Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society

CALLING ALL ARTISTS! 🎨

We are hard at work planning the 2027 joint ICTWS/ICAFS annual meeting, but we need YOUR help! We are currently soliciting logo designs to be featured during the meeting. If your design is selected, it will grace the program as well as the coffee mugs, water bottles, and/or laptops of conference attendees — there will be stickers! — AND you will be awarded $500.00. The submission deadline is July 31, 2026. Designs are encouraged to incorporate themes representative of the conference city (Boise), theme (Advancing Conservation: Connecting People and Perspectives Across Idaho), and/or Idaho at large.

Competition Rules
* Designs must include: 
1. The name of the host city (Boise)
2. The conference year (2027)
3. The organization names (ICTWS and ICAFS)
4. Wildlife and fish native to Idaho
* Design must be high resolution
* Designs must use only 1–4 colors, or be rendered in grayscale
* Artists must hold exclusive rights to all elements of the design and original works of art will be given preference over AI-generated works
* Preferred file formats: Adobe Illustrator vector files (.ai), Vector PDFs (.pdf), Encapsulated PostScript files (.eps)
* Alternative file formats: .jpg, .jpeg, .psd, or .gif (Note: Alternative formats must be at least 200 dpi and limited to 1–2 colors)
* Optional: Designs may also include the meeting theme (Advancing Conservation: Connecting People and Perspectives Across Idaho)

Please send your designs to Brandon Flack ([email protected]) and Rebekah Horn ([email protected]). For full competition rules and to see past years’ winners, head to our website (link in bio).

We can’t wait to see your designs!

📣 Attention, ICTWS Members!!

The planning team for the joint ICTWS/ICAFS annual meeting is already hard at work making arrangements for next year, and we want YOUR input! We are currently inviting proposals for special sessions and symposia at the 2027 meeting.

➡️ If you would like to propose and organize a special session, please use the Google Drive link in our bio to provide details, including a title and brief description of your topic.

Session topics related to joint fish and wildlife disciplines and the meeting theme – “Advancing Conservation: Connecting People and Perspectives Across Idaho” — are encouraged, but other topics will be considered.

🗓️ The deadline for proposals is July 10, 2026. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Brandon Flack ([email protected]) and Rebekah Horn ([email protected]).

And stay tuned for more annual meeting announcements later this week! 🎙️

Calling all ICTWS members — grab your calendars and SAVE THE DATE! 🗓️

We’re excited to announce that the Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society is teaming up with the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (ICAFS) 🐟 to host a joint annual conference in Boise, Idaho!

Join us at the beautiful Boise Centre from February 22–25, 2027 for four days of science and collaboration. Stay tuned for updates, including the conference theme, a call for logo submissions, and much more.

Learn more: idaho-tws.org/events/upcoming-meeting.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Happy Earth Day from the Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society! 🌏 🌍 🌎

Today, we celebrate the extraordinary planet we call home and we reaffirm our commitment to protect and preserve it. The best place to start making a difference is in your own backyard…and WOW, do we have an incredible backyard! From the depths of Hells Canyon, to the rugged peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains, to the otherworldly landscapes of Craters of the Moon, Idaho’s diversity is something worth celebrating — and protecting.

This Earth Day, we encourage you to get outside, soak it in, tread lightly, and take action in your community to help preserve Idaho’s natural beauty for future generations.

And be sure to swing by our website (idaho-tws.org) where we’re sporting a new look, inspired by some of our favorite sights in Idaho.

📸: .e.morris

Wanted: Our next ICTWS Treasurer!

Are you – or is someone you know – skilled in managing budgets and financial records? Looking for a meaningful way to get involved and help shape the future of the Idaho Chapter?

We’re looking for an organized, detail-oriented individual to join the ICTWS Executive Board as Treasurer. See full position description below.

Help support and strengthen the Idaho Chapter! Send your resume or a brief summary of your relevant experience to [email protected] or share this post with someone you know who would be a great fit!

TREASURER DESCRIPTION:
The Treasurer serves a two-year board term and manages the society’s finances, including accounts (Wells Fargo, PayPal, Fidelity), bill payments, sponsor invoicing, and tax filings. They track the annual meeting budget, handle related expenses, and assist with planning. The role also includes maintaining the membership roster and supporting fundraising efforts, particularly during the conference banquet. Workload is seasonal: minimal activity (about 1 hour/month) from May–December, increasing to roughly 2 hours/week leading up to the annual meeting, plus active support during the event and post-meeting tasks such as reconciling accounts and completing tax filings. Total time commitment is approximately 40 hours per year.

