Pre and Post Conference Workshops
Two Options:
Sunday June 26: Student Methodology Workshop
Thursday June 23- Friday June 24: Introduction to Marxan
Student Workshop: Reflecting on Community-Based Research
*You must be a student currently or recently enrolled in a post-secondary institution in order to attend this event*
Students attending the People in Places Conference are invited to participate in a dedicated, day-long pre-conference event designed for students, by students. The deadline for signing up for the Student Workshop is May 15th, 2011.
The goal is to share experiences and knowledge on the topic of our involvement in participatory, interdisciplinary research. Sessions will include a roundtable on students in participatory research, focusing on topics like mentorship, fieldwork, negotiating needs and boundaries (academic, community, and personal), publishing, and more.
During methodology workshops, where invited experts will discus your research in depth, you'll get detailed advice on questions are you struggling with, and guidance choosing or working with chosen methods.
Join us on Sunday, June 26, 2011 for an opportunity to:
Although you are expected to cover the costs of lunch (available on campus), coffee breaks are provided.
Maximum 25 participants; register for this event when you register for the conference!
Maximum 25 participants; register for this event when you register for the conference!
Please arrive prepared: For those interested in presenting your work at the methodology workshops, please send a 500 word Proposal that includes your research questions, methodological approach, and the main challenge you'd like to address during the session. Proposals from any stage of research are welcome. Proposals due May 15th, 2011. You are encouraged to attend the methodology workshops even if you do not present.
To sign up, or for more information, contact the Session Organizer, Kate Bigney Wilner, at kate.bigney@gmail.com.
Introduction to Marxan - June 23-24, 2011
An Introduction to Marxan course will be held in Halifax on 23-24 June at St. Mary's University* in the GIS lab of the Geography Department (Http://www.smu.ca/academic/arts/geography/).
All of the materials will be available for you there, so there is no need to bring a laptop. The cost of this course will be $600, with a 40% discount for students. Please *register* as soon as possible at the following site - http://pacmara.org/events-workshops (or notify me at hcoleman@pacmara.org and send a cheque to the address below).
An agenda and more details will be sent closer to the date.
This hands-on course will provide participants with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to use Marxan in a marine conservation planning exercise. The following topics are covered in the Introduction to Marxan:
- Key concepts in systematic conservation planning
- Creating planning units
- Creating the essential Marxan input files
- Parameter setting in Marxan
- Understanding and using Marxan results
- Zonae Cogito (decision support software)
- A brief introduction to Marxan with Zones
The course time will be split between lecture (~30%) and hands-on exercises (~70%). Experience with ArcGIS and MS Excel are prerequisite.
About Marxan:
Marxan (Ian Ball and Hugh Possingham, 2000) is a software program used to support the design of marine and terrestrial reserves worldwide. It is maintained by the University of Queensland in Australia. Using Marxan, conservation planners can identify an efficient system of conservation sites that include a suite of biodiversity targets at a minimal cost. Marxan provides a unique method for designing reserves that is systematic and repeatable. It is the most utilized conservation planning tool worldwide; over 60 countries, 1100 users, and 600 organizations use Marxan to support the design of terrestrial and marine reserves. For example, it has been used to help zone the Great Barrier Marine Park, design marine reserves in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and set spatial priorities in the Romanian Carpathians to protect large carnivores.
To sign up for the workshop, please contact Heather Coleman of Pacmara (Victoria, BC) at: hcoleman@pacmara.org.
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