Owl Symposium Wrap-up Report

 

Our symposium started off on Friday evening with a Northern Owl Fair organized by the Duluth Audubon Society and Audubon Minnesota geared toward kids and families.  We were thrilled to have over 350 people attend the festivities!!  Close to 100 of the weekend participants came on Friday evening, and over 250 members of the public came for the fun.  Live owls from Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, the Lake Superior Zoo, the Wildlife Science Center and The Raptor Center were the stars of the show, and the evening ended with the release of 2 rehabilitated Barred Owls from the Raptor Education Group in Antigo, WI. 

 

Over 200 people from across the US and Canada attended the Saturday and Sunday sessions.  Saturday was organized by the Hawk Ridge Research Committee, and was devoted to fascinating presentations by researchers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Canada and Finland.  Presenters brought their expertise about northern owl species and kept the audience glued to their seats throughout the day.  Our sincere gratitude is extended to these speakers, not only for their presentations, but also for the long, thankless hours of study and research they've put in to understanding these elusive owl species!!

 

One of our goals for this symposium was to make the science accessible to the general public.  We accomplished that with dynamic speakers and a fun atmosphere.  Bob Nero graced us with his joy and humor, formally, by reading his poetry to open the Symposium, and informally, by simply being present!  Our volunteers were there to serve symposium participants, and went out of their way to make sure everyone had everything they needed. 

 

Not only was the weather GORGEOUS in Duluth, but we made sure to have some spring migrants on hand for participants to enjoy.  Lyle Bradley, of Andover, MN, was treated to a photo session with a pigeon-loving Northern Goshawk during the lunch break on Saturday, and several people reported migrating Bald Eagles overhead.

 

Our poster session gave an opportunity to learn more about ongoing owl research, and was a good time to visit and socialize with friends, old and new.  After dinner, we were fortunate to honor the Minnesota Conservation Officers who were involved in arresting poachers who'd shot several Great Gray Owls last winter and Karla Kinstler presented an award to Bob Nero for his life’s work in owl conservation and education.  I even got a center stage serenade by our Keynote Speaker, Pertti Saurola from Helsinki, Finland!  He can SING!  Michael Furtman then presented a beautiful slide show to end the evening.

 

Sunday was a great opportunity for people to dialogue with the researchers, experts and professionals working with and around owls in our workshop and discussion forums organized by the MOU Education Committee.  From photography to volunteering to future research opportunities, participants had the opportunity to question and converse with the leading professionals in the field.  We didn’t know how many to expect to stay for Sunday’s workshops, so we were pleasantly surprised to see 120 people there!!

 

All in all it was a great weekend.  New friendships and networks were created, old friends were reunited, and we learned a great deal about northern owls from some of the leading experts in the field.  To those that attended, thanks for coming!!  To those that didn't, we wish you'd been there!