📸: .e.morris

Meet your 2026 Executive Board!! 👋

We’re excited to welcome our two newest members, Ryan Long (Vice President) and Casey McCormack (Member-at-Large)!

Clockwise from top left:
Christina Contreras, President
Brandon Flack, President-Elect
Ryan Long, Vice President
Robert Ritson, Secretary
Maria Pacioretty, Member-at-Large
Casey McCormack, Member-at-Large
Matt Boone, Treasurer
Miranda Reinson, Past President

Ryan Long is a professor of wildlife sciences at the University of Idaho, where his research focuses on the ecology of large mammals in western North America and sub-Saharan Africa. Ryan has been a member of ICTWS for over 20 years, and when he’s not busy with his research, you’ll find him in the backcountry bowhunting or fly fishing. 🦌 🐏🎣

Casey McCormack is a wildlife biodiversity biologist with Idaho Fish & Game in the Idaho Panhandle, where his work focuses on understanding and promoting species of conservation concern such as fishers, monarch butterflies, and northern bog lemmings. In his free time, Casey enjoys biking, hunting, skiing, hiking, scuba diving, and just about anything that gets him outdoors. 🦋🚴⛷️

Thank you to all the ICTWS members who participated in this year’s election – we so appreciate your engagement and support! Here’s to another great year serving the Idaho Chapter!

This year’s photo contest submissions captured the incredible beauty and diversity of our Ida-home. 💙

We received so many breathtaking entries, and members voted for their favorites during the ICTWS Conference in Fort Hall. Congratulations to our winners!

Wildlife: Scot Erickson, “Butterfly”
Plants: Odessa Medina, “Fallen Leaves”
People Outdoors: Tempe Regan, “Crossing the Beaverslide” (People’s Choice Winner 🏅)
Creative Expressions: Sabrina Breezee, “Between a Rock and Hard Place, There is Light” and Laura Wolf, “Northern Lights Hayden Lake”
Landscape: Odessa Medina, “Blackfoot River WMA”

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos! We can’t wait to see what images you capture this year!

🌄🏞️🌌

Background graphics by Alice Morris.

How ‘bout a round of applause for our 2026 ICTWS scholarship recipients! 👏 👏 👏

Congratulations to Ilaria Bacchiocchi (PhD, University of Idaho), Natalya Hebert (MS, University of Idaho), and Mariah Stansberry (Undergraduate, Boise State University) on your outstanding wildlife work so far…we can’t wait to see what more you accomplish!

📸 Credit to Laura Wolf for this gorgeous buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.) photo.

Each year, ICTWS awards scholarships to promising undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a wildlife science career and who demonstrate exemplary stewardship of wildlife and the environment (up to $1,500 for undergraduate students, up to $2,000 for graduate students). A huge thank you to all our members and sponsors who make these scholarships possible!

Idaho wildlifers! Join us all in congratulating our 2026 ICTWS award winners! 🎉 We are grateful to have so many outstanding individuals who represent Idaho and our wild resources. On behalf of the ICTWS awards committee thank you everyone who submitted nominations this year!
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🏆 Michelle Kemner, Charles E. Harris Professional Wildlifer Award-
This award honors professionals in wildlife management who demonstrate outstanding contributions to Idaho’s wildlife resources as appreciated by one’s peers. It is meant to recognize outstanding professional contribution and promote public understanding of significant wildlife management accomplishments in Idaho. Congrats Michelle!
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🏆 Kenny Randall, Randall B. Smith Emerging Leader Award-
This award is intended to honor a professional with ten (10) or less years of experience in wildlife conservation, management, or research in Idaho who demonstrates exceptional initiative, leadership skills, and commitment to the field. The award is in memory of Randy Smith, who trained and mentored many young wildlife professionals throughout his career. Congrats Kenny!
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🏆 Roger Rosentreter, Special Recognition Award-
This award honors any person or group who has made an outstanding contribution within the state of Idaho to wildlife conservation, management, science, or conservation education; or the wildlife profession; or to a specific area of endeavor, species, community, ecosystem, or region. Any person or group who has made such a contribution in the last 3 years is eligible for this award. Congratulations Roger!
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• ICTWS award committee members: Committee Members: Ryan Long (chair), Tempe Regan, Linsey Rush, Jen Forbey, and Laura Wolf
• Image 2 📸 credit Scot Erickson
• Image 3 📸 credit Nate Bedell
• Image 4 📸 credit Colton Finch