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Tuesday 10/2/07 |
Pre-conference |
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9:00am - 5:00pm |
Tradeshow set-up |
| 1:00pm
- 5:00pm |
Conference
Registration Open |
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Wednesday 10/3/07 |
|
7:30am - 5:00pm |
Conference
Registration Open |
| 7:30am -
9:00pm |
Breakfast |
|
9:00am
- 10:30am |
Welcome
Carrol Henderson,
Minnesota DNR, Chairman, WW, Inc.
Steve Ferrell
Deputy Director, Arizona Game & Fish Department
Kelly Paisley
Deputy Director, Arizona Office of Tourism
Chuck Huckelberry
(bio)
County Administrator, Pima County Arizona
Jim Mallman,
President, Watchable Wildlife, Inc.
Keynote
Address
George Archibald, PhD
(bio) |
| 10:30am
- 11:00am |
Break and
Tradeshow |
| 11:00am
- 12:00am |
Introduction to
Conference Tracks
Eric Gardner, Mike Leyva and Bill Radke |
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1)
Natural Resource Conservation & Management
Understanding what constitutes a high-quality wildlife
viewing experience continues to be a top priority of natural
resource professionals. Accomplishing this while protecting
the resources entrusted to them must always be the goal.
This track will focus on templates being used in Arizona as
well as other regions of the country that can facilitate the
achievement of these goals. |
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2)
Site Development & Management
No area of nature/wildlife tourism has developed and
improved in quality more than site development. From
boardwalks to viewing platforms, interpretative signage to
fixed optics, viewing site planning, construction and
maintenance: all offer great opportunities for attracting,
educating and impressing visitors. This track will focus on
the latest viewing site designs, techniques and practices. |
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3)
Wildlife/Nature Tourism
For more than ten years Nature/Wildlife Tourism has
demonstrated one of the strongest growth patterns in the
travel and outdoor recreation market. Yet despite this
growth most local and state departments of tourism lack a
real understanding on how to develop a successful wildlife
tourism program. This track will focus on how to identify
and promote the key natural assets of an area and how best
to utilize the services offered by CVBs and federal and
state agencies. |
| 12:00am
- 1:30pm |
Lunch
Speaker: Bill Broyles is a research
associate at the Southwest Center, University of Arizona. He
taught English and PE in the public high school for 31 years
and now studies the Sonoran Desert. He co-edited Dry
Borders: Great Natural Reserves of the Sonoran Desert
and wrote two books--Where Edges Meet: Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument and Our Sonoran Desert--and
numerous articles in periodicals such as Arizona
Highways, Journal of Arid Environments, Wildlife Society
Bulletin, Journal of the Southwest, and Journal of
Arizona History. His favorite moments are watching
lizards in his yard or desert bighorn in the wilderness. |
| 1:30pm -
5:00pm |
Tracks (follow your track
schedules below) |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
Developing Responsible Wildlife Viewing
Speaker: Mark Duda (bio)
Description: How to design and implement
programs to inform the general public about their
responsibility related to regulatory issues associated with
wildlife viewing. |
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3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break and Tradeshow |
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3:30pm -
5:00pm |
A
Foundation for Conflict:
Wildlife Values in the West
Speaker:
Mike Manfredo Ph.D (bio)
Description:
Western states are going
through a number of changes that have affected and will
continue to affect wildlife management. Changes include
population growth, changes in in-migration rates and land
ownership patterns, increasing income and education levels,
growth in technology, and urbanization. The recent study,
“Wildlife Values in the West”, explores how some of these
broad societal forces are shaping the composition of public
values toward wildlife throughout the western region. We
will also discuss how study results provide a context to
assist with planning for the future of wildlife management
in the west. |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
Developing
Community Programs to Preserve and Enhance Wildlife Habitat
Speaker:
Scott K. Estergard
(bio),
ACE
Description:
The Rio Salado project on the Salt River in Phoenix is one
of four large scale ecosystem restoration projects underway
in the Phoenix metro area. Urban development, diversion of
water, groundwater overdraft and channelization have
eliminated or altered most of the natural vegetation
communities that once occupied the Salt River leaving only
scattered remnants of the original vegetation communities.
