Welcome Reception, Member’s Banquet, Poster Reception and Box Lunches

Welcome Reception

Featuring – Wildlife Photo Slideshow, Wildlife T-Shirt Contest and Student-Professional Mixer Game

• Tuesday, February 5:  6:30-8:30pm
• Included in meeting registration at no extra cost
• Wear a Wildlife T-Shirt!  Student judges will award prizes for the best shirts in several categories: Best Wowling Wolf, Best TWS-WS Shirt, Funniest, Best in Science/Nature.

Welcome Reception Menu:  Fajita Action Station – New York Sirloin, Chicken Sauteed, Achiote Spices, Onions & Peppers, Warm Tortillas, Refried Beans, Guacamole & Salsa, Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese & Jalapenos.  Along with No-Host Bar, Tortilla Chips and Sliced Fruit.

Join us on Tuesday evening to kick off the Annual Meeting and make connections with friends & colleagues. Feast on a fajita buffet which will be served with delicious toppings and fresh fruit.  A well-stocked no-host bar will also be available. Tuesday evening will also once again launch or annual wildlife photo slideshow. Check out the photographic talents of our Western Section members , and celebrate the opening night of our 66th Annual Meeting. Relax, you have arrived at the Tenaya Lodge!  We have a great week ahead of us.

Submit your photos and enter to win a $200 REI Gift Card!   A slideshow will be displayed at the Welcome Reception. The content is up to you! Send in your photos of wildlife, coworkers, TWS workshops, study animals, unexpected situations, beautiful locations, etc. Help us celebrate wildlife and the wildlife profession! Please send photos in jpg format to evelarrucea@gmail.com by January 25th. Each person who submits a photo(s) for the Tuesday night wildlife gallery will be entered in a drawing for a $200 REI Gift Card! The drawing will be held on Tuesday evening at the Welcome Reception. Need not be present to win.

Members Banquet and Section Awards – Cozy & Casual this Year!

Enjoy a relaxing evening reconnecting with your colleagues and friends while making new acquaintances over a good meal at the annual meeting members banquet.  During the banquet, we will celebrate and recognize individuals, groups, and chapters for their achievements and accomplishments with our Western Section Awards.  If you haven’t previously attended a Western Section banquet, now’s the perfect time to start a new tradition.  This year – since we’re meeting in the forest, we encourage everyone to keep it casual with cozy, casual clothing.  Think fleece over suits!

• Wednesday, February 6
• Extra Fee Required, $35

Awards Banquet Menu :

Choice of:

– Petaluma Roasted Half Duckling with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
– Wild Caught Cedar Plank Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and a Pomegranate Glaze
– Stir-Fried Szechwan Eggplant and Tofu Served over Steamed Jasmine Rice

Dinner entrees include: Baby Spinach Salad with Hazelnut Crusted Goat Cheese, Sugar Roasted Beets & Raspberry Vinaigrette; Selection of Breads and Butter; Creme Brulee Cheesecake, Freshly Brewed Coffee, Assorted Hot Teas, and Freshly Brewed Iced Tea.

Raffle and Silent Auction

All 2019 ticket sales and silent auction purchases will be donated to benefit Western Section programs for wildlife students and early career professionals.  Raffle tickets will be sold starting at the Tuesday night Welcome Reception and up through the Banquet on Wednesday evening.   The raffle will be a Dutch/Bucket raffle and will be held at the end of Wednesday night’s banquet.  Place tickets in the buckets for the prizes you hope to win.

The silent auction will open on Tuesday evening and will close at 6:30pm on Thursday, just before the poster session doors open.  Items must be purchased and picked up by 11am on Friday.

We encourage everyone to purchase raffle tickets, which are available at the Registration Desk or from Western Section Executive Board members and volunteers. Raffle and silent auction items will be displayed in the Exhibit Hall in the Exhibit Hall Marketplace throughout the meeting.  Please contact Raffle and Silent Auction Chair Sandra Hunt von Arb if you have any questions or would like to donate an item to the raffle and/or auction.   pnwb@suddenlink.net 

This Year, Donate You

Every year, we reach out to supportive individuals and organizations like you in search of auction/raffle donors to support our annual meeting. In the past, generous donations to the Western Section raffle and auction have allowed us to help support the educational and professional development of the next generation of wildlife biologists and managers. This year we are excited to announce that we are expanding the scope of our auction to include member-donated experiences and items for our silent auction.

If you are an illustrator, a painter, a knitter, an author, an outdoorswoman, or simply a Western Section member with something unique to offer your fellow wildlifers, we are reaching out to*you* to see if you would be interested in donating an experience or item. Maybe you are an avid birder who can share the art of birding by ear, or an outdoorsman who can lead a guided hunt. Perhaps you can offer a weekend getaway in your family’s summer cabin or a chartered flight to an out-of-the-way fly-fishing destination. Paintings, signed books, a wildlife-themed knitted beanie, and a locally-gathered and home-cooked meal are examples of “hand-made” items that members would love to have. Goods crafted by hand with love and experiences to share with fellow wildlifers not only can help support the Western Section, but also can help forge new friendships between members along the way.

If you are interested in donating an experience or item for this year’s silent auction, please contact President-Elect Matthew Bettelheim (presidentelect@tws-west.org) by November 30th, 2018.

Poster Session and Reception

• Thursday, 7-9pm, February 7
• Session Chairs: Carlos Alvarado and Allison Fuller
• Poster Session and Reception included with conference registration fee!

A poster session and reception will be held on the evening of Thursday, February 7th.  Authors will be available to answer questions about their posters. Hors d’oeuvres will be served along with several (well-stocked) no-host bars!  Posters will also be available for viewing Wednesday starting at 4pm and all day Thursday (in the Salon 1 Ballroom).  For more information on poster presenter guidelines, click here.

Poster Reception Menu:  Tenaya Three Chili Bar — Buffalo Chili, Green Chili & Vegetarian Chili Served with Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, Scallions, Jalapenos, Chopped Onions and Tortilla Strips.  Served with Assorted Crisp Cut Fresh Vegetables with Ranch & Bleu Cheese Dressing.

Box Lunches

We are excited to meet in the forest this year! However, a forest meeting means limited restaurant and food options due to the rural location!

We’ve made a few changes this year to help feed you! The meeting registration fee for 2019 includes several meals at no additional cost. The Tuesday Fajita Bar Welcome Reception; Wednesday and Thursday Box Lunches; Thursday Chili Bar Poster Reception are all included with the meeting registration.

For those with food allergies, let us know in the comments section when you register so we can do our best to accommodate you.  We will notify the hotel chef of your needs and they will let us know if they can prepare food that is safe for you.  We will contact you with more information.  See above for the Tuesday and Thursday reception menus.  The Wednesday and Thursday box lunches will be a choice of assorted sandwiches, potato chips, whole fruit, a jumbo cookie, and a cold drink.