Welcome to the technical sessions schedule for the 2015 SEAFWA Annual Meeting.
NEW THIS YEAR! The technical schedule is capable of being sorted by date (i.e, Monday, Nov. 2), track (i.e. Wildlife Technical Sessions), or session (i.e. Wildlife Session #1). You can also search for a presentation title (i.e. Changing Landscapes by Coalition), key term (i.e. striped bass), or presenter last name (i.e. Weaver). The sort and search functions can be found on the navigation panel on the right side of this page. If you hover over the "Schedule" button, you’ll also see different schedule view options (i.e. Grid or Simple). Try selecting each of them to see which view you prefer.
MY SCHEDULE FEATURE: It is not required of you to create a Sched.org account to use this site but if you do so, you’ll be able to use the "My Schedule" feature which allows you to create your own schedule for the conference. Click the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner of this page to create a Sched.org account.
SCHEDULE UPDATES: The session abstracts and timeslots are subject to change. This site will be updated as changes come in; please check back for updates.
MAIN SCHEDULE & WEBSITE:Click here to return to the main SEAFWA conference site.
Amy Ewing, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Fulfilling the important mission of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) often requires staff to engage in inherently dangerous activities such as working near or on large water bodies, traversing difficult terrain, working outdoors in inclement weather, handling dangerous animals, and working with large machinery. Whether such activities are performed by staff alone or with a team, by experts or novices, risk of accident and injury is an inherent part of the work faced by DGIF's non-sworn staff, including biologists, professional engineers, volunteers, and contractors, during performance of their work duties. In late 2013, an interdisciplinary, inter-agency team was formed that, with support from Bureau and Agency leadership, spent the following 18 months meeting with VDGIF leadership, field staff, and Law Enforcement's Communication's Center (dispatch) to identify VDGIF’s highest-risk activities and to develop practicable procedures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate risk around those activities. Leveraging newer technologies and increased learning around communication were the cornerstones of the resulting “High-Risk Activity Communication Planning Guidance”, currently being implemented across the Commonwealth. State-wide implementation of the “High-Risk Activity Communication Planning Guidance” has resulted in greater confidence from our leaders, our staff, and their families that the health and safety of our VDGIF family is our highest priority. Equipped with this confidence and the tools necessary to appropriately and efficiently address any unforeseen safety issues, VDGIF’s non-sworn field staff are free to manage Virginia's wildlife and the landscapes they depend upon across the Commonwealth, both on private property and on the over 200,000 acres the Department owns and manages.
