INDEFINITELY POSPONED

Hi Everyone, thanks for your interest in this conference. Due to low rates of registration and difficulty in getting state agency staff to participate in the conference, it is being indefinitely postponed. We hope that when the state budget situation improves we can get more state staff participation and try again. Thanks for all you do for wildlife and sustainable transportation.

If you feel like you are missing out, you are welcome to come to the larger sister conference which also has a lot of information on wildlife crossings and connectivity: International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (https://icoet.net). This conference will be held in May in Denver and abstracts can be submitted later in the summer. Keep track of the ICOET website for more information.

Once again sorry for the news and any inconvenience, but we do hope to have the conference next year when our state partners have an easier time joining us.

Welcome to the California Connectivity & Crossings Conference 2024 (CCCC24) -- October 1st and 2nd

(conference logo credit: Tristan Edgarian, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center)

California is one of the most biodiverse states in the country, has a high density of ecologists and wildlife biologists, and oversees one of the nation’s largest transportation and conservation budgets. However, because wildlife connectivity historically was not a priority in planning and decision-making, a wide variety of important habitats and wildlife connectivity in California remain fragmented by roads and other development. Habitat fragmentation and road mortality threaten many native species populations, reducing their ability to disperse, find mates, access fluctuating resources, and to adapt to a changing climate. 

Recognizing the threat fragmentation poses to native wildlife and ecosystems, decision-makers and the public have increasingly supported bipartisan policies, agency capacity, and funding that will provide more opportunities to connect habitat for California wildlife. These opportunities include advancing wildlife crossing structures over and under roads, making land-use decisions that protect connectivity, and conserving parcels that promote connected landscapes. The recent focus on wildlife connectivity in land-use and transportation policies, coupled with new funding could herald a new era for wildlife conservation.  

To channel this momentum, this conference seeks to create a forum where community and professional scientists, students, volunteers, policy-makers, and practitioners can collaboratively share research and findings, information gaps and needs, and present examples of how to navigate and fund solutions to restore wildlife connectivity across California.

Conference Keynote Speakers

We will be joined by Ben Goldfarb, author of "Crossings" and Beth Pratt, National Wildlife Federation and co-organizer of the Walli-Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

Conference Theme

Discovering, building and celebrating California’s wildlife connectivity and crossing culture in rural and urban ecosystems; engaging people from all technical and organizational backgrounds in a check-up on our progress toward protecting thriving of California diverse wildlife and its ability to move safely.

Location / Date / Registration

UC Davis Conference Center, 550 Alumni Ln, Davis, CA 95616

There are nearby hotels and the location is drivable from Sacramento and Bay cities with good parking in lots nearby.

Dates: October 1st and 2nd, 2024

Registration: August 30th (early bird deadline)

Abstract Submission

If you have an idea, project, or research you wish to present, please send a 200 word abstract with title, topic area, author names, and author affiliations to fmshilling@ucdavis.edu by June 28, 2024. Topics include: Tribal and cultural uses; History of connectivity; Partnerships; Land-use and connectivity; Climate change; Grieving wildlife loss; Broad biodiversity wildlife crossings; Models and model validation; Designing crossings; Engineering crossings; Fencing to reduce mortality; Land use and transportation policies; Public and private funding.

Participants

Tribes
Conservation NGOs
Academic scientists
Engineers
Policy writers/analysts and makers
Community organization volunteers
Agencies
Funders

Organizers

Sally Gale and Eric Gold (Chileno Valley Newt Brigade); Fraser Shilling (Road Ecology Center, UC Davis); Rennie Cleland and Todd Stevens (California Deer Association); Cheryl Brehme (USGS Western Ecological Research Center); Chrissie Klinkowski (Mitchell Drive Newt Patrol); Cara Lacey (TNC); Ann Calnan (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority)