Artwork by: Tara Hohoff of the Illinois Bat Conservation Program
We invite you to join us for the 15th Midwest Bat Working Group Annual Meeting on Monday March 27th to Tuesday March 28th, 2023. This hybrid (in-person and virtual) meeting will bring together biologists, private and public land managers, private consultation organizations, educational institutions, and citizen scientists from across the Midwest.
Registration, Lodging, and T-shirts
Program Overview
Call for Abstracts
Presentation and Poster Guidelines
Lunch with a Bat Biologist
Achievement and Student Awards
Wildlife Acoustics Lunch & Learn Workshop
Meeting Announcement and Call for Abstracts
Hosted by: Illinois Natural History Survey
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 MWBWG MEETING SPONSORS!
Date and Location
Monday March 27, 2023 to Tuesday March 28, 2023
The hybrid meeting will take place:
- In-person: Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Champaign, IL
- Virtual: Gather.town virtual platform will host all posters for viewing and oral presentations using Zoom
NOTE: Login information will be emailed to all registered virtual participants approximately 2 weeks prior to the meeting.
Registration, Lodging, and T-shirts
REGISTRATION options include:
- Professional/Regular In-Person: $125.00
- Student In-Person: $50.00
- Professional/Regular/Student Virtual: $25.00
In-person registration and attendance will be limited to 150 individuals.
- REGISTER -
LODGING for in-person meeting participants is available at:
- Holiday Inn and Convention Center, (101 Trade Center Drive, Champaign, IL 61820)
- Rate: $112 + tax per night (Sunday-Tuesday March 26-28, 2023)
- Rooms are being held under "Midwest Bat Working" and will be available until February 26, 2023.
T-SHIRTS for the 15th Annual MWBWG Meeting are available for sale through the MWBWG Store starting at $16.00.
- T-shirt sales will be available until 5pm central March 3, 2023.
- T-shirts are only available online and in-person pick-up at the annual meeting.
- BUY T-SHIRT -
Program Overview
We will be meeting in-person and broadcasting virtually using the Gather.town platform. The Monday evening social and poster session will be available in-person only. However, those who choose to provide their posters in a virtual format will additionally have their posters available for viewing on Gather.town for those unable to attend in person.
Plenary Topic: Endangered Bat Biologists Unite!
USFWS gives updates on status assessments, permits, and processes for northern long-eared bats, tricolored bats, and little brown bats in the Midwest. We promise it won’t be boring and you don’t want to miss this!
Monday, March 27, 2023
| Morning |
Registration/Check-in
|
| Mid-Morning |
Welcome & Presentations |
| Afternoon |
Lunch with a Bat Biologist |
| Afternoon |
Presentations |
| Evening |
Social & Poster Session |
| |
|
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
| Morning |
Registration/Check-in/Breakfast (provided) |
| Mid-Morning |
Presentations |
| Early Afternoon |
Lunch Banquette (provided) |
| Afternoon (1-3pm CST) |
Plenary - USFWS Presentation |
| Afternoon |
Business Meeting, Awards, Depart |
|
|
Call for Abstracts
Abstracts are being requested for virtual and in-person presentations and posters.
Your poster and/or presentation time will be specified in the agenda that will be sent to registrants prior to the meeting. We encourage professionals, students, and researchers to submit abstracts for in-person or virtual presentations and be available at their assigned presentation times. The Monday evening social and poster session will be available in-person only. However, those who choose to provide their posters in a virtual format will additionally have their posters available for viewing on the Gather.town platform for those unable to attend in person.
The deadline for abstract submission HAS BEEN EXTENDED to February 27, 2023.
All individuals submitting abstracts must be registered for the meeting to be eligible to present. Indicate in the email whether the preferred presentation is oral or poster. Abstracts should include name, organization, address of authors, and a title. Underline the name of the author who will be presenting the poster or talk. The Abstract should (1) state the principal objective(s) and scope of the investigation, (2) briefly describe the methods employed, (3) summarize the results, and (4) state the principal conclusions. The abstract should be less than 300 words.
Follow these format guidelines when preparing your abstract (see example below):
Email abstract submissions with subject line labeled "2023 MWBWG abstract" with attachment of abstract in Microsoft Word format to BOTH: Dr. Allen Kurta (akurta@emich.edu) & Dr. Joe Johnson (john5jp@ucmail.uc.edu).
