september 2018 - ofwim · assisting biologists in the field, you can find karen standing in a river...

Hello, OFWIM members! Fall is rapidly approaching and the OFWIM conference is getting closer. I had the opportunity to review the presentation abstracts and I

am once again amazed at the wealth of knowledge and dynamic presentations we have the opportunity to see. You would think I would get used to such excellence out of our organization, but each year I have a renewed excitement for the learning opportunities. Couple that with the opportunity to spend time with such a fantastic group of people, and you have the makings of a memorable week. The Conference Planning Committee has been hard at working making sure our time at Hood River, Oregon will be the best yet.

It has been an honor serving as OFWIM President this past year. The success of our organization relies on people selflessly stepping up and working to continue the great tradition of OFWIM. Our Executive Committee of Jeanette Jones, Becca Scully, MaryEllen Wickett, Michael Barbour, and Karen Horodysky have done an amazing job managing the organization. Becca will be a fantastic President this coming year. I would like to thank our committee chairs and all the members for great work in their areas. It is truly a team effort. I would like to recognize Don Katnik and Dyanne Cortez for their work on providing an excellent newsletter and website. Their work allows us to effectively communicate and deliver valuable information to OFWIM members.

Data and Information in general have begun to take an even more critical role in how we do our work. Years ago Missouri’s deer harvest would take months to officially calculate. Protection Agents would have to go to all our check stations, collect all the tags and bring them in to be counted and categorized. Today we offer

near real-time harvest counts and people are clamoring for official results the morning after the season is over—we deliver. As we move forward in our respective positions, it is becoming more and more important to tell a compelling story, answer a multitude of questions, and give the opportunity to make actionable decisions very quickly with the data we collect. The collaboration of OFWIM members helps us all learn and find more effective ways to meet the ever-growing needs based on the work we do. At our upcoming conference we will see presentations discussing all aspects of how different organizations are tackling problems. The Hackers’ Ball is another opportunity to discuss projects and issues more in-depth in a relaxing environment. Everyone has something to teach and learn. I encourage you to take the opportunity to engage and together we can all grow and learn.

I encourage you to vote for the three officer positions for the coming years. Candidate bios and voting instructions are included in this newsletter. I look forward to seeing everyone in Hood River in a few weeks.

President’s Message

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Voting Guide / Candidate Bios ......................... 2

Conference Announcement ............................. 4

Conference Agenda (Preliminary) ..................... 5

Workshop Information ................................... 8

Guide to Conference Expenses ......................... 9

The Continuing Adventures of Capt. Jack ........... 10

OFWIM Membership ................................... 13

OFWIM Officers & Committees ...................... 15

SEPTEMBER 2018

- Joe Kirby

OFWIM NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018

2018 ELECTION OF NEW OFWIM OFFICERS

VOTE NOW https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OFWIM2018Election VOTE NOW

Karen Horodysky is the Data Scientist and Certified Scrum Product Owner for the Fish and Wildlife Information Services section at the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. A fisheries biologist by training, Karen was previously involved in the monitoring and management of marine, coastal and anadromous fishes at state agencies in Virginia and Maryland. She now works closely with DGIF biologists and Scrum teams to coordinate the development of tools that support the collection, storage and sharing of fish and wildlife data. Karen holds a master’s degree in Marine and Fisheries Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She is currently the OFWIM Member-at-Large, serves on the OFWIM Conference Planning Committee and the Data Standards and Technology Trends Committee, and has represented OFWIM at the AFS FITS. She is also serving as Treasurer for the Virginia Chapter AFS. When not managing product backlogs or assisting biologists in the field, you can find Karen standing in a river waving a stick.

Karen

Horodysky

Austin is the Nongame SWAP GIS Specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department where he has been employed since 2014. He is responsible with managing and updating SWAP databases, including Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and stressors. Also, he conducts species distribution modeling and analyzes as well as supports nongame specialists with projects. He received a B.S. in Environmental Geography and a M.S. in GIS from Arizona State University. In his spare time, Austin enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, backpacking, and exploring every other aspect of the outdoors.

