'Love And Loss': EAZA Conservation Forum 2012

22-25 May 2012
Hosted by Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria

The second EAZA Conservation Forum, hosted by Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria, will take place at the newly renovated Tiergarten Orang.erie at the zoo. The three-day conference will be preceded by an EAZA Academy Workshop on 22 May.

Conference Themes

The Extinction Crisis in (Southeast) Asia

Keynote speaker: Will Duckworth, IUCN/SSC

Asia is home to many of the charismatic mega species which are the  mainstays of our zoological collections including the Asian elephants and Indian rhinos, the orangutans and gibbons, the Asiatic lions and tigers and the hornbills, vultures and pheasants to name but a few. Sadly many of these species are confronting extinction in the wild due to a combination of deforestation, pollution and poaching. This session will discuss the issues leading to the Asian extinction crisis, the conservation actions currently underway in the region and what we in zoos can do to alleviate the situation. Presentations will range from a discussion of the conservation issues in (southeast) Asia to the EAZA IUCN/SSC Southeast Asia Campaign.

Conservation Psychology

Keynote speaker: Henk Staats, Leiden University

The Conservation psychology website defines this discipline as the scientific study of the reciprocal relationships between humans and the rest of nature, with a particular focus on how to encourage conservation of the natural world. It looks at:

• How people behave toward nature (with the goal of creating durable behaviour change at multiple levels and sustainable relationships); and/or,
• How people care about/value nature (with the goal of creating harmonious relationships and an environmental ethic)
  1: Involving visitors, keepers, sponsors etc
  In this first session on Conservation Psychology we will deal with Conservation Psychology at home with our visiting public and personnel. We will discuss the role of zoos in inspiring the conservation ethic in their visitors; the “Love not Loss” approach currently used by the IUCN. We would like to hear from psychologists who have worked with zoos as well as from zoo staff on their experiences in inspiring their visitors and stimulating their personnel (especially in these days of economic stringency).
  2: Involving external stakeholders
  In the second session on Conservation Psychology we will look at the way we can encourage a conservation ethic in local communities where we are supporting projects.

European Conservation

Keynote speaker: Ben Delbaere, European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC)

Europe is our home and EAZA zoos are well positioned to be in the front line to encourage and support conservation in our own region. There are many species living in Europe which need and deserve our support. The EAZA European Carnivore Campaign was one step in this direction but Europe is home to more species than just carnivores and many of our colleagues, particularly those in eastern and southern Europe are involved in the conservation of their indigenous species. In this session we will hear from conservationists working in Europe on how they see the EAZA membership helping and supporting their work.

Arid Lands

Keynote speaker: John Newby, Sahara Conservation Fund

Deserts are among the harshest habitats on Earth and while at first sight they may seem inhospitable, as you look a little closer it is clear that the desert is teeming with life. However, even the hardy, adaptable species found in these environments need protection from threats such as encroaching development, hunting and invasive species. Currently there is an exemplary cooperative relationship between the EAZA and the AZA (Giraffe and) Antelope TAGs, the coordinators of the EEP and the SSP programmes for various desert antelopes and field conservationists working in the Saharan- Sahelo region. This relationship encompasses financial support as well as reintroduction and re-stocking programmes. In this session of the programme we will be hearing from those working with these and other desert programmes who can tell us of the work currently in progress as well as plans for future developments.

Topic Workshops

Each day during the forum we will dedicate one part of the day to small scale discussion workshops on various topics, including:

• How can you measure conservation success
• How can we breathe new life into the EAZA conservation campaigns
• Palm oil
• Conservation: the role of TAGs
• Conservation of genetic resoureces for effective species survival
• Bird conservation

Programme

The full conference programme is now available. To download a PDF of the programme, please cick on the link below:

 EAZA Conservation Forum 2012: Programme

   

	Tuesday 22 May	Wednesday 23 May	Thursday 24 May	Friday 25 May
AM (first session)	EAZA Academy Workshop: Funding for in situ conservation projects (see below for more information)	The Extinction Crisis in Asia: presentation sessions	Conservation Psychology: presentation sessions	European Conservation: presentation sessions
AM (second session)				Arid Lands Conservation: presentation sessions
PM (first session)		Palm Oil: presentation sessions	European Conservation: presentation sessions	Visit to Tiergarten Schönbrunn
PM (second session)		Workshop sessions	Workshop sessions
Evening	Icebreaker at Tyrolean Garden	Visit to Aqua Terra Zoo Vienna	Poster Session Optional Dinner and Concert	Gala Dinner hosted by Tiergarten Schönbrunn

 

EAZA Academy Workshop: Funding for in situ conservation projects