Mary Beth Benedict called the meeting to order at 11:35 pm with 29 members in attendance.

Mary Beth Benedict read the Minutes of the 2000 Annual General Meeting.

Rosie MacFarlane motioned to accept the minutes (seconded by Becky Whitam).

2. President’s Report

The Executive conducted six teleconferences in 2001. We focussed this year on enhancing communications and the ASFWB profile by completing the following:

• Web links have been established to the ASFWB web site from universities in Atlantic Canada (Biology Departments at UNB, SFX, SMU, Dalhousie, UPEI, Memorial University, Acadia and ACWERN)
• The ASFWB web page has received numerous hits from students and we have responded to each query or statement of interest.
• Hugh Broders designed a poster that advertises the ASFWB, our mandate and activities. The poster has been distributed and posted at universities and government offices throughout Atlantic Canada.
• Email is being used to provide notices to ASFWB members with some success. Up-to-date email addresses and notices to persons without email remain as issues.

No Spring Seminar was hosted in 2001 due to lack of interest by membership.

The ASFWB Research Award was granted to Hugh Broders in the amount of $500. for his research into "Foraging Ecology of the Little Brown Bat and Northern Long Eared Bats in New Brunswick". No other applicants applied.

The Merit Award was granted to Bob Bancroft for his significant contribution to fisheries and wildlife biology. Rosie MacFarlane reviewed Bob’s many accomplishments (attached).

No nominations of candidates for Wall of Fame were made in 2001. Nominations should be directed to R. Stocek.

Presently, the Cartwright award is given to the highest "wildlife" student entering final year at UNB. The Scholarship Committee at UNB proposed that this award be alternated annually between the Forestry and Biology Departments because of difficulties in comparing students between faculties. The Executive approved this protocol change.

The ASFWB contributed $2551.25 to the Cartwright Scholarship Fund in 2001 to bring the total of the Fund to $20 000. We have achieved our goal!

The Scholarship Fund committee (chairperson Darryl Guignon) was established in 2000 to look into options for establishing a new scholarship fund reported that information was collected from UPEI, Acadia and Memorial universities. The requirements for setting up a scholarship are similar. The Committee recommends that when choosing the next university we should consider its past involvement within ASFWB, present wildlife research and likely expansion of wildlife research programs that embrace our goals. It is left to the membership to determine how to proceed. The benefits of each university were discussed and the following ideas put forward:

• Should we support the Irving Centre Expansion at Acadia University – new environmental science centre
• Should the grant be available for graduate or undergraduate students

5. Membership Report

Tony Nette reported that we have 88 members, however, some are not paid-up members and email addresses and up-to-date addresses are required for some.

Several issues associated with our lagging membership were discussed:

• We need to draw in faculty members from universities that are not presently actively involved with ASFWB.
• We should look for possible synergies with AQWERN (meet with Executive).
• We should try to expand membership representation by industry. Inviting representatives to present at our meetings may achieve this.
• We have to keep the attention of our Natural Resources and Fisheries Biologists. This may be achieved by inviting provincial representatives to provide biannual overviews of provincial work, trends and strategies.
• Continue to focus our communication strategy - get newsletters out, keep the web page current, put meeting abstracts on web page, provide ample notification of AGM complete with agendas/abstracts.

The prepared Financial Statement was distributed. It was noted that the financial report did not provide continuum from that presented at the 2000 AGM. G. Redmond will revise the financial statement to include the period from 03 August 2000 to 30 October 2001.

M. B. Benedict nominated the following persons to available executive positions:

• Newsletter Editor: Rosie MacFarlane
• Web Site Editor: Greg Johnson
• V. P. Membership: Tony Nette
• V.P. Program (NFLD): __________________

Rosie and Tony accepted and were voted into the positions.

The members approved Greg Johnson as Web Site Editor and Greg will be contacted to determine if he is willing to fill this roll.

The members consented that the Executive is empowered to fill the position of V.P.Program.

Existing executive members include:

• Past President: Stephen Flemming
• President: Mary Beth Benedict
• Treasurer/Secretary: Gerry Redmond
• Student Representative: Hugh Broders

The location of 2002 AGM is in Newfoundland.

The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Graham Forbes (seconded by Tony Nette)

Prepared by:

M. B. Benedict, President