About Us

The Biometrics Working Group (BWG) is a chartered organization within The Wildlife Society and membership is open to any member of The Wildlife Society with an interest in its goals and objectives (see Charter Article II: Goals and Objectives). The BWG executive board is composed of elected officers and board members that collectively support BWG membership and implementation of activities guided by the Charter. 

Overall, the BWG provides a forum for TWS members to share, use, and develop quantitative methods, techniques, and models that help advance the scientific foundation of conservation and management. The BWG also aims to increase awareness of the importance of biometric methods in scientific research.

The goals of BWG are to: 

• facilitate communication and the exchange of information among members of The Wildlife Society on the development and application of quantitative methods appropriate for use in research and management of wildlife resources,

• encourage the use and development of methods for proper collection and analysis of data to aid decision makers in natural resource management, and

• emphasize the value of carefully designed and appropriately analyzed studies to further our understanding of those processes important to natural resource management).

To aid in the achievement of these goals, the BWG objectives are to: 

• provide mechanisms for members interested in quantitative issues to discuss particularly perplexing problems encountered in the design of studies and analysis of data used in natural resource management,

• provide mechanisms to help the biometric specialists within The Wildlife Society to understand recent developments that impact our profession,

• provide mechanisms (including, but not limited to, workshops and conferences) to help biologists and managers to understand the strengths and limitations of quantitative methods,

• provide a group of independent reviewers who will review technical reports and comment on assumptions, limitations, and interpretation of complicated issues involving analysis of data concerning natural resource management,

• provide a group of independent reviewers to evaluate quantitative models being used to help decision makers in natural resource management,

• sponsor development of a rapid communications exchange network for the benefit of all biometrical practitioners, especially those who work in professional isolation,

• promote development and strengthening of biometrical curricula in academic wildlife programs, and 

• develop technical reviews, position statements, and other materials in the area of biometrics and its application to wildlife management and research.

The BWG google group is available a resource to BWG members. To post to the google listserve: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/twsbiometrics