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Are you an attendee looking for recordings of the 19th Annual Conference? Email Cara at Ckukuraitis@riversedgewest.org.
 
 
Since 2001, RiversEdge West has been hosting an annual conference that focuses on impacts to riparian habitat in the Southwestern U.S.  Due to COVID-19, our 19th conference will be held virtually over the course of two weeks; February 17-18, 2021, and February 23-25, 2021 from roughly 10 am - 3 pm MT each day.  
 
Connect with others in your field who are managing or studying riparian lands and stream environments and discover novel techniques, scientific findings, and lessons learned that make restoration successful! The conference will feature a mix of live sessions and panels with interactive discussion, pre-recorded presentations followed by live Q&A, field tours, and demonstrations, as well as plenty of virtual networking opportunities!
 
The timing listed on the agenda reflects Mountain Standard Time.
Conference sessions will be recorded for viewing later. 

 

Conference Location: Zoom
Need the zoom log-in for today's conference? Email Cara at Ckukuraitis@riversedgewest.org.
 
Attention conference attendees!
Download the newest Zoom version, 5.4.9 (dated January 11, 2021 or newer) in order to take part in the breakout sessions during the conference. This free app can be downloaded from the Zoom website at https://zoom.us/support/download.
 
 
Pricing
 
Registration Type           
Early 
(before 1/18/2021)     
Late 
(after 1/18/2021)
Members 
(15% discount for members
who give $120 and above) 
$110
$136
Non-Member
$130
$160
Student
$40
$60
One Day
$60
$60
 
Scholarships are available. View the application hereScholarship applications are due before February 1, 2021. 

 
 
Networking Opportunities
We would like to make our virtual conference as much like our in-person conference as possible and recognize that the aspect that will be most lacking is that of networking. With that in mind, we will have a single Zoom link open for the entire day of the conference. Whether it is through the Zoom chat or actual live conversation, you will have the opportunity to communicate with other attendees during breaks, lunches, and after sessions end. 
 
Additionally, during the lunch break each day, we will create a number of breakout rooms that you can choose from to have a more focused discussion with colleagues - using the chat to coordinate with compatriots on which breakout room you'll be occupying.
 

Request a breakout room during lunch! Recognizing how much “planned” networking happens during lunches at our typical conference, and to enhance networking options even further, we would like to offer attendees the option of requesting their own breakout rooms ahead of time. Please contact either Cara or Ben to set up a breakout room ahead of time, providing the conference day, desired time, and a breakout room title, which you can then provide to other conference participants. We will have the ability to create breakout rooms “on the fly”, but the more we can do in advance, the more smoothly logistics will go during these networking events.
 

So, please contact us with a request to set up your own personal networking session during our one-of-a-kind virtual event!

 

Poster Session Update 
Abstracts for poster presentations are due February 15, 2021 - Deadline Extended!
 
All are welcome to submit a poster for the poster session! Poster presenters will share their poster submissions (one pdf to be displayed while presenting) in 3-minutes or less. In an effort to emulate the poster concept as much as possible, presenters should create a single slide containing all information, with the possibility of zooming in on the section you are discussing. Posters will be accepted on a first-received and topic-specific basis and will be limited to 20 presentations.
 
Attention Students!
During the poster session, we will be hosting a Student Poster Session Contest! To encourage continued student development of not only your research but also your ability to present virtually, the contest will be exclusively for students. Attendees will judge the student poster/presentations and vote on their choice for the top three. First, second, and third winners will receive a cash scholarship of $150, $100, and $50 respectively.
 
Poster presenters should submit an abstract to ckukuraitis@riversedgewest.org by February 15th, 2021 (extended deadline). Abstracts should follow the template provided here.
 
The Zoom poster session will be on the afternoon of Feb 18th, the second day of our virtual conference. Presenting students do NOT have to pay a registration fee to present.
 

Potential topics include (but are not limited to):

Climate Change & Adaptation
How can we adapt restoration responses such that they are more likely to be successful in a rapidly changing climate? What tools, experiences, and monitoring can we use to develop climate-adapted stream and riparian restoration?
 
Wildlife & Restoration
Does restoration create quality aquatic and riparian habitat for wildlife? As we look to the future, what are the key challenges and opportunities for restoring riparian and aquatic habitat? What in-stream habitat improvements or impacts have you seen as a result of riparian restoration?
 
Lessons Learned & Failed Projects
What have we learned from past riparian restoration experiences?  It is much easier to discuss successes but there is a wealth of information gained from restoration efforts that were not able to meet their objectives. What worked and what didn’t? What could have been done better? We want to hear about those lessons and experiences.
 
Revegetation
What native riparian plants are you finding to be the most successful in your restoration projects or research? E.g. sourcing, successes, failures, alternatives, genetics of effective cultivars.
 
Tribal Perspectives on Restoration
What has worked and what hasn’t worked from both a historical standpoint as well as present-day? How do we manage a constantly changing landscape while incorporating traditional ecological knowledge, historical land management, and cultural considerations?
 
Science, Technology, & Monitoring
What technology/tools/guides/research is out there to make restoration tactics and monitoring of results more efficient and effective?
 
Public Engagement & Stewardship
How do you engage the public and elected officials throughout the life of your project and beyond? How have you adapted as a result of COVID-19?
 
Demonstrations from the Field
Show us (successful or unsuccessful) examples of post-fire restoration, weed control methods, revegetation techniques, etc. Presenters may pre-record their field demonstration or site tour in advance, present via a PowerPoint, or use a combination of the two presentation methods.
 
Continuing Education
 
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER): The conference has been pre-approved for continuing education credits for the SER's Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner program. Contact John for more information (jleary@riversedgewest.org).
 
The Wildlife Society: Conference attendees are eligible to receive a maximum of 18 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program.
 
Society of American Foresters (SAF): Conference attendees are eligible to receive up to 20 CEUs Category 1 credits. Please contact John (jleary@riversedgewest.org) if you are interested in receiving SAF credits for attending any conference session.
 
Society for Range Management (SRM): Attendees are eligible to receive varying levels of CEUs for full-day conference attendance. Attendees will need to fill out the CEU documentation form (https://rangelands.org/committees/cprm-committee/) and send it to John (jleary@riversedgewest.org) for confirmation. Please note that these credits are for full-day attendance only. See below for SRM's CEU breakdown:
  • Feb 17 – 3.5
  • Feb 18 – 2.5 CEUs
  • Feb 23 – 3 CEUs
  • Feb 24 – 3.5 CEUs
  • Feb 25 – 1 CEU for each of the field trips, 2 CEUs for the afternoon workshops
Questions about continuing education? Contact John at Jleary@riversedgewest.org.
 
 
             
 
 
 
Become a Sponsor
Partner with us at the leading riparian restoration conference in the West. 
 
Your sponsorship and/or exhibit space will directly support all aspects of the conference - from scholarships for students and networking events to the cost of the online hosting platform and staff capacity. Willow Sponsors ($1,000) and above receive complimentary registration(s). 
 
 
To become a sponsor, make an online donation, mail in a check, or email Cara at Ckukuraitis@riversedgewest.org.
 
To view our past conferences, click here.
 
 
Thank You to our 2021 Virtual Conference Sponsors:
 
 
R I V E R    C H A M P I O N    S P O N S O R S 
 
 
 

 

C O T T O N W O O D    S P O N S O R S
 
 
                           

 

 
W I L L O W    S P O N S O R S 
 
 
                                  
 
                     

 

 
S E E D L I N G   S P O N S O R S
 
 
                                    
 
 
Add your business here! Email Cara at Ckukuraitis@riversedgewest.org