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North American Caribou Workshop and Arctic Ungulate Conference 2023

The joint meeting of the North American Caribou Workshop and Arctic Ungulate Conference will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, USA from 8-12 May 2023.

The conference will bring together an international group of managers, researchers, Indigenous and Local Knowledge holders, and other interested parties who want to share their knowledge of caribou, muskoxen, Dall sheep, moose, and reindeer.

The conference theme is Crossing Boundaries. Arctic ungulates cross landscape boundaries, connecting ecological processes between different systems, and requiring partnerships and collaboration across management and national boundaries. A critical component of such partnerships involves crossing the boundaries of Western and Indigenous ways of knowing to identify creative opportunities to steward and sustain arctic ungulate populations in a changing world.

For more information, please email info@nacw-auc-2023.org.


Sponsorships

We are grateful to all our sponsors for supporting the NACW-AUC 2023 conference!

Gold sponsors


The Wilderness SocietyNational Park ServiceAlaska Department of Fish and GameWilburforce FoundationQuebec 2021 – 18th North American Caribou WorkshopU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Silver sponsors


USGSWSP-GolderWSP-Golder

Bronze sponsors


Audubon AlaskaDefenders of WildlifeAlaska Wildlife Conservation CenterAlaska Wilderness LeagueEarthjusticeGlobal Initiative on Ungulate MigrationInstitute of Arctic Biology – University of Alaska FairbanksDoyon LimitedRAVNStar OddiFate of the Caribou Project

Exhibitors


Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers’ Co-OpBackcountry Hunters & AnglersTelonicsWildlife AcousticsVectronicABRLarge Animal Research StationUnited States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation ServicesWESTBiodiversity PathwaysFPAC

 


Become a conference supporter

Sponsorships allow us to expand the opportunities available to conference attendees beyond those funded through conference registration fees. Funds may also help support participation by students and residents of rural communities, provide increased cultural learning opportunities, and enhance settings for networking and connection. You can support the conference and bring awareness to your business or organization by being a financial sponsor, exhibitor, or advertiser! For more details, please see our Partnership and Visibility Plan.

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Registration

Conference registration is now open. Early bird registration is now closed; please register using the form below. Late registrants may be waitlisted for the banquet due to space limitations. Please note that no refunds will be given after registration is submitted. Limited financial assistance is available. If this is needed, please contact info@nacw-auc-2023.org.

Hotel registration is separate from conference registration and must be handled individually. For details on the conference hotel and rate, please see the Conference hotel section below. Hotel rooms at the conference rate are limited and available on a first-come basis. Please book your room early.

Registration costs (all prices in U.S. dollars)

Registration type Early bird (through Feb 28) Regular (after Feb 28)
Regular $440 $495
Student $315 $365
Single-day $180 $225

 

Workshops and field trips have additional costs; please see the Workshops and Field Trips section below for descriptions and details. Workshops and field trips can be signed up for at the time of conference registration or later by submitting another registration form, but spaces are limited.

Click the registration link below to open a pop-up window containing the registration portal. Payments are processed through PayPal but can be made with a debit or credit card if you prefer. For a step-by-step description of the registration process, please see the registration instructions [PDF].

NACW-AUC 2023 Conference Registration

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Abstract Submission

Abstract submission closed 15 December  and decisions were sent out in mid-February. Notification of specific dates and times for each talk will be emailed to accepted presenters soon. Thank you to all those who submitted descriptions!

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Program

Schedule at a glance
Events are not to scale and may change.

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 

8 May

9 May

10 May

11 May

12 May

Morning

Workshops and Meetings

Opening & Welcome

Announcements

Announcements

Field Trips and Meetings

Plenary 1

Plenary 3

Plenary 4

Plenary 2

Presentations

Presentations

 

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Afternoon

 

Presentations

Presentations

Presentations

Evening

Opening Reception

Poster Session

Storytelling Event

Banquet

 

Detailed schedule

This will be posted after the Abstract notification deadline.

