The 2015 George White Society (GWS) Conference is a place to engage with colleagues who share your commitment to excellence, to educate yourself about the latest trends and ideas, and to raise expectations for yourself and your career. Join the GWS in Oakland, California, for a week of stimulating discussion about leading-edge research, innovative management practices, and the core values that motivate us.  GWS conferences are all about recharging your batteries, reconnecting with friends old and new, and reflecting on critical issues.  

Every two years, the GWS organizes the USA’s premier interdisciplinary professional meeting on parks, protected areas, and cultural sites. By these three overlapping terms we mean a broad array of places, both “cultural” and “natural,” managed by different entities under a variety of designations:

• parks at all levels: federal, state/provincial, regional, and city
• historic, archaeological, and other cultural sites; cultural landscapes; protected landscapes/seascapes
• research areas and designated wilderness within national and state forests; other protected natural areas
• grasslands, wildlife refuges, national monuments, and other protected public lands
• areas and sites administered by tribal nations and/or Indigenous people; community-conserved areas; sacred natural sites
• marine protected areas; estuarine, freshwater, and other aquatic sanctuaries
• private land-trust reserves

The GWS Conference also encompasses disciplines and activities that link with or otherwise support the work of parks, such as GIS and museum work.  Any member of the public is welcome to register and attend.