***YOU ARE READING AN ARCHIVED PAGE FOR A CONFERENCE THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2015***
February 27 – March 1, 2015
Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, Rothschild, WI
In 1995, the first Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas was started. This project involved over 1,600 observers, who amassed more than 170,000 observations of 237 species. Twenty years later, it’s time to do it again in order to ensure we have the information necessary to conserve our breeding birds, an integral part of Wisconsin. Thanks to a generous donation from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, we are able to offer this informative symposium to kickoff our second atlas effort.
Meeting Highlights
- Field trips
- Atlas training
- WBBA I history
- Data-entry instruction
- Info on climate change and atlases
- Keynote speaker: eBird’s Chris Wood
- Meet your county coordinator, the Atlas planning team, and other Atlasers!
Who Should Attend - Wisconsin bird lovers, including but not limited to
- Prospective Atlasers
- Users of Atlas data
- Agency staff
- Atlas County Coordinators
- Bird researchers
- Academics
Agenda
Friday, February 27
7:00 pm Birds and Beers. Great Dane, 2035 Sherman St., Wausau – http://wausau.greatdanepub.com. In the pool hall bar.
Saturday, February 28
6:30 am Hotspot field trip – Destination to be determined. Led by Chris Wood (eBird Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Wausau-area birders. Meet in the hotel lobby.
9:00 am Registration and check-in opens. Northwoods lobby.
10:00 am Introduction to Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II. Nick Anich (Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator, Wisconsin DNR) and Kim Kreitinger (President, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology).
10:30 am History of the Breeding Bird Atlas in Wisconsin. Bob Howe (Professor, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, UW-Green Bay, and coauthor of Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin).
11:00 am Change is in the Air: What’s the Same and What’s New in WBBA II. Ryan Brady (WBBA II Science Coordinator, Wisconsin DNR).
12:00 pm Buffet lunch (included with registration) – Lasagna, salad, green beans, bread, coffee, and milk.
1:00 pm Keynote – Then and Now: Launching the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas into the Digital Age. Chris Wood.
2:00 pm On Your Mark, Get Set, Atlas! Mike Reese (WBBA II Director of Volunteers, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology).
*No visual aids available for this presentation.
2:30 pm Where’s My Topo? Navigating Mapping Options for WBBA II. Nick Anich.
*No visual aids available for this presentation.
3:00 pm Break. (Snack provided)
3:30 pm Strategies for Successfully Surveying Your Atlas Block. Ryan Brady.
4:00 pm Entering Your Data: Introducing the New eBird Atlas Application. Nick Anich and Chris Wood.
*No visual aids available for this presentation.
5:00 pm Adjourn. Dinner on your own. List of area restaurants available in registration area.
Sunday, March 1
6:30 am Bird walk – Along the Wisconsin River. Led by Chris Wood. Meet in the hotel lobby.
8:00 am Birding at a Slower Pace: A Holistic Approach to Observing Birds. William Mueller (Director, Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory).
8:30 am Data Entry Workshop. Bring Your Laptop for a Hands-on Tutorial and Q&A. Nick Anich, Ryan Brady, and Chris Wood.
10:00 am Break. (snack provided)
10:20 am Atlasing: Recent Experiences and the Value of Atlases for Conservation. Bob Russell (Wetland Bird Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
11:00 am Atlases as Critical Tools for Science. Ben Zuckerberg (Assistant Professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison).
12:00 pm Adjourn. Have a safe trip home!
12:00 pm Special session – Training Workshop for County Coordinators. Lunch provided. Nick Anich, Mike Reese, Ryan Brady, and Bill Mueller.
***YOU ARE READING AN ARCHIVED PAGE FOR A CONFERENCE THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2015***
Sign up today!
Registration for the Kickoff Meeting costs $10 until February 15. (Walk-in cost $15.) All participants who register by February 15 will receive a WBBA II T-shirt.
First Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas half-price sale!
Atlas of the Breeding Bird Atlas (first edition, 2006), a valuable resource that covers 214 species in-depth, will be available at half-price (only $21!, including tax) (cash or check only).
Walk-ins are welcome!
Even though pre-registration has closed, you are still welcome to attend the event. Walk-in registration is $15.
Hotel reservations
- We have reserved a block of rooms (FILLING UP FAST!) at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center.
- Costs: $70 plus tax per night for single occupancy, $83 per night for double occupancy.
- Please make your hotel reservation no later than January 28 by calling 800-659-2220 (press 4 for Wisconsin, then 3 for Wausau/Stoney Creek) or call the front desk at 715-355-6858.
- Mention the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology to get our special rate.
- If Stoney Creek is full, we have also reserved a room block (under the same name, at the same rates) at the Holiday Inn next door. The phone number for the Holiday Inn is 715-355-1111.
- There are several other hotel options in this same complex, see map here.
The steering committee of Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II gratefully acknowledges a generous gift from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin in support of the project.