Austin Smith

At the annual OFWIM Business Meeting on Nov 7, 2018 we will elect our new President,

Member-at-Large, and Treasurer to serve for the coming year. Members may vote online at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OFWIM2018Election

Oct 5 through Nov 6 or in-person at the conference.

CANDIDATES FOR OFWIM PRESIDENT-ELECT




CANDIDATES FOR MEMBER@LARGE

Chelsea Krause is the GIS Coordinator for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. She has been with the agency for almost 8 years and helps manage the use of GIS for the entire department. With the many applications of GIS, she is fortunate enough to help out the wildlife, fisheries and park staff with data collection, management, and mapping needs across the state.

Chelsea Krause

The Fish & Wildlife Information Service Biologist at the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). An OFWIM member since starting at VDGIF in 2001, she has been truly active in OFWIM since 2015 when Virginia hosted the annual conference serving on the Conference Planning Committee. Susan’s wildlife background provides her with the knowledge and skills to review and analyze wildlife data and work with other biologists and GIS staff at VDGIF. Recent efforts have included improvements to data on bat species and resources in Virginia. She has a passion for sharing information to help educate the public about wildlife resources and works often with Virginia Master Naturalists to educate them to enhance citizen science efforts. Susan is also highly involved in the Virginia Herpetological Society where she has worked to provide and enhance herpetofaunal (and at times other wildlife) data. In addition, Susan also serves on the Board of the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River. Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. She loves hiking, wildlife viewing (especially herping), and creating artwork, when possible.

Susan Watson

An HDMS Data Specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. He recently changed positions, moving to AZGFD in June 2018 after 16 years as the GIS/Database Manager for the Alabama Natural Heritage Program. He is

responsible for curating biological information on special status wildlife species occurrences from all sources for the needs of Arizona's Heritage Data Management System (HDMS). He also acts as State Administrator for Arizona's iMapInvasives program and maintains the iMapInvasives database for Arizona. He received B.S. degrees in Biology and Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech, and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of New Hampshire. He completed a Ph.D. research project in Zoology (Wildlife Management) with the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory (CWRL) at Southern Illinois University, then spent a year as a GIS Analyst with CWRL.

Michael Barbour

CANDIDATE FOR TREASURER

VOTE NOW https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OFWIM2018Election VOTE NOW



If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:

Becca Scully (USGS/Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership), [email protected]

Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers Annual Conference & Business Meeting

November 4th-8th, 2018 - Hood River, Oregon

Hood River is located 60 miles from the Portland airport in the heart of the Columbia

River Gorge. We are planning a great conference focusing on partnerships and

managing information across partners and jurisdictions. We will have drone

demonstrations, visits to salmon habitat restoration projects, and a panel on the local

2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Additionally, Hood River is a go-to destination for foodies,

adventurers, history buffs, & adrenaline junkies. It’s brimming with scenic hiking and

mountain biking trails, fishing, craft breweries, wineries, & farm fresh bounty.

REGISTER AT:

https://www.regonline.com/ofwimOR2018



26th Annual OFWIM Conference & Business Meeting

AGENDA

Sunday, November 4—Travel Day

5:00 pm ExComm and Conference Planning Meeting (TBD)

6:00 pm Social Gathering, Cebu Lounge

Monday, November 5

7:45 am Registration

8:15 am Welcome, Announcements, & Introductions

8:30 am About the Area

9:00 am Keynote Presentation

9:45 am BREAK / Raffle

10:00 am Social Fishing Apps: A New Data Collection Tool For Fisheries Management

10:25 am Updating the Biota Information System of New Mexico User Interface: A Building Block of the New Mexico Conservation Information System

10:50 am A Tool for Data Consolidation and Standardization

11:15 am Efficiency and Opportunities Gained with a Data Exchange API

11:40 am LUNCH (on your own)

1:05 pm Raffle

1:10 pm The Environmental Data Initiative’s Ecological Data Management Training Program: The Experience of a Summer Fellow at Archbold Biological Station

