Monday, February 19, 2018 | |
6:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Optional Pre-Academy Field Trip to South Padre Island Sponsored by: South Padre Island ($75 per person and spouses/partners are welcome; sign up with Academy registration) |
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Registration Desk Open in Hotel Lobby |
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Welcome to McAllen Margarita Social Join Academy partner, McAllen Convention and Visitor Bureau for a festive margarita social complete with a Mariachi Band! |
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Kickback at Drury Inn Join our host hotel for heavy snacks/light dinner at the Kickback at Drury Inn or venture out on your own to a local restaurant. |
Tuesday, February 20, 2018 | |
6:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast Hot breakfast included in hotel reservation. |
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Registration Desk Open in Hotel Lobby |
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | Foundations for Fish and Wildlife Management in the 21st Century David W. Arnold, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | Plenary: Nature of Americans Dave Case, DJ Case & Associates |
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Break |
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Developing the Outdoor Citizen: TPWD's Response to the Nature of Americans Study Johnnie Smith and Darcy Bontempo, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Lunch Enjoy and authentic meal of tacos and bunuelos provided by El Pato, Fresh Mexican Food. |
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Building a Diverse Staff and Volunteer Team. From NWR to Cities, Reflections on Success, Struggles and On-going Efforts Jennifer Owen-White, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge; Marisa Oliva-Rodriguez, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center; and Tiffany Kersten, McAllen Nature Center |
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Creating a Hispanic Outreach Program in State Government Alix Pedraza, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources |
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Break |
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Alliance for America's Fish & Wildlife Sean Saville, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies |
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Break |
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Dinner and Keynote Address: Know Thy Neighbor: A Story of Collaboration to Engage Diverse Audiences in the Rio Grande Valley Marisa Oliva-Rodriguez, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center; Gisela Chapa, South Texas Refuge Complex – USFWS; and Javier de Leon, Estero Llano Grande State Park and World Birding Center Feast on local Bar-B-Que from Lone Star. |
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | |
6:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast Hot breakfast included in hotel reservation. |
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | Break |
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch Enjoy sandwiches and fresh cooking provided by the Corner Bakery. |
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Break |
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Kickback at Drury Inn Join our host hotel for heavy snacks/light dinner at the Kickback at Drury Inn or venture out on your own to a local restaurant. |
5:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. | Optional Evening Field Trip to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park Enjoy nighttime wildlife viewing at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and World Birding Center. (Included with Academy registration, but you must sign up to reserve your spot and transportation) |
Thursday, February 22, 2018 | |
6:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast Hot breakfast included in hotel reservation. |
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Break |
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch: Looking Forward to the 2020 Academy Dine on local pizza and fettuccini from Mama’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen and learn about the fantastic location of our 2020 Academy. |
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions
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2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Break |
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Overview of the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Tom Allen, Southwick Associates |
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Break |
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Closing Banquet and Presentation Join your Academy colleagues at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center (see photos below) for one last night of camaraderie, conversation, beautiful scenery, and authentic Tex-Mex food while we learn about the balance between nature tourism and the conservation of an endangered species at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll have a pre-meal presentation on the lawn of the film "Phantom Cat of the Chaparral Endangered Ocelot" followed by a presentation by Laguna Atascosa NWR staff on endangered species management practices, balancing needs of birders and other nature tourists, and communication with wildlife viewers using the ocelot as a case study. We’ll share real lessons learned when closing portions of a refuge following the death of a radio-collared ocelot, the key species at this refuge. Following the presentation, we’ll retire to the courtyard to enjoy a locally made festive Tex-Mex meal including aguas frescas, homemade tortillas, and other regional specialties, accompanied by music from local musicians. All transportation and food are provided with Academy registration. |
Friday, February 23, 2018 | |
All Day | Optional Post-Academy Field Trip to the 22nd Annual Whooping Crane Festival (on your own) |
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Meeting Location |
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