aabril@agro.uncor.edu

rplopez@entelnet.bo

jgutierr@userena.cl

lcontrerasc@vtr.net

farfan@servidor.unam.mx

ireca@unsa.edu.pe

nbgrimm@asu.edu

alanc@uga.edu

sala@brown.edu

ksm@esa.org

Notes:

The Federation of the Ecological Societies of the Americas met during the ESA meeting in Merida, Mexico. The Presidents introduced themselves and briefed the attendees about their society.
The history and objectives of the Federation were reviewed. (Attached)

Federation members and guests discussed ways that the Federation might collaborate in the future. Suggestions made included:

• Develop a single publication for all Latin American countries
• Consider two types of Federation memberships: society members, and individual members from countries without a society
• Develop the ability to enter information directly to the Federation website
• Review the list of activities developed at the first Federation meeting in Savannah, GA and see what has been accomplished
• Include links to each society on the website
• Make link to Federation website more visible on ESA website
• Mexico is having its first annual meeting. Could the ESA Mexico Chapter and Mexico Society collaborate. Can ESA support the meeting by providing advice? Can the Federation have a role
• Ecological societies should help each other develop meetings and find other ways to collaborate
• Have a place on the website to trade information and ask questions.
• Argentina finds the information on ESA’s webpage useful. They translate the information and use it. Perhaps more of the ESA website could be translated?
• Have a Federation meeting in Chile in connection with a planned bi-national meeting (October 2007) and ask that other societies sponsor.
• ESA should consider holding meetings in Mexico, Central and South America, and Canada with a rotating location
• Federation or ESA meetings with the Federation would not be annual, but rather triennial or biennial
• Hold more smaller meetings in the Americas
• Themed meetings better than general meetings
• Place a calendar of meetings on the website
• Join all the directories of all the societies
• Develop a virtual mentor program for students. Mentors could help students to develop grant applications, advise on how to submit papers, how to attend meetings, etc.
• Trade journals among societies, or provide online access to Presidents.

After the discussion of collaboration, there was a discussion of plans for the future.

• Follow up on suggestions for the website
• Communicate with other societies about meetings that are being planned and about the proposed topics. Try to coordinate among societies
• Reach out to other ecological societies and get names of contacts (Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, etc.)
• Meet again at the ESA Meeting in Memphis, August, 2006