2026 Partners’ Meeting

The main session was 9am – 12noon and began with a brief review of WYNDD activities and outputs by Dr. Gary Beauvais (Director).  Ian Abernethy (Zoologist/ Associate Director) followed with an overview of the WYNDD Information Systems and Services program, emphasizing the online Data Explorer application.  That system handled about 32,000 data requests in FY25!  Abernethy highlighted the critical role played by supplemental core funding provided by partners to WYNDD – such funding is vital to the maintenance and improvement of Data Explorer.  The relatively new WYNDD Botanist, Sienna Wessel, then provided an update for the Botany Program.  Dr. Paige Copenhaver-Parry, Ian Abernethy, and Dr. Lusha Tronstad then summarized the activities of the WYNDD Ecology, Vertebrate Zoology, and Invertebrate Zoology programs, respectively.  This portion of the meeting drew about 130 participants.

The final hour of the morning meeting featured representatives of major partner groups – U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department - providing updates on their organizational priorities and initiatives, which drew about 100 remote participants.

From 12:15 – 1pm Gary Beauvais provided a demonstration of the WYNDD Data Explorer, highlighting new features alongside previously-available functionality.  Forty-five participants attended the demonstration, with several establishing new user-accounts during and after the session.

From 1 – 2pm Lusha Tronstad hosted a discussion of aquatic invertebrates of management concern, including freshwater mussels, highlighting several WYNDD-led research projects in this arena.  Thirty-one people participated in this session.

From 2 – 3pm Sienna Wessel presented a discussion Wyoming’s “most wanted” rare plants, emphasizing data gaps, strategies to fill those gaps, and ideas on engaging a larger segment of the public in field botany activities.  Thirty-six participants were involved.

From 3 – 4pm Lusha Tronstad led a discussion of terrestrial invertebrates of concern in Wyoming, with emphasis on pollinators and land snails, and relevant WYNDD research projects.  Twenty-nine people attended this discussion.  

All sessions were recorded – please use the links below to access the recordings.  And please plan to join us in 2027!

Resources and Links

Meeting Recordings

WYNDD Department Updates

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Special information