Sea Turtle Symposium
Hedland is to be represented at the first Western Australian Sea Turtle event, the WA Sea Turtle Symposium at the Curtin University in Perth, on August 28 and 29.
Researchers, organisations and volunteers involved in sea turtle conservation in Western Australia are getting ready to make their way to Perth for the inaugural Western Australian Sea Turtle Symposium to be held at Curtin University from August 28 to 29, 2012.
Amoung those making preparations, are a number of volunteers from the Care For Hedland Environmental Association, who will be representing the conservation and monitoring efforts that have been taking place along local Port Hedland beaches.
In part, through generous sponsorship from BHP Billiton Iron Ore, 11 volunteers will be attending the first ever Western Australia Symposium.
Not only will the local Port Hedland program be represented by the attending volunteers, but also the Hedland Community Turtle Monitoring Program will be widely promoted via a trade stall that will be set up throughout the course of the Symposium and an oral presentation that will be delivered during day one of the event.
Care For Hedland Environmental Association Chairperson Kelly Howlett, has been selected to provide a presentation during the second session on the first day.
Kelly Howlett will be giving a presentation on the monitoring, conservation and securing the future of the flatback turtle in Port Hedland.
“This represents an exciting opportunity to rub shoulders with fellow researchers, managers and organisations involved in the protection of sea turtles in Western Australia and hopefully bring something back that can be used to add value to our current program,” said Ms Howlett.
“But also the Symposium offers the valuable opportunity to showcase Port Hedland and the efforts that have been taking place locally for the past eight years.”
The Symposium will explore themes such as building communication and networking at local, regional, state and national level.
It aims to create linkages between communities and to connect managers and policy-makers at all levels with the latest information coming out of sea turtle research and conservation programs in Western Australia.
In doing so, it sees the coming together of researchers, managers and communities, state wide, in order to understand, better manage and protect Western Australian sea turtle populations all of which is critical to the long term survival of these ancient mariners.
This is the first time a specifically Western Australian Symposium is being held and there will be no doubt that by the end of the Symposium, Port Hedland and its turtle monitoring and conservation program will be well and truly on the map of the Western Australian sea turtle community.
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