Restoration projects are underway with the goal to restore
riparian habitat along nearly 30 miles of river. The Rio
Salado project is the first to be constructed and is already
achieving numerous benefits. |
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3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break and Tradeshow |
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3:30pm -
5:00pm |
The Sonoran Desert Conservation
Plan - Decades
of Conservation Planning by Pima County, Arizona
Speaker:
Kerry Baldwin
(bio), Natural Resources Division Manager Pima
County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation
Description:
The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan combines short-term
actions to protect and enhance the natural environment with
long-range planning to ensure that the natural and urban
environments not only coexist but develop an interdependent
relationship where one enhances the other. The major
elements of the Plan include Ranch Conservation, Historic
and Cultural Preservation, Riparian Restoration, Mountain
Parks, Biological and Ecological Corridor Conservation and
Critical Habitat Protection. |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
NWRS Birding Initiative
Speaker:
Maggie O'Connell
(bio),
Visitor Services Specialist National Wildlife Refuge System
Description:
Nearly 50 million Americans describe themselves as casual or
avid birders and are an untapped resource for bird
conservation support. The National Wildlife Refuge System
Birding Initiative is intended to further understanding of
the role refuges and the US Fish and Wildlife Service play
in bird conservation, while providing more “birder friendly”
programs and facilities at refuges nationwide. This
session will describe the Birding Initiative and the steps
being taken to reach out to this audience. |
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3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break and Tradeshow |
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3:30pm -
5:00pm |
Accessible Wildlife Viewing
Speaker:
Cindy Dillenschneider
(bio)
Description:
This session will address
meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in
wildlife viewing/ experience contexts. Current challenges
and suggestions voiced by site managers and people with
impairments will be presented. Adaptation principles will be
suggested in order to assist managers in providing
functional supports to visitors who experience impairments
or limitations. Session participants will be provided with
research-based demographic and user interest information
along with a list of suggested resources. |
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|
6:00pm - 9:00pm |
Evening at the
Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum |
|
Thursday 10/4/07 |
|
6:00am - 8:30am |
Morning
Birding Trip (Agua Caliente
Park) |
|
7:30am - 5:00pm |
Conference
Registration Open |
|
8:00am -
9:00am |
Breakfast |
|
9:00am -
10:30am |
Tracks (follow your track
schedules below) |
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9:00 am -
10:30am |
Duck Stamp Program
Speaker:
Bill Hartwig Chief National Wildlife Refuge System, Retired
(bio)
Description:
Enough Talking: the Duck Stamp Program is the best tool
available for birders and others supporters of wildlife
conservation to step up and help support wildlife habitat
conservation. We need to develop programs to get this
message out and demonstrate how Nature and Wildlife Tourism
have benefited from this well established program.
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10:30am
- 11:00am |
Break and Tradeshow |
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11:00am
- 12:30pm |
Technology in Wildlife
Conservation
Speaker:
Steven Living, Watchable Wildlife Biologist, Virginia Dept.
of Game and Inland Fisheries.
(bio)
Description:
The Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries has had
great success with its EagleCam rated one of the “Top Ten
WebCams in the World” and reaching well over a million
viewers. This effort grew out of a unique public private
partnership. Stephen will discuss the technical aspects of
presenting and maintaining this project, while synthesizing
the needs and goals of the project partners. What worked
and what didn’t, lessons learned and what the future holds
for this technology will round out the Program. |
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9:00am -
10:30am |
U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Watch
Speaker:
Don Virgovic
(bio)
Description:
This talk will focus on introducing the new Forest Service
NatureWatch Program Website. The site features state of the
art technology (GIS capabilities, internal data migration,
and even external data migration to state-level tourism
websites), a multitude of hands-on resources, all combined
with an attractive style that is sure to please its users.
