<div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000">The Xerces Society is excited to announce the two winners of the 2017 Joan Mosenthal DeWind Awards. From among the exceptional applications we received, the following two students were selected:</font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"> </font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><b>Zhengyang Wang – Harvard University</b></span><br></font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Butterfly telemetry in mountainous terrain: a novel method to track and estimate population sizes for the Golden Birdwing (<em style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Troides aesacus</em>) on Mt. Gongga in Garze Tibetan Prefecture</span><br></font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"><font color="#000000"><br></font></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif">Butterfly movement in mountainous terrain is difficult to study. This study will develop methods to track montane butterflies using </span><i style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif">Troides aeacus</i><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"> on the foothills (c 8,000 ft.) of Mt. Gongga (c 24,790 ft.) as a model system. The study has two aims: (1) to use 0.2 gram transmitters placed on the upper abdomen of individuals of </span><i style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif">T. aeacus</i><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"> to estimate movement parameters using an insect telemetry system, and (2) to develop object-oriented Monte Carlo simulations using telemetry obtained parameters to estimate </span><i style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif">T. aeacus</i><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"> population size. This telemetry system allows researchers to monitor individual butterflies at fine-tuned spatial and temporal scales and has the potential to provide more accurate population estimates for conservation management.</span></font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><em style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"><font color="#000000"><br></font></em></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"><b><font color="#000000">Federico Riva – University of Alberta, Canada</font></b></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:13px;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Modeling the distribution of <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Plebejus optilete</em> ssp. <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px">yukona</em> in Alberta’s boreal forest</span><b><br></b></font></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Information on the North American populations of </span><i style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Plebejus optilete </i><span style="font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">ssp. </span><i style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">yukona </i><span style="font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">(Holland, 1900) is scarce. In Alberta, less than 20 populations are known. Here, in situ oil sands deposits and extraction cover more than 142,000 km2 of boreal forests, including areas potentially suitable to this species. Following research conducted on </span><i style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">P. optilete </i><span style="font-family:raleway,helveticaneue-light,&quot;helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,&quot;lucida grande&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:13px">in 2015 and 2016, this study will test a species distribution model for the species using natural and anthropogenic factors. This will be used to assess its distribution at regional scales and the rarity status in Alberta, revealing if conservation efforts are needed to preserve the species.</span><br></font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"> </font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000">The DeWind committee and the board and staff of the Society congratulate Zhengyang and Federico and thank all the applicants for their outstanding efforts in invertebrate conservation.</font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"> </font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000">The DeWind Awards are given to individuals engaged in studies or research leading to a university degree related to Lepidoptera research and conservation, and working or intending to work in that field. Joan Mosenthal DeWind was a pioneering member of the Xerces Society. A psychiatric social worker by profession, she was also an avid butterfly gardener and an accomplished amateur lepidopterist. Her contributions of time, organizational expertise, and financial support were essential to the growth and success of the Xerces Society over the past 40 years. Joan also had a keen interest in young people, supporting what became the Young Entomologists’ Society. In Joan’s memory, Bill DeWind established a student research endowment fund in her name.</font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000"> </font></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font color="#000000">For more information on the DeWind Awards and previous winners, visit <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.xerces.org_joan-2Ddewind-2Daward_&d=DwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=tVAKMFPe3UCcsMWUFXo0FeX0xe1JUAj77B74DAI3DKI&m=mn3aF00ON2f4WKOtyJcT7LyDBMwIZ-6YiGDZxlepiQw&s=oKRIngs6gjCt5rtFQzMUXw9ayIxIm1O2FHbrOTUzgIg&e=" target="_blank">http://www.xerces.org/joan-<wbr>dewind-award/</a>.</font></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Candace
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