COLUMBUS — Registration is now open for the 40th annual Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference hosted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife March 14 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference, “Building Towards a Better Future,” will be held at the Ohio Union on Ohio State University’s campus in Columbus.
This year’s conference will feature Mike Kreger and Doug Warmolts from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium presenting “Mussels to Massasaugas: 35 Years of Partnerships to Save Ohio’s Wildlife.” This duo will highlight conservation partnerships that are helping to save Ohio’s endangered wildlife, such as the American burying beetle, eastern plains garter snake and the eastern hellbender.
Additional presentations include “Project WILD: A 40-Year Blueprint to the Future,” by Jen Dennison; “Build it and They Will Come: 10 Years of Success for the Wild Toledo Program,” by Ryan Walsh; “Paving the Way in Paradise: The Role of Fall Flights and Southern Wings Programs in Avian Conservation,” by Mike Reynolds, Deb Hahn and Bradley Wilkinson; “Habitat Management on Private Lands: Advancements and Opportunities,” by John Kaiser; “Building Mothopolis: Bolstering Biodiversity in Your Own Backyard,” by Chelsea Gottfried; “Pass Me the Hammer, I Already Have the Saw: Northern Saw-whet Owl,” by Tom Bartlett and “Constructing Conservation Cameras: AHDriFT Camera Trap Success and Potential,” by Greg Lipps.
Doors for the event will open at 8 a.m. The conference, check-in and on-site registration are on the second floor of the Ohio Union. Conference attendees should park in the Ohio Union South Parking Garage, 1759 North High St., for $10 payable by credit card only.
Preregistration is recommended and can be completed at wildohio.gov or by calling 1-800-945-3543. Registration is available at the following at a discounted rate of $30 by Feb. 29 and a box lunch is available for $18 for those who pre-register by Feb. 28. The rate after Feb. 29 and at the door will be $40. The student rate is $10.
