At its 2004 annual meeting in Miami, the ATBC Executive Council approved a proposal to form an ATBC Conservation Committee, which will be co-chaired by William Laurance of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Balboa, Panama, and Heraldo Vasconcelos of the University of Uberlândia in Uberlândia, Brazil.
The goals of the committee will include identifying critical conservation issues of general interest to the ATBC, and preparing draft resolutions for consideration by the Association's membership at its annual meetings. Such resolutions can play an important role in raising public awareness and attracting media attention for key conservation priorities. Other activities relating to the conservation of tropical ecosystems may also be undertaken by the committee.
To forward information about important conservation issues, or to submit a request to be formally appointed to this committee, please contact William Laurance (laurancew@tivoli.si.edu) and Heraldo Vasconcelos (heraldo@umuarama.ufu.br).