2008 Annual Meeting:
Nov 6 - 9
Vancouver, BC, Canada*

Donations for the 2008 Auction for student travel are now being accepting online.

* note that visitors from the USA will need a passport General Information

This year’s annual meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists will be held November 6-9 at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The meeting will begin on the evening of Thursday (November 6) with a Student Workshop and Mixer, which continue to be very popular events. On Nov. 7 and 8, a symposium will be held each morning, followed by contributed paper sessions in the afternoon. A plenary speaker is planned for Sunday morning (Nov. 9), followed by contributed paper sessions in both the morning and afternoon. Once again, a Contributed Poster Session will be scheduled. As we approach the conference, we will provide more details on the schedule, including the ever-popular Attitude Adjustment Hour, the Presidential Banquet, and the WSN Auction.

Social Events and Auction

As usual, the meeting will also feature the renowned Attitude Adjustment Hour, Presidential Banquet, and the WSN Auction. Again, the WSN Student Committee is seeking items to include in this year’s auction. Money raised from the auction is used to fund student travel. The auction will be held immediately following the Presidential Banquet. Previously donated items have included books or monographs, art work, embarrassing collectibles obtained from prominent WSN members, wine, and other spirits. WSN is a non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. If you have items that you would like to donate or have questions of the WSN student committee in general, please e-mail Laura Carney of the WSN student committee.

Abstract Submission and Registration

We will open the WSN website for online submission of abstracts for contributed papers and posters beginning September 1, 2008. Abstracts will be accepted through October 6, 2008 and posted subsequently on the WSN website along with a meeting schedule. If you would like to submit an abstract for a contributed paper or poster and do not have web access, please email or mail your abstract (200 word maximum) along with the names, organizational affiliations, and mailing addresses of all authors to the WSN Secretariat by the October 6 deadline. Please indicate clearly the name of the presenting author.


Lodging Information
All workshops, symposia, and contributed paper and poster sessions will be held in the meeting rooms of the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. For driving directions and general information about the hotel, visit Marriott Pinnacle . As we prepare for this year’s meeting, we will post additional information on the WSN website. REMEMBER THAT A PASSPORT NOW IS REQUIRED TO TRAVEL TO CANADA.

Local chair Chris Harley has arranged a room rate of $155/night for single and/or double occupancy, and $175/night for triple or quadruple occupancy. These rates will apply until Monday, October 6, 2008. As usual, we strongly advise you to make your hotel reservations as early as possible and well before the meeting, or you may be unable to find accommodations at the Marriott Pinnacle. Regular room rates are much higher so book your room before they are all taken.

Vancouver hotels are expensive, but we have negotiated the most reasonable rate possible for a hotel with enough space for our meeting. The Marriott Pinnacle offers a great combination of location, accommodations, and price. We urge all members to stay in the Marriott Pinnacle so that the society can fulfill its room commitment to the hotel, which will allow us to remain financially solvent. A trip to beautiful Vancouver may be a little more expensive than to central California for many of us, but our 2008 meeting presents a wonderful opportunity to interact with colleagues from the northwest and Canada as well as all the “regulars”.

To make your reservation, simply click on one of the following links:

For single or double occupancy: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel Double

For triple or quadruple occupancy: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel triple or quad

These links will take you to the reservations page for the hotel, with the group code and reduced room rates already entered in. Simply select your dates of stay and you’re all set! If you decide to link to their reservations page yourself, please use the group code “wsnwsna” (single or double occupancy) or “wsnwsnz” (for triple or quadruple occupancy). If you call the Marriott Pinnacle, make sure to identify yourself as a WSN member.


Refund Policy
If you need to cancel your meeting registration, we will refund 90% of your registration (= registration only) cost if you cancel before the late registration deadline (we need to cover our paypal overhead) and 50% if you cancel after the deadline. Dues are not refundable. Purchases such as banquet tickets and merchandise are not refundable if you request a refund after the meeting has started, as your meal or t-shirt has already been paid for by us. You may arrange to have merchandise sent to you by contacting the student committee. If you have further questions, please contact the secretariat.



This information current as of April 2008. Please check back for updated information