Caribbean Wildlife Alliance

The IUCN SSC Flamingo Specialist group (FSG) requires money to support travel and registration for researchers and field biologists to present their work at the 4th International Flamingo Symposium, which is open to all who wish to attend. Many flamingo conservationists are doing very important work to protect, manage and monitor flamingo populations in underprivileged countries. They often do this work without any (or minimal) support from their government and have no means to pay their own way to this symposium to share their knowledge and experience. It is beyond the reach for most. People from 25 countries, including Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Morocco, Kenya, Dominican Republic, India, Tanzania, Algeria, Peru, Tunisia and Argentina, have offered 67 oral and poster presentations that will cover diverse and relevant topics and include all six species of flamingos. Without funding however, many will be unable to deliver these presentations. This important meeting offers unparalleled opportunities to exchange experiences, build enduring collaborations among participants, and develop both regional and global conservation strategies and expertise. Symposium proceedings will be produced to document the important contributions of these presenters and the collective efforts.

The symposium will be held in Mestre, Italy. This is the most economical location for an international symposium due to Italy’s location. Besides being a range country for Greater flamingos, it is centrally located for people traveling from Africa, Europe, Asia and South America where most of the world’s flamingos occur. Italy also has very reasonable visa requirements for people traveling from these locations. Additionally, the University of Venice, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and Sestante have been very generous in either donating or reducing the rates for meeting facilities, meals, wait staff and accommodation for attendees. These generous donations allow the FSG to offer registration for the 6-day symposium for only 280.00 euros and accommodation for as little as 38.30 euros per night. This leaves travel as the most expensive portion for those attending. Flights range from 166 to 1,900 euros with many locations being towards the upper end of this range. Because of this, the average assistance needed will be around 2000 euros per person. The FSG hopes that with your generous support we can assist up to 20 biologists and researchers who need assistance. Your tax-deductible donation will be very appreciated and allow this very important work conserving the world’s flamingos to continue.

Thank you for your support!