The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Society
Name	The Wildlife Society
Formation	1937
Headquarters	Bethesda, Maryland
Type	Professional association
Purpose	Conservation, wildlife science, resource management
Region served	United States, North America
Membership	Wildlife professionals
Leader title	President

The Wildlife Society is a professional organization formed in 1937 to advance wildlife science, conservation, and management across North America. It serves as a hub for practitioners, researchers, and policy advisors engaged with species such as white-tailed deer, brown bear, bald eagle, and habitats such as Great Lakes wetlands and Yellowstone National Park ecosystems. The Society interacts with agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and universities including University of California, Davis, Michigan State University, and Texas A&M University.

History

The Society was founded with participation from figures affiliated with Bureau of Biological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and academic programs at Cornell University and Iowa State University. Early work intersected with conservation milestones including the Migratory Bird Treaty and management shifts after the Dust Bowl era. During the mid-20th century the organization engaged with policy developments surrounding the Endangered Species Act and collaborations with National Park Service scientists. Through the late 20th and early 21st centuries it expanded ties to international groups like International Union for Conservation of Nature and regional partners in Canadian Wildlife Service and Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.

Mission and Objectives

The Society’s core mission emphasizes the application of wildlife science to conservation challenges, supporting peer-reviewed research at outlets comparable to Journal of Wildlife Management and informing decisions by bodies such as the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Objectives include promoting evidence-based management of species from whooping crane populations to gray wolf recovery, improving habitat conservation in areas like the Mississippi River Delta, and integrating practices from agencies like U.S. Geological Survey and academic programs at University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Membership and Professional Certification

Membership draws professionals from federal agencies (e.g., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration affiliates), state agencies such as California Department of Fish and Wildlife, universities including University of Florida, and NGOs like Ducks Unlimited and World Wildlife Fund. The Society administers certification programs paralleling credentialing seen in societies such as American Fisheries Society and collaborates with licensing frameworks used by state conservation commissions and boards like the Wildlife Society of British Columbia. Certification pathways support career stages from technicians to senior biologists working on projects in Everglades National Park and Denali National Park and Preserve.

Publications and Research Contributions

The organization supports and disseminates science through journals and technical series akin to publications from Ecology Society of America and databases maintained with partners such as NatureServe. Its outputs cover topics from population modeling for pronghorn to habitat restoration in Chesapeake Bay. Contributions have influenced legal and management frameworks tied to cases invoking the National Environmental Policy Act and informed recovery planning for species listed under the Endangered Species Act including red wolf and Indiana bat.

Education, Outreach, and Advocacy

Educational programming includes workshops, student chapters at universities like Colorado State University and Oregon State University, and continuing education similar to initiatives by Society for Conservation Biology. Outreach spans partnerships with museums (e.g., American Museum of Natural History), media engagements on issues affecting Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and advocacy campaigns addressing legislation debated in bodies such as the United States Congress and provincial legislatures in Ontario. The Society has provided expert testimony and position statements relevant to policies on invasive species like European starling and management of public lands administered by Bureau of Land Management.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance is via an elected board and committees that mirror structures in organizations such as Society for Range Management and American Ornithological Society. Regional chapters and sections coordinate activities across states and provinces, interacting with state wildlife agencies such as Pennsylvania Game Commission and national entities like Canadian Wildlife Federation. Operational oversight involves executive staff based near institutions in Bethesda, Maryland and collaboration with professional partners including contract research groups and university extension services.

Awards and Conferences

The Society organizes annual conferences comparable to meetings of the Ecological Society of America and presents awards recognizing contributions akin to honors from International Wildlife Management Congress. Awards celebrate achievements in wildlife research, conservation practice, and student scholarship, and conference sessions frequently feature collaborations with agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, and academic symposia drawing speakers from University of British Columbia and Texas Tech University.

Category:Professional associations