WMI was once again pleased to be a sponsor for the Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference hosted by the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. It was held for the first time in Sioux Falls, SD in late January with over 600 registrants. While the conference theme focused on Habitat: Working Today for a Better Tomorrow, there were plenty of sessions on fisheries, wildlife, R3, invasive species, working with tribal natural resource agencies, human dimensions, of wildlife and conservation relevancy. Plenary sessions focused on looking backwards in order to look forward and the power of partnerships.

The weather cooperated which made travel to Sioux Falls easier than it would have been just two weeks earlier! There were lots of student networking opportunities and time to build relationships across agencies, universities, NGOs, and industry. As with every conference, there is usually at least one glitch. This year it was a small fire in a hallway trash can at about 3:30 am, so we all evacuated the hotel while the fire department took care of the situation. Those that thought to bring their car keys with them offered strangers a warm place to get out of the cold, especially those in shorts and bare feet! One comment from a group of students from several universities was, “I understood there were going to be lots of opportunities to network at this meeting, but this is taking it to the extreme!” 

Thanks to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and the Delaney Meeting and Event Management team for hosting a great meeting!