It wasn't too long ago ... well, perhaps it was.

Towards the end of 1986, a group of us got together and began planning what would eventually become the Palms to Pines Branch AALAS.  At the time, we were concerned that we didn't have enough programs and educational opportunities for laboratory animal technicians in the Inland Empire and Orange Counties  And almost 20 years later, the Palms to Pines Branch is going strong and still one of the most active branches in AALAS with our emphasis on providing quality educational programs for our members. 

In our first year, we held seven programs ranging from our first meeting where we talked about Emergency Preparedness in Animal Facilities and Primate Behavior Facilities at UC Riverside and Tanzania, to Animal Rights Issues, Parts 1 and 2.   As the years progressed we held other programs including numerous wet labs, lectures, and the Annual Palms to Pines Branch Symposium on Laboratory Animal Science. 

Another thing I was proud of was our excellent member publication, The Newsletter.  Yeah, the name is sort of lacking, but it was a great publication where we could read about what was happening in the Branch, and throughout the world.  Features like Technican of the Issue were a lot of fun to produce, especially with the great pictures and stories that were sent in by our members.

We have now moved to the 'electronic' age, and The Newsletter has been replaced by 'the website' which provides the same news and information about the branch, but also includes other features including regional and national news related to animal research.  It isn't a fancy website, by no means.  No splashy graphics and flash animation, but instead a 'meat and potatoes' website that provides the information that we hope our members find useful and informative.

But all of this would not be possible without all of the hard work that our members provide in planning, organizing and executing the programs, events and publications that the Branch provides each year. 

While the face of the Branch is its president, officers, directors, and committee members, there are alot of other people that should be recognized for their hard work that make this branch successful each year.  Who you may ask?  You, our member, are what make this Branch successful!  Not only for the support you provide by being a member, but for the work you do by caring for our research animals, and staying informed, educated, and up-to-date on the field of laboratory animal science and medicine.

So with Laboratory Animal Technician Appreciation Week just around the corner, I would like to thank all of you for all of the hard work that you do in maintaing the high quality animal care and use programs we have come to expect in research.  This would not be at all possible without your hard work and dedication to research and our animals.