Eighteenth North American Airport Wildlife
Management Conference
12-14 September 2023, Kelowna, British Columbia
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.
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 much more information about the conference and the location so bookmark this site and check back periodically.
Registration will open in early March 2023. Numbers will be limited to the space available at the venue. A call for papers will be issued around the same time. This promises to be a distinctive conference and one not to be missed.
Gary Searing, Executive Director, Bird Strike Association of Canada
e-mail: info@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 personnel
- Nav Canada personnel
- University researchers and students
- Aviation engineers
- Aircraft manufacturers
- City land use planners
- Waste management operators
- Others interested in mitigating strikes due to wildlife