From July 22-25, 2013, the conference Forest Genetics 2013 will be held in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. This conference is a joint meeting of four organizations:
Canadian Forest Genetics Association – Association canadienne de génétique forestière
Western Forest Genetics Association
IUFRO Population, Ecological and Conservation Genetics (Working Group 2.04.01)
IUFRO Breeding and Genetic Resources of Pacific Northwest Conifers (Working Group 2.02.05)
Conference
Information
Scientific sessions at this international conference will include presentations on a wide range of topics within forest genetics including population, quantitative, and conservation genetics, genomics, tree breeding, and seed orchard management. In addition to invited presentations by leading forest geneticists, there will be opportunities for volunteer talks and posters. Students are encouraged to attend, and will be offered reduced registration fees. A limited number of student sponsorships will be available for students from Canadian universities through the Canadian Forest Genetics Association.
Whistler Information
Whistler
is a four-season resort village 1.5 to 2 hours by vehicle from Vancouver,
BC
along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway. Buses run regularly between the
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Whistler
Village. Whistler was home to the alpine skiing and sliding events at
the 2010 Winter Olympics. The area offers many summer activities including
mountain and road biking, hiking, golfing, and zip trekking. Conference
events being planned will likely include a trip by gondola
up Whistler and Blackcomb mountains to view local subalpine and alpine
ecosystems and the diversity of tree and animal species they contain,
and an opportunity to learn about local First Nations art and culture
at the beautiful Squamish Lil’wat Cultural
Centre. A post-conference field trip to research installations is
currently in the planning stages.
Conference
Venue
The conference venue will be the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa, conveniently located in the village centre, just steps from the Whistler-Blackcomb Gondola. Information on how to book accommodations at the Hilton for a special meeting rate will be forthcoming.
Hosts
This conference is being hosted jointly by:
BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources Operations (Co-Chair Lee Charleson)
University of British Columbia (Co-Chair Sally Aitken)
This page will be updated as new information becomes available.