Eighteenth North American Airport Wildlife
Management Conference
September 12-14, 2023 , Kelowna, British Columbia
The conference has not been affected and is proceeding as planned.
Although the wildfire is still burning well north of West Kelowna (which is across the lake from downtown Kelowna) there is no fire or even smoke in downtown Kelowna. The recent rains have helped with fire conditions and the conference week promises to be ideal with generally sunny skies (although expect some cloudiness on Monday and Thursday) and temperatures in the mid to upper 20s °C (77-85°F)
Updated 14:30 6 September 2023
On behalf of both the Bird Strike Association of Canada and Bird Strike Committee- USA, I would like to invite you to attend the biannual North American Bird Strike Conference to be held in the scenic Okanagan Valley of beautiful British Columbia. You will notice the name change of the conference. In acknowledging that for many years now we have not restricted the topics of discussion to bird strikes, the fact that mammals often pose serious risks to aviation and that we have even talk about the impacts of reptiles and amphibians and even invertebrates in these conferences, we have ventured to make the name of the conference reflect our broader scope of discussion and interests. Although birds constitute the majority of the hazards to aviation, we are, in fact, charged with managing the full compliment of aviation risks, thus the new nomenclature. New also will be the layout of the conference. We will not be holding the conference at a hotel. Therefore, you are free to choose your hotel or rooming options (there are many AirBnBs in the area) and enjoy the lakeshore and the downtown ambiance as you head to and from the conference each day. What has not changed is the opportunity to gather together with colleagues and long-time associates and friends to hear state-of-the-art presentations, carry on discussions during breaks and after hours and discover the old and new and exciting products and services offered by vendors to aid us in our quest for safer skies.
Theme: From bird strike mitigation to airport wildlife management: A paradigm shift.
If you are thinking that Kelowna is some backwater town in the remote regions of an already remote province, think again. Kelowna is the third largest city in British Columbia behind only Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria. The weather there in early October is generally very pleasant and the conference is located on the edge of the very walkable downtown area of the city and very near Lake Okanagan. We will provide more information about the conference and the location so bookmark this site and check back periodically.
Registration is now open. You can register as a participant, reserve a booth as an exhibitor, become a sponsor and submit an abstract for consideration as a presenter be selecting the appropriate link in the column on the right. Poster presentations are also accepted in the presenter application form.
Registration is limited to 300 delegates. Accommodation in Kelowna can be booked up well in advance so it is a good idea to secure your accommodation as soon as possible. This promises to be a distinctive conference and one not to be missed.
Gary Searing, Executive Director, Bird Strike Association of Canada
email: gfs@canadianbirdstrike.ca
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Airport operators, managers and wildlife personnel
- Military personnel responsible for wildlife management
- Airline and aircraft owners
- Pilots
- Transport Canada and FAA staff
- Personal Nav Canada
- University researchers and students
- Aviation engineers
- Aircraft manufacturers
- City land use planners
- Waste management operators
- Others interested in mitigating strikes due to wildlife
Each attendee will receive a certificate of attendance which will certify that you have received the valuable training and information from the conference.