1:35 pm Improved Compliance Management Through Data Integration and Automation

2:00 pm Interagency Cooperation for Data Sharing: USFS and Arizona Heritage Working to Establish Electronic Data Sharing Capacity

2:25 pm The Power of Partnerships: Managing Florida’s Shorebird Populations Together

2:50 pm BREAK / Raffle

3:05 pm Improving Habitat Restoration Through Centralized Record Keeping: The Land Treatment Digital Library

3:30 pm Managing Hosted ArcGIS Content Locally and in the Cloud

3:55 pm The Magic of Machine Learning

4:20 pm Introducing GeoOptix: Tools for Fueling Collaboration and Secure Environmental Data Management in the Cloud

4:45 pm Data Visualization Tools for Aquatic Habitat Evaluation and Species Recovery Prioritization

5:10 pm Field Techniques Session Logistics

5:30 pm Poster Setup / Geocache

http://riversidehoodriver.com/cebu-lounge/



AGENDA

Monday, November 5—Continued

6:00 pm

Hackers’ Ball (dinner provided)

• Improving Data Access Using JSON Web Services

• Maine’s Electronic Game Registration Application

• Bathymetric Mapping and the WV Interactive Hunting & Fishing Map

• Planning for the Future by Studying the Past: The Land Treatment Planning Tool

• Conservation Efforts Database V2.0: Conservation Planning and Effectiveness Monitoring

• MonitoringResources.org as a Documentation and Sharing Tool for eDNA Investigations

• The Tennessee Wildlife Legacy Plan – Utilizing the State Wildlife Action Plan

• How the Yakama Nation Shares Fish and Habitat Restoration Information

• Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership

• Vyond: Using Animated Videos to Convey Concepts

• The Florida Shorebird Database: a Tool to Support Data Collection & Distribution

Tuesday, November 6

8:00 am Gather for the Field Techniques session

8:30 am Depart for the Field Techniques session—see description below agenda (lunch provided)

5:00 pm Return to hotel (dinner on your own)

Wednesday, November 7

7:50 am Raffle

8:00 am Data Driven Decision Making using Tableau

8:25 am Impacts of Intermittency to Stream Biota Community Structure

8:50 am Evaluation and Prioritization of Restoration Actions in Three Urban Aquatic Environments for Salmonids Under

9:15 am Building for the Future: Bringing MOFEP into the 21st Century

9:40 am BREAK / Raffle

9:55 am Using Deep Learning to Screen Time-Lapse Pictures for Vehicles

10:20 am The Power of ArcGIS Story Maps for Informing Decision-Makers

10:45 am Configuring and Deploying Story Maps – Tell and Promote Your Agency’s Story

11:10 am Assessing the Protection Status of Vegetation Types in the Conterminous U.S.

11:35 am Predicting Forest Fires with Machine Learning

12:00 Noon Business Meeting (lunch provided), Innovation Awards, Committee Presentations / Raffle

1:30 pm Committee Breakout Sessions



AGENDA

Wednesday, November 7—Continued

1:55 pm Building Wildlife Models with Cloud-Based Mapping Techniques

2:20 pm The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Flood and Storm Transport (NAS FAST) Mapper

2:45 pm How to Deal with and Use All That GPS Tracking Data... What a Mess!

3:10 pm BREAK / Raffle

3:25 pm Using an Emerging Hot Spot Analysis to Improve Angler R3 Efforts

3:50 pm Survey123 and Collector – What’s New?

4:15 pm ArcGIS Solutions: Getting the Most Out of Your Existing GIS Investment

4:40 pm Mapping and Quantifying Xeroriparian Across the Arid Deserts

5:05 pm Geocache

7:00 pm Banquet (dinner provided)

Thursday, November 8

8:00 am Workshop: Collector and Survey123 for ArcGIS (see announcement following the agenda)

12:00 Noon Closing remarks

Join Us Tuesday, November 6th for the 2018 OFWIM Field Techniques Session

We will be touring and learning about Columbia River Gorge habitat, hydropower, and fish ecology. We will start with a tour of restoration sites on the White Salmon River. In 2011 the Condit Dam was removed and for the first time in 100 years salmon and steelhead have returned to the upper stretch of the river.. The Yakima Nation will give us a tour of two different restoration sites and share their story. Watch this National Geographic video of the dam removal.