|
| 10:30am
- 11:00am |
Break and Tradeshow |
| 11:00am
- 12:30pm |
Planning and Designs for Interpretive Centers
Speaker:
Sam Vaughn Assoc. Manager Interpretive Planning NPS Harper’s
Ferry (bio)
Description:
This session will introduce how to plan, design, operate,
and sustain visitor centers. Topics will include using
interpretive media effectively, sustainability, costs and
benefits, what we have learned from visitor center
evaluations, alternatives to visitor centers, and
affordable ways to evaluate and increase effectiveness. The
presenter will draw from his 34 years in the National Park
Service, 17 years as an interpretive planner and evaluator,
and 10 years reviewing NPS visitor center construction and
rehabilitation projects. |
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9:00am -
10:30am |
The Babcock Ranch Model
- Conservation, Development and Management in South West
Florida.
Speaker:
Dr. William Hammond, Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft.
Meyers, Florida (bio)
Description:
The Babcock Ranch encompasses over 90,000 acres of land
(18,000 private development-73,000 public lands) acquired
for conservation and development. Comprehensive planning
efforts are bringing together diverse opportunities for
recreation, timber harvest, housing/commercial development,
ranching, farming and hunting while protecting over 17
vulnerable wildlife species. The property will help complete
a wildlife corridor from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf that is
a minimum of 4 miles wide. |
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10:30am
- 11:00am |
Break and Tradeshow |
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11:00am
- 12:30pm |
FAM Tours
Speaker:
Marjorie Magnusson (bio) and Hylton Fothergill
(bio)
Description:
Developing the Economic
Description: Familiarization (FAM) tours and creating
itineraries are tremendously important and essential
components of marketing activities, bringing recognition to
your community’s tourism amenities and attraction. These
components can also help increase the overall awareness of
your visitor destination. In this session, learn how to
apply these elements to your marketing strategy. We will
focus on what a FAM tour is, if a FAM tour is right for your
community, and how to develop and execute a tour.
Differentiate the various needs of your FAM tour audience
between the tour operators and travel agents who sell your
destination and media who publicize your destination. |
| 12:30pm
- 1:30pm |
Lunch with Keynote Address
Dr. Tuggle (bio), Regional Director U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Region 2
Trade Show open 11:45 – 1:30 |
| 1:30pm
- 5:00pm |
Tracks (follow your track
schedules below) |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
The Trumpeter Swan, Magnificent
Recovery Story
Speaker:
Carrol Henderson, Minnesota DNR (bio)
Description:
Within the past 25 years the magnificent Trumpeter Swan has
moved from a status as an extirpated species, to endangered
species, to wildlife success story.
During the pioneer settlement era, the Trumpeter Swan was
one of the first North American waterfowl species to be
eliminated from most of its range across Canada and the
lower 48 states. This presentation by Carrol Henderson
documents the 25-year recovery program of the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources to bring this species back
to the state's wetlands.
Henderson wrote the Minnesota recovery plan for the
Trumpeter Swan in 1982 and has carried that plan to
completion through 25 years of restoration efforts.
Minnesota's trumpeter swan population has grown from about 6
pairs in the early 1980s to over 1300 breeding pairs in
2007. The population is still growing, and swans are now
re-establishing populations in southern Ontario and
Manitoba.
In this power point presentation, Carrol Henderson details
the long term efforts necessary to bring back the swans, and
in doing so this project has created some incredible
opportunities for memorable wildlife watching experiences in
Minnesota. |
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3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break & Tradeshow |
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3:30pm -
5:00pm |
Watchable Wildlife & Children in Nature
Speaker:
Rick Lemon
(bio),
US Fish & Wildlife/National Conservation Training Center
Description:
To address the major natural resource issues that we face –
from climate change and water shortages to unsustainable
energy use – will require that the American people care
about nature, understand the importance of these issues and
commit to personal responsibility in finding and
implementing solutions.
Research shows that an adult’s affinity and behavior toward
the natural world is often linked to direct interaction with
nature as a child. Yet today, our children spend less time
than ever before outside interacting with nature. This
trend does not bode well for their future engagement in
addressing the serious resource conservation issues that we
face as a nation.
