Workshops for the 2026 Meeting
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Dr. Gabriel Andrade, Stephen F. Austin State University
Description:
Imperfect detection occurs when a species is present at a site but is not detected during sampling. Failing to account for this can lead to misleading ecological inferences and poor management decisions. This introductory workshop is ideal for students and professionals interested in learning how occupancy models help address imperfect detection in wildlife research. We will explore the essential components of single-species occupancy models and the type of data needed to estimate detection and occupancy probabilities. Through a practical exercise in R using the unmarked package, participants will learn how to fit basic occupancy models, evaluate their performance, and correctly interpret results to support ecological, conservation, and management decision-making.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-noon
Number of participants: 25
Prerequisite: none
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Terry Anderson, Marc Moss, Conservation Equity Partners
Description:
Where ocean meets land, you’ll be standing in the quiet, marshy world of one of Texas’ most elusive birds, the Eastern Black Rail. This secretive marsh-dweller has lost more than 50% of its population over the last 50 years and is now listed as endangered in Texas. Much of this decline stems from the loss and fragmentation of coastal marsh habitat. Join Conservation Equity Partners’ Terry Anderson and Marc Moss for a guided field trip to Chocolate Bay, where you’ll explore their newly established Black Rail conservation bank and the Frentress-Johnson West Bay mitigation bank. Participants will learn about the species’ unique ecology, the challenges it faces, and the innovative habitat-restoration efforts designed to support its recovery. The trip will also include a discussion on conservation banking, how mitigation banks work, and the important role they play in protecting at-risk species and critical ecosystems
Date: 2/19/2025
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-1pm
Number of participants: 25
Prerequisite: none
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Dr. Heather Mathewson, Tarleton State University
Description:
For many in our field we often deal with large datasets filled with mistakes, missing data, or nuances that take hours for us to correct before we can even think about starting our analyses. In my experience, we too often fail to give adequate attention to data management, which includes anything from initial database design, quality assurance, data integrity, and manipulations for analyses and presentation. I designed this course for anyone who is new to R, as well as for those who could use some information on how to manage their data and turn a messy dataset into an organized archive for actual use. I will cover: 1) entering a dataset into R and understanding basics of R and RStudio, 2) quality checks and how to manage mistakes or missing data, 3) basic database design and manipulation, and 4) creating descriptive statistics for presentation in tables and figures. I will review some of the more popular R packages such as tidyverse and ggplot and introduce some less known but useful packages. I will use examples from my past research to demonstrate how I have managed messy datasets derived from camera traps, vegetation measurements, and nest monitoring. I encourage participants to bring a laptop to follow along. You will need to download R and RStudio. Prior to the workshop I will send out instructions for downloading the programs, the files that we will use in the workshop, and my reference guide.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-noon
Number of participants: 50
Prerequisite: none
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Fritts, Texas State University
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Description:
Join to learn more about the process of becoming an Associate Wildlife Biologist or Certified Wildlife Biologist from a member of the Certification Review Board. There will be a short presentation that overviews the application process followed by an open session where you can bring questions and/or your application in progress for assistance.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 9am-noon
Number of participants: 50
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Chris Schenck, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Description:
We have designed the workshop for students and resource professionals with limited exposure to prescribed fire. We plan to conduct an actual prescribed fire, pending good burning conditions. We will follow up the fire with some classroom time and very brief topics. If we don’t have a good burn day, like any good fire practitioner, we have an alternate plan.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-5pm
Number of participants: 20
Prerequisite: none
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Joseph Richards and Dave Richards
Description:
As you progress in your wildlife career, you will witness incredible encounters with wildlife in the field and the essence of wild places. Outdoor photography can serve as a vital tool for wildlife communicators and professionals. Carrying a camera, documenting your observations, and capturing your story can lead to increased enjoyment and engagement in the field. In this workshop, we will discuss the basic ingredients for composing photography images, techniques for interpreting animal behavior, and the art of conservation storytelling. This course requires no previous experience with photographing wildlife, and all experience levels are encouraged to participate. We hope this course will enhance your skillset and enthusiasm for carrying a camera afield.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 9am-noon
Number of participants: 25