Plenaries

Tuesday, 9 May

  • Don Russell and Anne Gunn: What Have We Missed?: A Commentary on the Status and Trends of Migratory Tundra Caribou
  • Steeve Côté: Ecology, Migration and Population Dynamics of Arctic Ungulates in the Context of Climate Change

Wednesday, 10 May

  • Fish Bowl and Panel: Bridging Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing in Ungulate Management, Policy, and Research
    • Shelley Calliou (Kelly Lake Cree Nation)
    • Jim Dau (ADF&G, retired)
    • Amanda Dumond (Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association)
    • Andrea Hanke (University of Calgary)
    • Scott McNay (Wildlife Informatics)
    • Chief Roland Willson (West Moberly First Nations)
    • Jean Polfus (Canadian Wildlife Service)
    • Elmer Seetot, Jr. (Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group)

Thursday, 11 May

  • Panel Discussion: Collaborative Caribou Management in Alaska and Canada: Challenges and Opportunities
    • Vern Cleveland, Sr. (Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group)
    • Dan Dunaway (Bristol Bay Regional Advisory Council)
    • Earl Evans (Beverly and Qaminirjuag Caribou Management Board) Naunġaq
    • Cyrus Harris (Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group)
    • Deana Lemke (Porcupine Caribou Management Board)
    • Karen Linnell (Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission)
    • Jody Pellissey (Wek'èezhìı Renewable Resources Board)
    • Joe Tetlichi (Porcupine Caribou Management Board)
    • Henry Huntington (Moderator)

For more information, please see the Plenary Description file 

Workshops and Field Trips

Workshops (Monday, 8 May)

Sign up for workshops using the Registration form above. For further descriptions of each workshop, please see the Workshop DescriptionsPlease note that conference registration is required for workshop registration.

Implementing Boreal Caribou Habitat Restoration in Practice: A Practical Approach for Indigenous Communities

  • Cost: $55
  • Max Attendance: 40
  • Time: Full Day

Analysis of Caribou Movements and Geospatial Covariates with the TuktuTools R Package and Google Earth Engine - FULL

Snow Field Measurements for Ungulate Research

  • Cost: $65
  • Max Attendance: 22
  • Time: Full Day

Storytelling & Science Workshop

  • Cost: $40
  • Max Attendance: 100
  • Time: Half Day (afternoon)

Structured Decision Making as a Model to Integrate Different Knowledge Systems and Achieve Collaborative Conservation - FULL

Field Trips (Friday, 12 May)

Sign up for field trips using the Registration form above. For further descriptions of each field trip, please see the Field Trip Descriptions.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Tour

  • Cost: $85
  • Max attendance: 56
  • Time: 11:30 am – 5:00 pm

Visit to the Foraging Ecology and Wildlife Nutritional Analysis (FaWNA) Lab

  • Cost: $65
  • Max attendance: 22
  • Time: 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Hiking and Botany Trip to Chugach State Park  - FULL

Prince William Sound Tour

  • Cost: $330, plus gratuity
  • Min attendance: 15
  • Max attendance: 27
  • Time:  9:30 am - 6:30 pm
  • NOTE: This option is independently organized by the tour company. See the Field Trip Descriptions for details and click here to sign up.

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About

Conference venue and hotel

The NACW-AUC 2023 Conference will be based at the Hotel Captain Cook. Located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, Alaska’s Hotel Captain Cook is a perfect basecamp for adventure, offering the best cultural, retail and natural highlights just steps from your door. For more information please visit captaincook.com.

The Hotel Captain Cook features 546 rooms and suites with views of the neighboring Cook Inlet and Chugach Mountains. There is a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate of $160 per night plus tax (8-10 May; $190 May 11). Rooms are likely to go fast, as will other accommodation in Downtown Anchorage, so please book early using the code: NACW23 or following this link: North American Caribou Workshop.

If you prefer to call, the reservations department is available 24/7 and can be reached at +1-907-276-6000. Please be sure to mention that you would like to book under the North American Caribou Workshop group block.

