Information Services 



TITLE: Enhancing Information and 

 Communication 



GOAL: Collect and analyze internal and external 

 information to monitor and enhance 

 program effectiveness. Communicate 

 internally and externally to accomplish 

 NWRC's mission and to build an 

 understanding of the Federal role in wildlife 

 damage management. 



Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species Symposium — 



On August 7 through 9, 2007, NWRC hosted an 

 international symposium in Fort Collins on managing 

 invasive birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. 

 About 160 people attended. The goal of the 

 symposium was to highlight research, management, 

 and public education campaigns associated with 

 invasive wildlife. Speakers at the plenary sessions 

 provided national and international perspectives and 

 summaries of invasive species problems. More than 

 50 additional speakers, from the United States and 8 

 foreign countries, presented information on economic 

 and other impacts of invasive species; the regulatory 

 environment; the need for coordination of efforts among 

 agencies and nations; pathways and means-of-entry 



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CSU art students designed posters for the international 

 symposium "Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species," hosted by 

 NWRC in August 2007. 



for invasives; and detection, prevention, eradication 

 and monitoring of individual species. An additional 20 

 technical posters were displayed. Smaller gatherings, 

 focusing on specialized topics, followed the conference. 

 NWRC employees provided tours of the Center's 

 headquarters, including the new ISRB. 



Economics of Wildlife Damage Management 

 Leaflet — NWRC's Economic Research Project 

 and the use of economics in wildlife damage 

 management are highlighted in a new leaflet entitled 

 "Solutions Through Science: Economics of Wildlife 

 Damage Management." The full-color publication 

 is aimed at WS Operations and wildlife managers 

 who are interested in conducting economic 

 assessments. 



Library — While the library's catalog holdings in- 

 creased by 378 items in 2007, its journal print 

 subscriptions were reduced by about 20 percent as 

 serial online access increased through the USDA's 

 Digital Desktop service. A library-materials inventory 

 has been implemented to identify and locate items 

 checked out by NWRC staff over the last 10 years. 



Three new taxidermic displays have been added 

 to the library. Visitors can now view male and 

 female red-winged blackbirds in a cattail marsh 

 arrangement, an invasive BTS, and an invasive 

 Gambian giant pouched rat. The displays are used 

 in tours and as educational tools by staff members. 



Library staff contributed to several new NWRC 

 outreach products. The library coordinated a 

 Center-wide effort that resulted in production of 

 11 new wall posters explaining NWRC research 

 programs and various invasive species problems. 

 These posters were used as educational materials in 

 the newly opened ISRB. The posters were updated 

 later in the year to reflect organizational changes. 

 Library staff also coordinated a new "Solutions 

 Through Science" leaflet on wildlife damage 

 management economics research at NWRC. This 

 publication was released as a USDA Program Aid 



Information and Communication 57 



