Dear SWFS Members,
Welcome to the tenth edition of the SWFS Newsletter.
Happy New Year. I hope everyone found a way to celebrate the holidays with cheer and happiness.
The year 2021 started with difficulties as the SWFS board of Directors made the decision to postpone the SWFS 2021 meeting in Kruger National Park. The new meeting date has tentatively been set for 11-14 July 2022. This decision was not made lightly. Many members of the board and the planning committee have been carefully monitoring the COVID-19 situation. The decision ultimately came down to what was best for our membership’s health, safety, and well-being. Though we are disappointed we will not have the chance to network, share our passion for wildlife forensic science or see the amazing site that Kruger has to offer in 2021, we are excited that the opportunity will still be available to us in 2022.
For now, the Society would like to take the time afforded us by the travel restrictions and the postponement of the 2021 meeting to begin the SWFS Webinar Series this June or July. As you will remember, we introduced this concept and requested feedback concerning it in the July edition of this newsletter. The plan is to take the ideas received and focus our outreach to start the mini-series. Future information about the series will be circulated through email and on the SWFS website. If you are interested in filling one of the available slots as a presenter, please reach out to Lucy Webster at lucy.webster@sasa.gov.scot.
The board has two Board of Director position opening up in July of this year and one President-Elect position. The only qualification to apply for a Board Director role is that you must already be a commit to regular participation for at least one year. You can apply by sending a letter or email to Tasha Bauman at Tasha.bauman@wyo.gov expressing your interest in a board position, as well as submitting a brief bio covering your wildlife forensic expertise. To be considered for the President Elect role, you must have held a board position at one time and be a current regular participant for at least one year, otherwise the application process for President-Elect is the same as any other position. Please review the SWFS By-laws to see the terms and roles of the board positions. The By-laws can be found at https://www.wildlifeforensicscience.org/mission/bylaws/. The President-Elect position is not listed in the By-laws at the moment. This role actively prepares to carry out the duties of the office of President and works with the current President to ensure a smooth transition of all presidential responsibilities. The President-Elect will serve a two year term then will assume the position of President.
As always, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to all of you that have contributed to the SWFS Newsletters, as well as to the production team that puts this wonderful periodical together.
Cheers,
Tasha Bauman