World Owl Conference 2007

Outline

Objective

Although through the centuries many owl species have benefited from the activity of people, nowadays, many species are locally or even globally under threat from intensified human impact on their landscapes. Destruction of natural habitats, forestry practices, changes of land use in agricultural areas, and increased infrastructure such as housing development sites, new factory sites, power-lines, railways and roads all contribute substantially to population declines of owls. In addition, insecticides and rodenticides limit the amount of food available to owls and may cause secondary poisoning. The problems facing owls are not at all solely theirs, as they affect many creatures that share their living space. Many animal species will thus benefit from owl conservation efforts. As most people stand warm heartedly to owls, because of their almost human facial expressions and mysterious nightly way of life, owls provide an excellent vehicle to bring nature conservation issues across to the general public. This is facilitated with a better understanding of owl biology and the interactions within ecosystems in which the owls live. The gain and spread of scientific knowledge and the exchange of experiences regarding owl-related nature protection projects are very important in achieving conservation objectives. Therefore, owl biologists, conservationists, and other parties in society (policy makers, foresters, pesticide producers, etc.) should meet at the World Owl Conference 2007.

The conference itself

The conference will be organised around the same weekend as the Dutch National Owl-study Day (on Saturday, Nov. 3rd). Some speakers of the conference will be invited to contribute to this event as well; there will be a Saturday excursion to attend this meeting and on Friday afternoon, there will be 'volunteer sessions' in Groningen - free to attend for registrated owl conservationists. The conference will start on Wednesday evening (Oct 31st) with a social gathering. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday, there will be oral sessions, poster presentations, and technical workshops. Some sessions will be organised as mini-symposia, which provide a coherent view on scientific and conservational developments. At the conference centre Martini Plaza, Groningen, we have the possibility to organise parallel sessions. The evening program will consist primarily of (audio-) visual presentations on the ecology and behaviour of owl species. On Saturday, excursions around the Wadden Sea area are scheduled.

The outcome

Besides contacts among experts and the spin-off from these, the conference itself will produce two tangible results. First, the proceedings will be published as a peer-reviewed book, comparable to earlier proceedings of owl conferences (the most recent was in February 2000, Canberra, Australia). Secondly, all conference delegates will produce an Experts Statement on owl conservation, including its scientific and societal aspects, and its importance for nature protection in a broader sense.