Program Wildlife Tourism conference 2020

How can wildlife tourism best help wildlife and people?

Wild kangaroos near the Gold Coast. Photo Araucaria Ecotours

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Provisional overview of the conference

Pre-conference tours (optional, additional cost)

Details TBA

Kweebani Caves Walk, Binna Burra

One will include a visit to a glow worm cave and overnight at Binna Burra (at the edge of Lamington National Park), which despite a disastrous recent fire will be open for business again mid-2020. Another will visit properties where wildlife conservation and successful agriculture happily co-exist (may include outback). We are hoping to also offer delegates a discounted whale-watching tour (humpbacks will be traveling from Antarctica to the tropics).

Sunday 21st June 2020

1.30pm to 4.00pm PUBLIC FORUM: Feeding birds. Southbank, Brisbane. Hear a panel of experts present their views and background experience before opening up to Q and A. Delegates and public welcome. Free event for all. Exact venue TBA. The panel will include Darryl Jones (author of two recent books on feeding birds), Michelle Plant (who has conducted research on bird feeding near national parks in Queensland) and a senior staff member of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (name TBA)

5.00- 7.00pm WELCOME FUNCTION. Ship Inn, Southbank, Brisbane (close to several of our recommended accommodation venues). Cost included in full registration. Cost for companions of delegates TBA

Monday 22nd June 2020

8.30am – 5.30pm Presentations and Roundtable Discussions, Nathan Campus, Griffith University:

  • Innovation in wildlife tourism
  • Citizen science in wildlife tourism
  • The forgotten ones (invertebrates, small vertebrates, plants in wildlife tourism)

5.45pm Optional nocturnal search for possums, gliders, koalas, owls and frogmouths

Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Full-day field trip to local forests and visitor information centres of Daisy Hill and Karawatha, including talks on the development of educational displays and feedback on their usage, interpretive walks in the forest, and general discussions on interpretive techniques and multiple uses of interpretation.

Wednesday 24th June 2020

7.00am optional birdwalk in forest adjoining conference venue, Nathan Campus, Griffith University

8.30am – 4.10pm Presentations and Roundtable Discussions, Nathan Campus, Griffith University:

  • Providing quality interpretation
  • Human/wildlife conflicts: can tourism help?

4.20pm Short bushwalk to EcoCentre, explore EcoCentre

6.30pm Conference dinner (on campus)

Thursday 25th June 2020

8.30am – 4.30pm Presentations and Roundtable Discussions, Nathan Campus, Griffith University

  • Wildlife tourism assisting conservation of habitats and species
  • Climate change: can wildlife tourism assist?

Friday 25th June 2020 – ?

Post conference tours TBA

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