While at the river, we will also get a demo from USGS on using UAV technology to count salmon redds. After we have finished on the White Salmon, we will drive down the Columbia River Gorge, stopping in Stevenson, WA for lunch then continuing over the Bridge of the Gods to the Bonneville Dam. A Bonneville guide will take us through the energy facilities and a tour of the fish ladder. While at the dam, we will visit Herman the Sturgeon; an 11-foot, 500- pound, 70-year-old (estimated) white sturgeon. After a full day we will return to Hood River, along the south side of the Gorge getting an up-close look at site of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Condit Dam right after the dam removal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LxMHmw3Z-U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LxMHmw3Z-U

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/maps/5584/


If you have any questions, contact:

Becca Scully (USGS/Pacific Northwest Aquatic

Monitoring Partnership), [email protected]

Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers Annual Conference & Business Meeting

Join us as on the last day of the annual meeting for a free workshop. The

workshop will explore Collector and Survey123 for ArcGIS, ESRI’s mobile apps

for data collection. Collector is a map-centric app and Survey123 is a form-

centric app. Instructors will walk participants through the process of creating a

map to use in the Collector app for collecting or modifying data in the field, and

creating simple custom forms for data collection using Survey 123. Bring your

laptop. Software required is ArcGIS Desktop and Survey123 Connect (https://

doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/download/). An ArcGIS Online account (or

ARCGIS organizational account) with publishing privileges will also be required.

Participants should also install the Collector and Survey 123 apps on a mobile

device if you want to go through the process of downloading for use in the field

(these apps are free from the Apple App Store or Google Play).

Register For The Conference Here:


November 4th-8th, 2018 - Hood River, Oregon

November 8th Workshop: ArcGIS Collector and Survey 123

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/download/

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/download/




Guide to Expenses & Other Conference Information

REGISTRATION


• Early Member (by 9/30): $375

• Regular Member (after 9/30): $425 • Early Non-Member (by 9/30): $450 • Regular Non-Member (after 9/30): $500

• Student: $200 • Retired Professional: $200

• One-day: $200 • Remote Access (limit 19): $100

You can join OFWIM at www.ofwim.org (click on Membership)

LODGING

Best Western Hood River Inn, 541-386-2200

Room Rate (OFWIM Block through 10/4): $91/night + 9.8% tax

Free hotel parking

MEALS

Conference registration includes:

• Monday Dinner (Hacker’s Ball)

• Tuesday Lunch (Field Techniques Session) • Wednesday Lunch (Business Meeting)

• Wednesday Dinner (Banquet)

Light refreshments will be provided during breaks on Monday’s and Wednesday’s sessions and Thursday’s workshop.

TRANSPORTATION

There is NO transportation to/from the Portland, OR airport. Those renting vehicles are encouraged to carpool (OFWIM will post schedules to help coordinate this). Once you get to Hood River, OR it is a 1 mile walk to downtown or the waterfront. We recommend bringing a rain coat.

FIELD TECHNIQUES SESSION

We will begin at Bonneville dam viewing the fish ladder and hatchery operations. We will then travel to the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center. The day will finish at the White Salmon River where we will learn about restoration efforts and (weather permitting) a demonstration of using drones to view fish redds. We will coordinate carpooling for the field session. Lunch will be provided. Tours are rain or shine, so be prepared for rain and cool weather (30-60 °F). Binoculars are always a good idea!

WORKSHOP

Bring your own laptop, smart phone, and/or tablet and join us Thursday morning for a 4-hour workshop.

WANTED: Raffle Items!

