Working Together to Promote and Support Wildlife Conservation

Friday 3rd November – Main Lecture Theatre

Eco Tourism Presentations Working Together to Promote and Support Wildlife Conservation

A series of presentations of birds and wildlife from across Australia and the world by world experts

Also A special screening of an amazing new documentary Secrets at Sunrise

Secrets at Sunrise tells the story of a passionate team of scientists from the WA Dept of Parks and Wildlife, together with dedicated staff from Perth Zoo and community volunteers from the Friends of the Western Ground Parrot who are battling to save one of the rarest birds in Australia from the brink of extinction.

There are less than 150 western ground parrots remaining (a species genetically distinct from the Eastern Ground Parrot). This powerful and emotional film documents the past three years of the recovery program which has seen the team face devastating wildfires throughout the birds last remaining habitat, the constant menace of feral predators, and the effects of climate change - all of which threaten to push the critically endangered western ground parrot onto the extinction list.

The 80 minute film offers a unique insight into what it takes to save threatened species and reveals never before seen footage of the cryptic behaviour of this beautiful parrot, taken at Perth Zoo where the team are desperately trying to establish a captive breeding program.

You can watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/219382181

Saturday 4th November – Main Lecture Theatre

Schools and Communities – Conservation at the Grass Roots 09:30 – 10:45

 ‘Dog Saves Bird!’ - Involvement of the Abbotsford School to Save the Bar-tailed Godwit! Chris Johnson, Principal, Abbotsford Public School  Birds in Schools Project - Making Schools Bird Friendly - Environmental Lessons Learned Elizabeth Noble, Birds in Schools Program Manager  What Did School Children and Adults Learn from the BIS Projects, What Were the Benefits? Natalie Er, Subcontract gardening teacher, Riverwood Public School  Engaging the Community in Shorebird Education and Guardianship at Deeban Spit Julie Keating, Shire Shorebirds  The Parramatta River Councils Alliance - To Make a River Swimmable and Fit for Migratory Shorebirds Jacinta Green, Parramatta River Keeper, Parramatta River Catchment Group

Migratory Shorebirds – the Impossible Journey 11:00am – 1:00pm Introduction – Richard Fuller  Everything You Wanted to Know About Migratory Shorebirds but were Too Afraid to Ask Louise Duff - Secretary Australian Wetland Network and Program Manager, CVA  Migratory Shorebirds in the EAAF, Flag Sightings to Satellites Chris Hassell - Global Flyway Network and Australasian Wader Studies Group,  Paradise - Stopover or Final Destination? Shorebird Use of the Intertidal Area at Suva Point. Mark O’Brien – Regional Programme Coordinator, BirdLife Pacific  Shorebirds 2020 Working with Indigenous Communities, Monitoring International Important Sites Across Australia Dan Weller - Project Officer, Shorebirds 2020 project, BirdLife Australia  A Most Dangerous Journey – Saving Our Declining Shorebirds Richard Fuller - Lecturer - Biodiversity and Conservation, Queensland University  The Power of Collaboration in the Dreaming of Conservation Arkellah Irving  Questions and Panel Discussion

Lunch time entertainment Flock wiz – Sean Dooley entertains with ‘challenging the experts’ 1:15pm – 1:35pm

Afternoon session Key Biodiversity Areas – towards meaningful conservation: (Chair Mark O’Brien) 2:15pm – 4:15pm

 KBAs – Three Letters You Won’t Want to Forget! Golo Maurer – Key Biodiversity Area Program Manager (Birdlife Australia)  KBAs - Engaging with the Main Stakeholders Elisabeth Karplus – NSW KBA Coordinator  Rainforests are KBA Hotspots – What Can We Achieve? Erryn Stephens, Australian Rainforest Foundation (TBC)  Great Southern Woodlands - Conservation and Carbon Credits - a Win-Win Situation Paul Payten, Great Southern Forest Alliance  New Habitat Clearing Laws and What They Mean for Birds Daisy Barham, Campaigns Director, Nature Conservation Council of NSW  Adding Water to KBA’s in NSW: Delivering Water for Birds, Fish and Native Vegetation Terry Korodaj, Community Engagement & Communications Manager, OEH Sunday 5th November – Main Lecture Theatre

Life in the suburbs – Sharing your Space with Birds: Chair Darryl Jones 10:00am – 11:20pm

 Why Are We Losing our Garden Birds? Holly Parsons, Birds in Backyards Project Program Manager  It’s Time to Talk about Bird Feeding Darryl Jones, Deputy Director, Environmental Futures Research Institute  On Plants to Suit Your Garden and Birds (or making an oasis for birds) TBC  Powerful Owl in a Big City Dr. Beth Mott, Powerful Owl Project Manager, BirdLife Australia

Afternoon Session: Threatened species – Research and Management 1:30pm – 3:30pm

 Protecting Threatened Woodland Birds Through Science, Conservation and Community Action Caroline Wilson - Woodland Birds Project Officer  Regent Honeyeater Ross Crates ANU (TBC)  Plains-wanderer David Parker, Office of Environment & Heritage  "Preventing Extinctions in the Pacific - How Are We Doing?". Mark O’Brien, Regional Programme Coordinator, BirdLife Pacific  BirdLife Australia’s Threatened Bird Network: The Importance of Volunteers in Conserving Threatened Birds Caroline Wilson - Woodland Birds Project Officer  How to Mitigate seabird Bycatch from Tuna Longline Fisheries Dr Yuna Kim

Results of the Australasian Bird Fair Photographic Competition and slide show 3:45pm – 4:15pm \