize where to focus your conservation efforts using the Freshwater Resilient and Connected Network.
4. Assess gaps in conservation for both protection and restoration of a given river.
Protect
5. Evaluate protection opportunities based on the resilience of freshwater ecosystems.
Restore
6. Visualize the primary restoration needed to improve resilience.
7. Evaluate the benefits of a specific dam removal or series of dams.
Access data and reports
8. Download the data and integrate into your spatial analysis.
9. Access the full methods report.
10. Access case studies and frequently asked questions.
Give Feedback
The final part of the workshop will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback and input to us about how this tool meets and doesn’t meet your decision-making support needs. We want to understand from our participants the decisions you are making regarding freshwater conservation so that we can evolve our work and web tools to serve those needs better.
Intended Audience: The workshop is intended for professionals mainly and students are welcome. We imagine this content being most relevant to managers who are involved in the strategic planning for river and wetland restoration and protection. The content is beginner in that no prior experience with the Resilient River Explorer is required. We will explain the key concepts underlying freshwater resilience but will not be providing detailed information in the workshop on the methods.
NOTE: Attendees will need to bring their laptops to participate.
W-05: SEES - SteupUp! Employee Empowerment Strategies
Hosted by the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society
HALF DAY SUNDAY: 1PM-5PM
Fee: $25
Contact: Gary Potts, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Dr. Jenn Malpass, [email protected]
Overview:
SEES (short for StepUp! Employee Empowerment Strategies) is a peer-led bystander intervention workshop meant to empower employees to hold each other accountable as they strive to treat co-workers inclusively with open-minded dialogue, dignity, and respect. Several workplace health and safety organizations have determined that one of the most successful ways to reduce harassment is a system of anti-harassment programs broadly described as "bystander intervention.” Bystander intervention is intended to reduce the burden of protecting themselves from harassment from those experiencing unwelcome conduct and shift the burden to the community. The key is to have the community recognize that harassment ultimately harms the work of our profession itself. The goals of the SEES Bystander Intervention Training are to: 1) Raise awareness of barriers to helping, 2) Raise awareness of behaviors that can help, 3) Increase attendees' motivation and desire to help, 4) Help attendees develop skills and confidence when responding to various levels of harassment and 5) Ensure the safety and well-being of attendees.
Intended Audience: Both students and professionals would benefit from the workshop. The content level would be intermediate.
Hosted by the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society
HALF DAY SUNDAY: 1PM-5PM
Fee: $25
Contact: Gary Potts, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Dr. Jenn Malpass, [email protected]
Overview:
SEES (short for StepUp! Employee Empowerment Strategies) is a peer-led bystander intervention workshop meant to empower employees to hold each other accountable as they strive to treat co-workers inclusively with open-minded dialogue, dignity, and respect. Several workplace health and safety organizations have determined that one of the most successful ways to reduce harassment is a system of anti-harassment programs broadly described as "bystander intervention.” Bystander intervention is intended to reduce the burden of protecting themselves from harassment from those experiencing unwelcome conduct and shift the burden to the community. The key is to have the community recognize that harassment ultimately harms the work of our profession itself. The goals of the SEES Bystander Intervention Training are to: 1) Raise awareness of barriers to helping, 2) Raise awareness of behaviors that can help, 3) Increase attendees' motivation and desire to help, 4) Help attendees develop skills and confidence when responding to various levels of harassment and 5) Ensure the safety and well-being of attendees.
Intended Audience: Both students and professionals would benefit from the workshop. The content level would be intermediate.
W-06: Introduction to Wildlife Disease Investigations
HALF-DAY SUNDAY: 9AM-12PM
Fee: $30
Contact: Alysa Raleigh, Indiana DNR, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves, [email protected]
Overview:
This workshop will be an introduction to how to investigate reports of wildlife diseases. Attendees will learn skills and techniques for receiving reports of sick or dead wildlife, investigating causes of sick or dead wildlife, collecting and shipping samples to the lab, interpreting lab results, and providing education to the public. Attendees will learn common causes of diseases in mammals, birds, herps, and fish.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for this workshop would be students or entry level professionals. The content is beginner level.
HALF-DAY SUNDAY: 9AM-12PM
Fee: $30
Contact: Alysa Raleigh, Indiana DNR, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves, [email protected]
Overview:
This workshop will be an introduction to how to investigate reports of wildlife diseases. Attendees will learn skills and techniques for receiving reports of sick or dead wildlife, investigating causes of sick or dead wildlife, collecting and shipping samples to the lab, interpreting lab results, and providing education to the public. Attendees will learn common causes of diseases in mammals, birds, herps, and fish.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for this workshop would be students or entry level professionals. The content is beginner level.