Please donate items for the annual conference raffle to support OFWIM’s Student Scholarship Fund. Items may be shipped to:

UPS/FedEx: OFWIM Meeting c/o Rebecca Scully, 310 NE Snohomish, White Salmon, WA 98672

MAIL: OFWIM Meeting c/o Rebecca Scully, P.O. Box 2344, White Salmon, WA 98672


I left Tennessee and sailed north

to a land o’ crisp temperatures and

trees afire w’ color. In search o'

me ship - I see no signs o' it ‘ere.

As I continued to explore, I

found fruit larger than cannonballs

just a’ hanging on th' trees.

The Continuing Adventures of Captain Jack

Continuing me exploration o’ this

northern land called “Maine,” I traveled on a

mystical beast that flew like th’ wind and then

started dancing in a ring. Does anyone be a’knowin’

what AKVESHCMRBPFDLXIG spells?

Then, before I knew it, the world

turned bitter cold an’ water fell

from the skies in white doubloons

that blanketed th’ earth for

months on end. I tried various

transportation devices that

involved walking or gliding.

None helped find me ship, but

all was intriguing! Ahoy! More o’ me adventures this way!


Just as th’ white blanket

was a’meltin’ in this

Vacationland, I wer

whisked away to 日本

(Japan: Land o’ th’ Risin’

Sun) and traveled north to Akita

Prefecture - known for havin’ th’ best rice

in Japan (which also means the best sake - better’n any grog). Me

timin’ was perfect - th’ land was a’bloom w’ pink cherry blossoms.

“Hanami” (flower-viewing) be a big deal in the’ spring in

Japan. People picnic under th’ blossomin’ cherry trees with

seasonal snacks and sake. Many folks stick around aft

sunset when th’ trees be lit w’ paper lamps.

Ahoy! More o’ me adventures this way!

Komainu (lion dog) often guard th' entrances to

shrines. They usually come in pairs - one with its

mouth open and one closed. Th' dog with th' mouth

open signifies th' beginning o' all things,

and life. Its mouth be open because it be

saying “Ah” (あ), th' first phonetic

character in many eastern alphabets. Th' second

dog be saying “Mn” (ん), which be th' last. It

signifies th' end, death. Do ye see th' bib on th'

lion-dog (komainu)? Someone who ties cloth like

this around a Komainu at a shrine be usually

praying for good health for a young sprog.


Next, I took th’ Shirakami Train

along th’ coast north o’ Akita to

Amori - th’ prefecture known for apple trees.

Th' fiercest beast I found

in Japan was Namahage or “mountain

demon.” Namahage be giant ogres that

terrorize naughty sprogs in th' winter –

but this one had never seen th' likes o' me.

Then back to th’ States whar I’m hopin’ to see all ye

Scallywags in Hood River, Oregon where once again

we’ll be having ourselves a fine treasure hunt. Be me

ship moored there? Stay tuned for more o’ me adventures!

-Captain Jack Maine, 2018


OFWIM MEMBERS

Individual contact information is available in the Member Profiles Section at ofwim.groupsite.com

Arizona Game & Fish Department Michael Barbour, Jami Kuzek, Julie Mikolajczyk, Frances Peck, Austin Smith, Sabra Tonn

Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Alex DiJohnson, Heather Konell, Joseph Myers, Jennifer Ni, Sarah Rains, Julie Defilippi Simpson, Geoff White, Coleby Wilt

Center for Conservation Biology, Williamsburg Marie Pitts

Colorado Division of Wildlife Don Schrupp (retired)

Environment and Climate Change Canada Tyler Kidd

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Michael Bialousz

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Emma LeClerc, Kristin Rogers, Beth Stys

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Matt Burlingame

Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife Karl Eliason

Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks & Tourism Susan Steffen

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Jason Czapiga, Shawn Haskell, Donald Katnik, Amy Meehan, MaryEllen Rainey Wickett