On the other hand, a convergence of issues – from concerns
about the health and wellbeing of our children to climate
change and energy shortages – has provided the attention and
impetus needed to begin to reconnect children and their
families to the natural world. A movement is spreading
across the country to connect children and nature. Many
sectors, including conservation, education, health-care,
architecture, technology, development, recreation, tourism
and others need to be working together. The Watchable
Wildlife Program should be a major player in this movement. |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
Community Site Assessment Exercise
Speaker:
Jim Mallman, President, Watchable Wildlife, Inc.
(bio)
Description:
Most people do not know where they live. Watchable Wildlife
Inc conducts Sustainable Community Wildlife/Nature Tourism
Workshops around the world. This session will feature the
Site Assessment portion from these workshops. This exercise
is tailored to help community leaders better understand how
to prioritize site improvement projects and determine the
real value of their wildlife viewing assets. |
| 3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break and Tradeshow |
| 3:30pm -
5:00pm |
Trail Development
Speaker:
Bob Finch, Colorado State Parks
(bio)
Description:
With the increasing use of trails, growing human populations
and our tremendous love for both hiking and wildlife, it is
very important for trail planners and builders to understand
and incorporate wildlife needs into trail design. How can
trails best be planned and managed to recognize the needs
and sensitivities of wildlife and the environment? What
impacts do trail development and use have on wildlife? What
can we do to minimize these impacts? |
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1:30pm -
3:00pm |
Value of Endangered Species
(Part 1)
Speaker:
Dr. Jim Halfpenny (bio) and Mike Jimenez
(bio)
USFWS Project Leader for Wyoming wolf recovery
Description:
Opportunities and Challenges in the Southwest, including
discussion on:
- Turning endangered species into an asset and not a
liability.
- Specific southwest Opportunities.
- Using watchable wildlife programs to promote understanding
and acceptance of ES role in environment.
- Economic and ecological values of ES, Mexican wolves in
particular.
- Keys to successful programs.
- Specific program opportunities. |
| 3:00pm -
3:30pm |
Break & Tradeshow |
| 3:30pm -
5:00pm |
Value of Endangered Species
(Part 2)
Speakers:
Dan Groebner
(bio)
Arizona Game & Fish Department
Description:
Presentation on the programs AZ G&FD is conducting in the
state to promote awareness and the financial potential in
protecting endangered species programs. This session will
also include a roundtable discussion with all the speakers
on the topic moderated by Commissioner Bob Hernbrode
(bio). |
|
6:30pm - 7:30pm |
Reception |
|
7:30pm - 9:30pm |
Watchable Wildlife
Banquet & Awards
DoubleTree Hotel Conference Center
2008 conference details also presented |
|
Friday 10/5/07 |
|
6:00am - 8:30am |
Morning
Birding Trip (Cienega Creek
Nature Preserve) |
|
7:30am - 5:00pm |
Conference
Registration Open |
|
8:00am -
9:00am |
Breakfast |
|
9:00am - 10:30am |
General
Session
2006 National Survey of Fishing,
Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Speaker:
Richard Aiken
(bio), U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
Description:
All the predicting and
guessing is over. The Preliminary Finding of the 2006
National Survey is complete and the numbers tell the story.
Even with a very “strict definition” of what qualifies as
Wildlife Watching Recreation, this segment of the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife 2006 survey is the only one to show continual
growth and an increase over 2001. Hear what these figures
mean for the future of community based wildlife viewing
programs. |
|
10:30am - 11:00am |
Break and
Tradeshow |
|
11:00am - 12:00am |
General
Session
New Technical Tools for Nature Tourism
Speakers:
Miles Phillips (bio), Texas A&M University and David Peterson (bio),
President, Watchable Media, Inc.
Description:
The introduction of two new web-based planning tools will be
introduced at this session. These internet tools will help
business owners develop a business plan and travelers map
out a trip based on wildlife viewing opportunities. |
