American Bison Society Agenda

           October 28- November 2nd 2019

*All agenda items are subject to change at this point. This overview is merely a guide for the weeks activities.

Schedule Overview

Monday

A travel day for most participants. The only organized event will be a welcome open house in the evening, for attendees to meet and mingle before the conference officially opens.

Tuesday

The first official day of the conference. Today’s schedule is comprised of four sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. We will structure the sessions in two ways: (1) as a set of up to six presentations on a related topic, or (2) as a facilitated discussion by a group of speakers. Concurrent to the sessions we will also have exhibitor booths and posters on display. Exhibitors may include artists, bison-related businesses, local artists, or other groups. In the evening, we will host a cocktail hour during which poster presenters will be available to discuss their projects with other conference attendees and at which time a Silent Auction will be set-up. Following the cocktail hour, we will have a banquet dinner followed by a plenary presentation.

Wednesday

Sessions will continue on Wednesday, as well as the exhibitor booths. In the evening we will host a cultural event in partnership with the Pueblo of Pojoaque.

Thursday

The schedule for Thursday will focus on an important topic: the development of a continent-wide strategy for conserving bison. The idea of a continental strategy has emerged over the past few years, and with the recent completion of genetic analyses for the entire Department of Interior, the field of bison restoration is now poised to make significant strides toward a coordinated effort to preserve this iconic species. WCS has historically played a convening role by bringing together experts and practitioners to devise a vision for bison restoration (the Vermejo Vision statement) and now we seek to further the efforts of this field by stewarding the development of an action-focused strategy. One of the important first steps in that process is cultivating consensus around the need for such a strategy, and engaging with the appropriate individuals. The ABS conference provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Following the discussion, the conference will host a film night (open to the public) to showcase films and documentaries about bison by native and non-native filmmakers.

Friday

Friday’s schedule follows two streams: the first, a closed-door meeting of the IUCN Bison Specialist Group; and the second, field trips to visit one of three locations in New Mexico. The IUCN Bison Specialist Group traditionally hosts its membership meeting adjacent to the ABS conference, and this year’s meeting will happen on Friday. The meeting is run by the Chair of the Bison Specialist Group. For those conference attendees who are not members of the Bison Specialist Group, we are offering three field trips:

(1)  a visit to the Valles Caldera National Park & Preserve, to visit the park and learn about their plans to reintroduce bison;

(2)  a visit to Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge, home to the Pueblo of Pojoaque’s own bison herd, managed in partnership with the National Refuge staff and the Denver Zoo; or

(3)  a visit to Lamont’s Wild West Buffalo, to view their ranching and hunting operation.

           Friday evening is free and open for conference attendees to explore Santa Fe on their own.

Saturday

On National Bison Day, we will host a celebration of our National Mammal. In previous years, celebrations have included ceremony, art, song, dance, and visits to see bison herds. This event will be open to the public.

Sunday

Conference attendees are invited to explore the Santa Fe area, or head home upon the completion of the conference.