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Dr. Reuber Antoniazzi, Stephen F. Austin State University
Description:
Beta diversity measures how species composition varies across space and time, complementing alpha diversity to reveal patterns of species turnover and nestedness, as well as their partitioning across different scales that single-site metrics overlook. The course will cover various scales of analysis and compare common metrics, explaining when and why to use each one. The second part of the class is a hands-on session in R using packages like vegan and betapart to calculate dissimilarity matrices, partition turnover versus nestedness, beta dispersion, and other metrics, providing participants with a practical workflow they can apply to their own data.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-noon
Number of participants: 10
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Wildlife Acoustics Staff
Description:
Sound analysis is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for biologists, environmental scientists and managers for surveying and monitoring wildlife populations. It is currently used to aid in resource management, habitat health assessment, regulatory compliance goals, animal behavior studies and even documenting the effects of climate change. Bioacoustics is a non-invasive, cost-effective and unbiased method for studying animal presence. Biologists all over the world have made the Song Meter platform the standard for bioacoustics recording with over 150,000 recorders deployed in 90 countries. Join us for a hands-on session with our Song Meters! Learn how to setup, configure and deploy for a successful bioacoustics project.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 9am-11am
Number of participants: 25
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Shane Kiefer (CEO Plateau Land & Wildlife Management) and Plateau Wildlife & Land Management Staff
Description:
With more than 95% of Texas under private ownership, meaningful conservation relies on strong, informed relationships between landowners and the professionals who support them. This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of both the 1-d-1 Wildlife Management (1-d-1W) tax valuation process and the communication strategies needed to successfully engage private landowners across the state. Participants will learn the essential steps landowners must take for their property to qualify for 1-d-1W valuation, along with clear guidance on conveying the program’s requirements, benefits, and long-term conservation value. Because questions about 1-d-1W frequently arise in day-to-day interactions with landowners, the session offers a straightforward, easy-to-understand explanation of the valuation process and equips you with practical information to share as landowners consider whether the program aligns with their goals. In addition, the workshop explores broader best practices for building trust and fostering productive, lasting partnerships with private landowners. You will gain tools for initiating effective conversations, understanding landowner motivations, and tailoring recommendations to a wide range of property objectives—from ranching and recreation to habitat management, restoration, and legacy planning. Common questions and challenges faced by landowners will also be discussed, along with strategies for providing respectful, relevant, and impactful support.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-noon
Number of participants: 100
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Agency and Private Sector Employees
Description:
This workshop will provide students with some tips and advice on applying for jobs both in the government and private sectors. How to fill out applications and what prospective employers are looking for in entry level positions will be discussed between representatives from government agencies and private companies in natural resource management fields. We will also touch on education vs experience, advanced degrees, and what day to day work looks like for different positions within the wildlife field. There will be time allotted for Q&A session.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 9am-noon
Number of participants: 50
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Workshop Contact: Activities@tctws.org
Speaker: Anne Bartuszevige
Description:
This workshop will provide students with some tips and advice on applying for jobs both in the government The IMBCR (Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions) program is a west-wide breeding bird monitoring program that has been in existence since 2008 and has been implemented in the short and mixed grass prairie regions of Texas since 2016. The IMBCR protocol uses a spatially balanced sampling design to allocate 1km2 sample units evenly across a landscape (Pavlacky et all. 2017). IMBCR data can be used to calculate density, occupancy, and trend estimates for hundreds of bird species. Because of the widespread data collection, these data have been used to answer broad-scale conservation questions and develop decision support tools.
This workshop will be divided into three sections. In the first section, we will provide an overview of the IMBCR program and how to access and apply population estimates for Texas geographies of interest through the Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center (RMADC). In the second and third sections we will introduce two new decision support tools, GOT Birds and the Central Grassland Bird Working Group Integrated population models. We will explain how the tools are intended to be used and provide some Texas-specific conservation scenarios participants will work through to demonstrate how the models can be used in decision-making.
Date: 2.18.2026
Schedule: 8am-noon
Number of participants: 25
Prerequisite: None
Cost: None
Past meeting information
2015 Techniques and Technology Workshop Agenda & Abstracts
2014 Schedule of Events (updated 2/7/14)