At the end of May the CFBS office organized meetings with “decision makers” for CSZ. Eight appointments were scheduled over two day for the CSZ Executive. They met with representatives from AUCC, Fisheries and Oceans, National Science Advisor, CFI, Canadian Council of Animal Care, NSERC, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.

A report from Trish Shulte, CSZ President, indicated that the meetings were very productive. The mood across the departments and agencies visited seemed cautiously positive regarding the Conservatives’ New Science Strategy. The one thing that came across consistently from almost everyone the CSZ representatives met with was the most important thing we can do either the CSZ or CFBS was to clearly communicate to government and particularly to elected officials the value that Canada gets for its investment in science. The Knowledge Translation program and the Parlimentary Library Seminar Program that CFBS organizes seem a good vehicle to move things ahead on this front.

Short Summary of CSZ Visit
Prepared by: Dr. Patricia M. Schulte, CSZ President

On May 28 and 29 2007 a delegation from the Canadian Society of Zoologists went to Ottawa to meet with representatives of various organizations and Government departments involved in scientific research and education in Canada. These meetings were arranged and facilitated by the CFBS, without whose assistance our society's advocacy efforts would not have been possible. The delegation consisted of Patricia Schulte (University of British Columbia), the President of the CSZ, Anthony Russell (University of Calgary), the past-president of the CSZ, John Martell (University of New Brunswick), the secretary of the CSZ, and Charles Darveau, CSZ member.

We met with representatives of the AUCC, the Office of the National Science advisor, the CFI, NSERC, the CCAC, DFO, and Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada. All of these meetings were extremely productive and we were able to establish useful dialogues with all those involved. Discussion with most groups revolved around the newly released Science and Technology Strategy (Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage).