The Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society (ACTWS) convened in Banff February 26 to March 1 2026, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and students across the province and beyond to exchange ideas and strengthen conservation networks. My presentation on Tanzania Research and Conservation Organization’s pangolin research and applied conservation efforts drew a very large and positive response – the room was attentive from the first slide, and the Q&A that followed turned led to lively discussions that highlighted scientific interest and practical appetite for learning more about these special animals as well as our organization.
Colleagues praised the clarity of our methods and the direct link between field data and on‑the‑ground actions, and several practitioners approached me afterward to explore how they too might get involved. Students also expressed particular enthusiasm for our approach in human dimensions of wildlife management, especially the community‑engaged aspects of our work. That mix of academic curiosity and implementation focus created a productive space for describing our goals of translating research into action.
Beyond the session itself, the conference setting in Banff enabled informal conversations that are often where real partnerships begin: hallway chats turned into scheduled follow‑ups, and a few organizations signaled interest in possible future field visits in Tanzania itself! The visibility for TRCO that the talk generated also shed light on potential funding conversations, and invitations to present our applied approaches at other upcoming meetings for wildlife practitioners and researchers.
Stay tuned for our updates after presenting at the forthcoming Pathways Europe Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference at Oxford Brooks University, June 2026!