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Brown hotel building in foreground with body of water and mountain visible behind it

Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska 

Anchorage is the bustling heart of southeastern Alaska. It is the largest city in Alaska, with just under 300,000 people but maintains the wild character of Alaska, surrounded by the stunning Chugach Mountains and the waters of Cook Inlet. The conference will take place in downtown Anchorage, conveniently located less than 15 minutes from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Taxis, ride-hailing services, rental car companies, hotel shuttles and buses are all available from the terminal. Anchorage is an ethnically diverse community that is relatively inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly.

Downtown Anchorage is a pedestrian-friendly grid of streets, where you’ll find restaurants, brewpubs, coffee shops, tour companies, visitor information and shops. If you want to get outside, it’s easy to take the extensive trail network starting downtown and connecting to the many parks and green spaces spread throughout Anchorage. Along the way, you might see some of Anchorage’s nearly 1500 resident moose or some of the bald eagles, beluga whales, or other creatures that call Anchorage home.

For a walk or run - Check out the Coastal Trail, accessible from 2nd Avenue and H Street or 5th Avenue and M Street. The trail runs 11 miles, but for a shorter trip try out the stretch between downtown and Westchester Lagoon.

Bike Rentals - The trail is also a good spot for a bike ride. Rentals by the hour are inexpensive and available from companies in downtown.

Hiking – The Chugach Mountains are filled with trails, with the closest less than 20 minutes from downtown. Stretch your legs and get a stunning view of the city and surrounding natural spaces.

History and Culture - The Anchorage Museum and Alaska Native Heritage Center offer great showcases of Alaska Native cultures and Alaska history. The Anchorage Museum’s art collections are the biggest in Alaska. The Alaska Native Heritage Center focuses on Native culture through live song and dance performances, as well as life-sized examples of traditional buildings. There’s a combined admission, the Culture Pass, for both attractions. There’s also a free shuttle connecting the two stops.

Moose sitting down in a snow bank alongside a street while a person walks nearby

Photo by Roy Reese courtesy of Visit Anchorage

Looking to add more Alaskan adventure to your trip? Options abound for accessing the rest of Alaska by road, rail, or air from Anchorage. Visit iconic Denali National Park, relax in the luxury of Alyeska Resort and spa in nearby Girdwood, and much more!

Rail Tours - Anchorage is the place to begin a railroad trip in Alaska. Trains depart daily for Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords National Park, or Spencer Glacier in Chugach National Forest.

Flightseeing - Small airplane and helicopter flights are incredible. Flights from Merrill Field or Lake Hood in Anchorage take off for glaciers in the nearby Chugach Mountains, the waters of Prince William Sound, or even circle Denali by air.

Day Cruises – See tidewater glaciers and wildlife including whales, seals, otters, sea lions and birds. Cruises sail daily from the port towns of Whittier and Seward, both accessible by rail or road. 


COVID Policy

The health and safety of all conference attendees is a top priority for the NACW-AUC Organizing Committee. Therefore, we encourage conference attendees to wear masks and practice social distancing, when possible, to help minimize the spread of the disease. We expect to have attendees from all over the North and are cognizant that conferences can be a source of rapid transmission of COVID-19. Masks will be available at the registration desk at no charge but we request that attendees bring their own mask(s) if possible.

To minimize transmission, we encourage all attendees to take a COVID-19 test 24-48 hours prior to arriving at the conference. Please do not attend if you feel ill or were recently exposed to COVID-19. Colored stickers will be available at the registration desk for individuals to indicate their comfort with proximity to other participants. Please respect the wishes of other participants as much as possible.

Outdoor dining options are generally limited in Anchorage. See our Restaurant Guide (coming soon) for dining options with outdoor seating. An array of food delivery services are available (see our Restaurant Guide). The banquet will be inside the main ballroom of the hotel.

Please note that masks are not currently required by the Municipality of Anchorage, so other hotel/venue guests and staff may not be masked. Information about COVID-19 in Alaska can be found here.

Please help us keep the conference as safe and enjoyable as possible for all attendees!

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The Arctic Ungulate Conference is a meeting of the Arctic Ungulate Society. For more information, please visit the website.