Culture & Careers

The annual Santa Ana River Science and Conservation Symposium will be held February 1-2, 2023 in Redlands, California. The two-day symposium provides a forum for researchers and conservation practitioners to gather, provide updates in their work, and facilitate collaboration on the important conservation issues of the Santa Ana River Watershed and throughout Southern California.

WRA team members Mike Nieto, Southern California Natural Resources Director and Marlene Tyner-Valencourt, Conservation Project Manager will attend.

WRA is a proud sponsor of River Restoration Northwest’s 21st annual River Restoration Northwest Symposium February 6-10, 2023 in Skamania, Washington. The events hosts professionals from the diverse restoration community to share knowledge and collaborate on the latest in river restoration practices and research.

As part of the event on February 8, WRA’s Principal Geomorphologist Virginia Mahacek will moderate the symposium’s Session 8 “Restoration as Risk Reduction: Fire”. Restoration Ecologist Ashley Zavagno, CERP, CE will also present a poster on the benefits of market-based strategies for river restoration project funding.

WRA is a proud sponsor of The Wildlife Society-Western Section Annual Meeting in February 7-10, 2023 in Riverside, California. This year’s theme is “Challenge Accepted! Confront Obstacles, Create Opportunities”.

WRA experts are excited for this year’s program and you can find our team members throughout the week chairing or presenting in a variety of sessions. Details are available on our news page!

The Desert Tortoise Council will host the 48th Annual Symposium, a hybrid event (both in-person and virtual attendance options) at the Dixie Center in Saint George, Utah, in February 23-25, 2023. The symposium will feature topics including the effects of climate change, tortoise demography and connectivity of populations, and the latest in techniques for surveys, and methods for evaluating anthropogenic effects on habitats.

WRA’s Regulatory Program Director Patricia Valcarcel, CWB will attend the meeting in person.

Previously known as the Calforests Annual Conference, Forestry Strategies and Innovations (FSI) brings together the state’s forestry sector and key partners in an effort to engage in critical conversations surrounding the industry, to evaluate and improve best practices, to share important knowledge and innovations, and to invite key stakeholders to further the work of forest management and wildfire protection.

Members of WRA’s resiliency team including Scott Yarger, Biologist/Arborist and Cailin Notch, Community Resilience Planner will attend.