EXAMPLE:
ALLEGHENY WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MAGISTER) HABITAT
CHARACTERISTICS IN VIRGINIA
Michael T. Mengak, Steven B. Castleberry, and W. Mark Ford. D.B. Warnell School of Forest Resources,
University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (MTM, SBC); USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station,
Newton Square, PA (WMF)
Presentation and Poster Preparation Guidelines
Posters and Presentations are due March 17, 2023 (submission instructions provided upon abstract acceptance).
Guidelines for Oral Presentations
A total of 15 minutes will be allotted for presentations, including time for answering questions (3 min). All oral presentations must be in Microsoft PowerPoint.
In-person Poster Guidelines
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Should be no larger than 48 inches tall x 36 inches wide.
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Should be readable from a distance of 2 meters.
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Title should be capitalized with lettering at least 2 cm high (e.g. 72 pt).
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Authors and institutional affiliations should be in upper- and lower-case lettering at least 11 mm high (e.g. 42 pt).
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Text lettering should be at least 9 mm high (e.g. 36 pt) with a line thickness of at least 1 mm.
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Text for Literature Cited section can be smaller if space is limited (e.g. down to 20 pt).
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Information should be well organized and concisely presented. Most posters include the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Literature Cited.
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Keep written text to a minimum (remember the rule of thumb “less is more”). “Bullets” and short phrases are effective. Consider using no more than six illustrations (large graphs, flow charts, diagrams, and photographs). Keep captions and legends short and informative.
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Poster presenters are encouraged to upload a virtual poster for online participants.
NOTE: In the chance that the meeting moves to a fully virtual format, those submitting posters for in-person presentation are also encouraged to submit their poster following the virtual guidelines provided below.
Virtual Poster Guidelines
Shortcut for converting in-person poster using Adobe:
- Save your PowerPoint as PDF
- Open PDF >> File >> Print >> check "shrink oversized pages" >> Print >> Save as new PDF
- Open new PDF >> File >> Save as >> PNG format
- Overall size should be 12x9 inches.
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Title should be capitalized with lettering around 32-point font.
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Authors and affiliations should be in upper- and lower-case around 20-point font.
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Text lettering should be at least 14-point font.
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Most posters should include the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Literature Cited.
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Keep written text to a minimum. “Bullets” and short phrases are most effective.
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Send posters to Brittany Rogness (brogness@illinois.edu) by March 17, 2023 with subject line: MWBWG_Poster Title_First Name Last Name
Lunch with a Bat Biologist
We are organizing a mentor meet-up for the MWBWG Meeting! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet with mentors from a variety of professional backgrounds, including research, government agencies, non-profits, and private organizations to gain insights into their roles and responsibilities.
If you are a professional MWBWG member interested in volunteering as a mentor, please indicate so with your registration. If you are a student interested in participating and meeting with mentors, you will receive an email with more information after signing up for the 2023 MWBWG Meeting. We will be matching students and mentors by their indicated interests, then notifying participants before the meeting. We look forward to facilitating this enjoyable experience!
This event will be held over the lunch hour Monday March 27, 2023. Boxed lunches will be provided.
Wildlife Acoustics "Lunch and Learn" Workshop
Adding Bat Recorders to Your Conservation Toolkit
Monday, March 27, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Central
- Click Here to Register -
[external site]
Registration closes March 23rd at 11:59PM Central
For in-person MWBWG meeting attendees, Wildlife Acoustics is offering a hands-on workshop to demonstrate two powerful bat bioacoustics tools. Practice setting up two ultrasonic recorders—a Song Meter SM4BAT and Song Meter Mini Bat—and learn how to adjust audio settings and recording schedules. Microphone features and functionality will also be covered. Time permitting, key aspects of Kaleidoscope Pro analysis software (including cluster analysis and Bat Auto-ID) will be reviewed.
Wildlife Acoustics is the leading provider of bioacoustics monitoring technology, with 100,000+ acoustic and ultrasonic recorders deployed in over 90 countries.
***For this workshop, Wildlife Acoustics will offer a buffet lunch. Please make sure to select your dietary restrictions and list any allergies on the registration form in order to ensure they are able to provide you with a meal.***
Achievement and Student Awards
The following awards will be available this year. To learn more about these awards and to find out how to submit an application or nomination please visit our Awards and Scholarships page.
- Dave Redell Lifetime Achievement Award
- John O. Whitaker, Jr. Travel Award - Undergraduate Student
- John O. Whitaker, Jr. Travel Award - Graduate Student
- Best Student Poster
- Best Student Presentation
We hope to see you soon!
