I applaud Schwartz et al. (2008) for bringing up the topic of declining membership in scientific societies. Nevertheless, the authors seem to indicate that this decline is related to a lack of understanding by young professionals about the personal and professional value of membership to a scientific society. I do not think young professionals and students are less inspired or committed than what we were in the 1980s when the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) was launched. But if we agree that the essential elements of a scientific society are information exchange, collective representation of shared interests, and professional networking and recognition, then we need to seriously look at how a graduate student in his mid-20s may be achieving these tasks. Let us review.
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