Oamaru Penguin Symposium - In what year should we hold the next one?

[Dave H]

The Oamaru Penguin Symposium has traditionally been held every two years, however because of the timiming of the International Penguin Conference changed from every 4 years to 3 (at least for Hobart), it was decided that we should not hold the 2007 Symposium but delay until 2008.  The next International Conference date is uncertain and is either 2010 or 2011.  Should we time the next Oamaru meeting for a non-International Conference year or, because the Conference is likely to be held in the Northern Hemisphere, just continue as usual with our every two years timing?

Click on one of the voting buttons above and/or add a comment.

[Bruce McKinlay]

We should attempt to keep with a two year cycle.  Having said that We won't compete with an International conference in the Australasian Region so if its announced that this is so then we should revise our intention.

 As an aside the OSNZ is thinking about having its AGM in Southland in 2013.  This is usually at Queens birthday weekend.  If Southland fell over would you be interested in a combined one?

Bruce

[Kerry-Jayne]

I agree with Bruce, we should stick to two yearly intervals unless the international penguin conference is held in the Australasian Region, then delay one year.

What time of year should  the Oamaru Symposium be? There is no perfect time. June has the advantage of being outside the field season for all species except the Fiordland penguin which are just gearing up for winter breding, and sufficiently long after the summer field season for most to allow results from the previous summer to be presented.  Its a quiet time in Oamaru so accommodation is not an issue. We get good attendances in June. Why change when it works.

Kerry-Jayne

[Roz Jessop]

I would like to see the conference slightly later in the year.  This would provide better weather for visiting penguin sites for reviewing management techniques etc. which would be an additional attraction