Dear all: Case van Oosten and I have prepared the following invitation that we want to forward to all of you. The Poplar and Willow Genetics Working Party 2.08.04 is pleased to announce that the Sixth International Poplar Symposium (IPS-VI) will be organized and hosted in 2014 in Vancouver, British Columbia (B.C.), Canada. Dates of the symposium and associated activities: - Sunday the 13th of July 2014 (Registration) to and including Wednesday the 16th of July 2014. - Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th of July 2014 - Field trip in the Fraser Valley (east of Vancouver). - Saturday the 19th to and including Monday the 21st or Tuesday the 22nd of July 2014 - Post-conference Circle Tour in the interior of British Columbia. - During the symposium there will be a spouses program. The proposed conference theme is based on a very relevant question: /Domestication of Populus and Salix: How far have we come, and how far do we still have to go?/ The meeting in Vancouver will bring us an excellent opportunity to compare our views and assemble the "right answer." The answer will represent the view of the people interested in the science of poplar and willow genetics, physiology, and pathology. It****will serve as a guide for the future of poplar and willow cultivation in the world. Ultimately, the answer should also be a guide for the amelioration of the environment, industries, and the standard of living of rural communities wherever poplars and willows are cultivated. This symposium strives to address these issues and therefore invites researchers, practitioners, regulatory and policy experts to help define what the challenges are and where we are going. The Chair of the organizing committee is Cees ("Case") van Oosten, who can be reached at: Cees ("Case") van Oosten, M.Sc.F. Coordinator - IPS VI Organizing Team c/o****SilviConsult Woody Crops Technology Inc. 2356 York Crescent Nanaimo, B.C., V9T 4N3 Canada Ph: (250) 758-4789 (Res. & Bus.) silviconsult(a)telus.net <mailto:silviconsult@telus.net> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --