Experts Meeting on Implementation of a
Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN)

6-8 April 2004
in Baltimore , Maryland , USA

Tremont Plaza Suites Hotel
222 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-727-2222 or 1-800-TREMONT

Please note that email addresses on this page have been modified to prevent their being read by automated spammers. Replace “(at)” with the @ symbol to use them.

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

VISAS:  Meeting registrants from foreign countries MUST apply for a United States entry Visa as soon as possible , due to processing delays of up to two months.

REGISTRATION:  Registration for the meeting is now closed . Notification, advising all applicants of the status of their application, has been emailed. If you have not received any communication(s) regarding the status of your application to attend the GISIN Experts Meeting, please send email to GISIN (at) infointl.com.

HOTEL [Tremont Plaza Hotel on Saint Paul ].

Tremont Plaza Suites Hotel
222 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-727-2222 or 1-800-TREMONT

  IMPORTANT: If you have qualified for fully funded support , please DO NOT make hotel reservations (they will be made for you - email Kathryn at kjohnson (at) infointl.com.  

    If you have not qualified for fully funded support , you'll need to make hotel reservations - A single or double room is US$127 per night (group rate), plus 12.5% tax. The group rate is available for several nights before and/or after the meeting dates, for those who wish to extend their stay. All of the rooms are suites with in-room kitchenettes. There is an onsite restaurant and easy walking distance to shops, other restaurants, and Baltimore 's famous inner harbor. The deadline for hotel-reservations at the group rate and guaranteed room availability is March 14, 2004 . To make your reservation, please call (From within the US ) 1-800-873-6668 or (International) 1-410-727-2222 and mention/reference: GISIN Experts Meeting.

GISIN BACKGROUND

The international nature of invasive species issues requires global collaboration to build a comprehensive knowledge base on the species that are invading and damaging habitats all around the world. This meeting will be attended by invited technical experts with invasive species information experience and/or invasive species database experience. Its purpose is to reach an agreement on the types, formats and field names of invasive species information to be collected in online invasive species databases (dealing with organisms from all realms) in order to create common gateways to search and compare invasive species information from around the globe.

This meeting is made possible through funding from the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) of the U.S. Department of State with coordination by the U.S. National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) with collaboration from members of the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) Informatics Working Group and others from around the globe and logistical and organizational support from Information International Associates, Inc. ( IIa ).

GISIN expected outcomes are:

1)    Creation of an online working group community that will develop a global invasive species information network

2)    Agreement on common data types for the creation of cross searches for invasive species information at a global level

3)    Creation and distribution of a proposal funding toolkit, with templates, sample proposals, and detailed lists of possible funding sources for this information network

4)    Generation and maintenance of a complete annotated link list of online invasive species databases

5)    Development of a report of the workshop's proceedings and the results of a survey of participants concerning their region's current status of invasive species information

Pre-meeting participation will begin in February, with an open electronic dialogue among participants and including others who are interested but cannot attend.

Would you like to participate in the premeeting ? An invasive species information community is being created within the NBII information portal at http://my.nbii.gov to assist in coalescing ideas and action items. A login username/password is required, providing a workspace accessible from any internet connected desktop, regardless of timezone or facilities. Contact Nichole McNeely at nmcneely (at) usgs.gov for an invitation to join the discussion community and obtain "how to" instructions. (Please put GISIN in the subject line of your email.) Draft documents will be discussed and revised prior to the scheduled meeting. Online discussions and submissions will be conducted in English so fluency in English is required to optimize participation.

Invasive species information experts who cannot personally attend the meeting in Baltimore are still encouraged to participate in the community discussion and help shape the network.

If you have any questions, please contact asimpson (at) usgs.gov, or others in the planning team, listed below. Be sure to include "GISIN" in the subject line of your email.

We look forward to a productive and interesting meeting!

Organizing Committee/Planning Team:

GISIN Experts Meeting Staff:

Shelaine Curd-Hetrick
Information International Associates, Inc.
shelaine (at) infointl.com
 
Kathryn Johnson
Information International Associates, Inc.
kjohnson (at) infointl.com
 
Elizabeth Sellers
Information International Associates, Inc.
esellers (at) usgs.gov