Up to Table of Contents

Ahead to ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRIVATE, NON-COMMERCIAL PROTECTED TERRITORY: MURAVIOVKA PARK OF SUSTAINABLE LAND USE (BY SERGEI M. SMIRENSKI)

1998 ANNUAL MEETING: NOTES FROM THE LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE

The 1998 meeting generally was acclaimed to be a success. There were 625 registered delegates from 38 countries. An additional 60 helpers from Macquarie University took part in the proceedings, boosting total attendance to near 700. Of the 38 countries represented, 18 were from the Asia-Pacific region. Australia contributed the most delegates (48%), followed by the USA (30%), New Zealand (5%), and Canada (2%). Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom had between six and 10 delegates; Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Sweden had between two and five. The large number of student delegates (202 - almost a third) was an indication of the upsurge of interest in conservation biology among tomorrow's biologists. Australian and American students were, in fact, more than a third of each country's delegates.

Many countries would not have been represented without help. In addition to assistance given by World Wildlife Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, Environment Australia, and other organisations, 16 speakers from southeast Asian and African countries were fully supported with fares, accommodation, and registration. A further 15 from the Asia-Pacific region were given complimentary registration.

The scientific sessions opened with a plenary symposium, Biodiversity Conservation - Myths and Realities, followed by two and a half days of intensive parallel sessions. A total of 290 spoken papers were presented in the 21 symposia and 8 contributed paper sessions. Three poster sessions accommodated 110 poster presentations. Of the symposia, at least three had themes close to that of the plenary session and 13 were of direct relevance to the Asia-Pacific region. Four workshops were held during the meeting.

The social events also were successful, with a packed hall at the welcoming social setting the scene. The Awards Dinner had a capacity crowd of 200. Lunchtime birdwatching and trips to the marsupial colony were popular, and the weather held just long enough for us to enjoy outdoor lunches and local field trips.

The experimental electronic organisation of the meeting was judged by us to be a success. Apart from the SCB newsletter, no printed advertising materials were produced or distributed. All publicity was conducted by our web-site, direct e-mail to individuals, discussion lists such as CONSBIO, or via other scientific societies and their web-sites. Despite a few early problems, the electronic registration via a secure server was also a success with over 200 delegates registering on the internet.

Finally, we wish to add our thanks to all those who helped make the meeting a success: the caterers, the musicians, and especially all the wearers of the yellow t-shirts.

Up to Table of Contents

Ahead to ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRIVATE, NON-COMMERCIAL PROTECTED TERRITORY: MURAVIOVKA PARK OF SUSTAINABLE LAND USE (BY SERGEI M. SMIRENSKI)