Maine Natural Areas Program Lisa St. Hilaire

Missouri Department of Conservation Tim Bixler, Chris Cloyd, Douglas Fees, Julie Fleming, Joe Kirby, Alex Prentice, Dyan Pursell, Mark Roberts, Joel Sartwell, Craig Scroggins, Tony Spicci, Alicia Struckhoff

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Powell Wheeler

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission Keith Hurley

New Mexico Department of Game & Fish John Bulger, Eric Frey, Chuck Hayes, Leland Pierce, Virginia Seamster, Reuben Teran, Lance Tyson

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Greg Kozlowski

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Stan Allen, Michael Banach, Van Hare, Bill Kinney, Chris Wheaton, Greg Wilke

South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks John Broecher, Chelsea Krause

Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute George Gavrielides, Sarah Sweat

Tennessee Technological University Isabel Papraniku

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Lynn Barrett, Jeanette Jones, James Kelly, Susan Lanier, Brandon Simcox

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Dyanne Cortez, Jon Purvis, John Taylor

The Timmons Group Lowell Ballard, Chris Gerecke, Stephanie Giovannetti, Kevin Gooss, Nathan Tate, Maha Thulasi, Vish Uma

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Jason Duke, Julie Stahli

U.S. Geological Survey Jennifer Bayer, Sheryn Olson, Julie Prior-Magee, Rebecca Scully, Annie Simpson

University of Missouri-Columbia Kayla Key, Lauren Toivonen, Emily Tracy-Smith

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries Amy Ewing, Karen Horodysky, Jim Husband, Jay Kapalczynski, Lenee Pennington, Susan Watson

Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife William Falling

http://ofwim.groupsite.com


OFWIM MEMBERS

DID YOU KNOW?

OFWIM memberships can now be paid ONLINE (with PayPal) - request a link to access your membership record to update information or renew. Contact MaryEllen Wickett at 207-941-4488, [email protected] if you have any problems. You can also still do snail mail check/forms from the Membership page on our website.


Communications, Membership, & Outreach

• Julie Defilippi Simpson (Chair) • MaryEllen Wickett (Vice-Chair)

• Michael Bialousz • Dyanne Cortez

• Chris Gerecke • Don Katnik • Kayla Key

• Isabel Papraniku • Marie Pitts

• Julie Prior-Magee • Don Schrupp

Conference Planning

• Rebecca Scully (Chair) • Lynn Barrett

• Karen Horodysky • Keith Hurley • Jeanette Jones

• Joe Kirby • Julie Prior-Magee

• Dyan Pursell • Tracy Smith • Beth Stys

• Susan Watson • MaryEllen Wickett

Data Standards & Technology Trends

• Kristin Rogers (Chair) • Heather Konell (Vice-Chair)

• Michael Barbour • John Broecher

• Jason Bulluck • Matt Burlingame • Julie Defilippi Simpson

• Eric Edgley • Karl Eliason

• Amy Ewing • CarolAnn Feehan • Julie Fleming

• Karen Horodysky • Kirk Keller

• Joe Kirby • Jeff Kopaska • Tyler Kydd

• Chris Lauzon • Philip Marley

• Shalia McDougal • Elaine Nakash • Joel Sartwell

• Don Schrupp • Matt Taraldsen

• John Taylor • Emily Tracy-Smith • Powell Wheeler

• Ryan Wortmann

Elections, Nominations, & Awards

• Jeanette Jones (Chair) • Beth Stys (Vice-Chair)

• Jim Husband • Chelsea Krause

• Kristin Rogers • Austin Smith • John Taylor

• Sabra Tonn

Training & Education

• Michael Barbour (Chair) • Amy Ewing

• Dyan Pursell • Virginia Seamster

• Susan Steffen

OFWIM OFFICERS

President President Elect

Secretary Treasurer Member-At-Large

Past President

Joe Kirby

Rebecca Scully

MaryEllen Wickett

Michael Barbour

Karen Horodysky

Jeanette Jones

OFWIM COMMITTEES

september 2018 - ofwim · assisting biologists in the field, you can find karen standing in a river...

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