Between 9 and 11 September, 2023 EuropaBON joined the Wildlife Research and Conservation (WRC) conference, which took place in Berlin, Germany and was jointly organised by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and WWF Germany. WRC2023 served as a dynamic platform for wildlife scientists from various disciplines, all passionate about conservation of species, to convene and exchange ideas. The conference aimed to showcase the latest breakthroughs and inspire future research endeavors.
At the conference, EuropaBON took part in a shared exhibition stand alongside Pensoft and the REST-COAST project. Attendees had the opportunity to visit the booth, where they could grab some of the project’s promotional materials and engage in quick, informative discussions with project representatives. This allowed attendees to gain a deeper understanding of EuropaBON, its objectives, and its contribution to conservation efforts.
The plenary sessions at the conference encompassed diverse subjects such as conservation genomics, ensuring population sustainability, ethical considerations in conservation research, understanding population responses to disturbances, harnessing artificial intelligence for conservation studies, and exploring human-wildlife interactions. Furthermore, experts from the Leibniz-IZW organised hands-on workshops, offering valuable insights into structural equation modeling and genome analysis techniques applicable to species conservation studies. Resulting in a fruitful and beneficial experience for all involved in EuropaBON, having a shared exhibition stand provided a good opportunity for meaningful interactions with conference attendees.
