By Jody Allair, Director, Community Engagement
Join us at Birds as Bridges – the joint conference of the American Ornithological Society and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, August 8 – 12, in London, Ontario!
Birds Canada is proud to support the next joint meeting of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists (SCO), happening August 8–12, 2023, in London, Ontario. The conference theme is “Birds as Bridges” and will bring together a wide range of professional ornithologists, scientists, and students from across the hemisphere.
Behind the scenes, our staff are directly involved with conference planning, including the development of two full scientific symposiums, leading workshops, events, and field trips, and are taking the lead on several conference planning subcommittees including the early excursions, professional meet-ups, and the popular Quiz-Bowl, and eBird Competition.
The conference is open to anyone with an interest in ornithology. Below is a breakdown of highlights where you can catch some of the Birds Canada team in action (*all times are subject to change – please refer to the full conference schedule to confirm). We will also have a booth set up all week so please drop by and say hello. We’re always keen to chat birds, bird conservation, and careers in ornithology in Canada.
Monday, August 7
- For those arriving early, Birds Canada staff Stu Mackenzie, Yousif Attia, and Jody Allair will be leading a conference field trip to Long Point, which will include stops at Long Point Bird Observatory, Big Creek WMA, and the Birds Canada office in Port Rowan. Register online.
Tuesday, August 8
- Danielle Ethier will be co-hosting a training workshop: “Developing your professional online profile” from 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
- Lucas Berrigan will be co-hosting a training workshop: “Congrats on installing Motus stations…now what? Maintenance, data collection, and troubleshooting tips for Motus Wildlife Tracking Stations” from 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
- Danielle Ethier is also co-hosting the Student-Early Professional Mixer at 3:00 p.m. ET to help students connect with professionals in the field both inside and outside academia
- Jody Allair will be giving a free public presentation entitled: “A Guide to Helping Birds in Canada” from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, August 9
- Patrick Nadeau, President and CEO of Birds Canada, will be speaking at the opening ceremony beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET.
- Birds Canada will be hosting a symposium focused on our volunteer-based bird monitoring programs across Canada entitled: “Taking the pulse of birds with volunteer-based science: challenges and successes”. The symposium will be two 90 min sessions at 1:30 p.m ET, and 3:30 p.m. ET.
Thursday, August 10
- Stu Mackenzie is co-organizing a Motus symposium entitled: “Automating ornithology: Advances in avian ecology through automated radio telemetry” beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Rielle Hoeg will be presenting in the “Aerial Insectivores in working landscapes: Bridging biodiversity, climate, and people” symposium, with her talk: “Protecting Chimney Swift habitat through municipal engagement and landowner stewardship in working landscapes.” The Symposium runs from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET.
- Danielle Ethier is co-hosting “A wandering chat: A social mixer for non-academic researchers” at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Friday, August 11
- Ian Cook will be presenting on the Bird-friendliness Index, an outcome-based indicator of conservation impact at 10:30 a.m. ET.
View the full programming schedule online. See you there!
