Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice

22-26 October 2012, Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

The Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2012 will be held from 22 to 26 October at the Fern Hill Hotel Conference Centre in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

This symposium will provide a much needed platform for the conservation community across southern Africa, to share and explore current developments and issues in the science and practice of biodiversity conservation, and to enhance conservation efforts in our changing world.

This year marks a significant up-scaling and advancement in the long history of the KwaZulu-Natal Conservation Symposium. This has been made possible through partnerships with the Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the Msunduzi Innovation and Development Institute (MIDI) and the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON).

Papers (oral and poster) addressing the following broad themes are invited, from which the programme sessions will be crafted:

• Ecological processes and protected area management;
• Securing critical biodiversity areas;
• Priority species conservation and biodiversity management plans;
• Understanding and mitigating threats to biodiversity (e.g. illegal trade);
• Invasive alien species - impacts and management;
• Valuing biodiversity - ecosystem goods and services and resource economics;
• Responsible tourism and management thereof;
• Conservation genetics (species translocations and meta-population management;
• Social ecology and natural resource use);
• Enabling partnerships and collaboration;
• Integrating conservation into land-use planning and development;
• Cultural heritage and conservation history/legacy;
• Legal policy and ethical frameworks, and implementation thereof;
• Advances in monitoring and surveillance techniques;
• Global change; and
  
• Linking the needs of government to biodiversity conservation.
  

A panel will act to review and select papers for inclusion in the programme.

Two parallel SPECIAL SESSIONS will be included in the programme:

• KZN Marine and Coastal Management Research
• Enlarging the Conservation Footprint in the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot (hosted by WCT)

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 9 July 2012. Delegates will be notified about acceptance of their papers and the draft programme will be circulated by 27 July 2012. Early-bird registration: By 3 August 2012. Final registration: By 7 September 2012, with payment deadline of 21 September 2012.

Accommodation is available at the Fern Hill Hotel and Ezemvelo's nearby Midmar Nature Reserve (a shuttle from the King Shaka and Oribi airports, and between Howick/Midmar and the symposium venue will be provided mornings and evenings).

For further information, please go to www.kznwildlife.com, or contact the Secretariat by email or phone +27-72-4277458.