Bushfire 2016: Connecting Science, People and Practice is a conference a decade in the making that promises to engage, inform and inspire by connecting fire scientists and ecologists with on-ground fire operators, fire managers and other fire professionals. Hosted and coordinated by the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium (SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium), this Australian-wide conference will be held from the 28th to the 30th of September, 2016, at the University of Queensland, Brisbane.
With a focus on applied fire ecology, fire management research, Traditional Owner fire projects and collaborative fire programs, Bushfire 2016 aims to showcase successful partnerships that translate science into practice for beneficial onground fire management and environmental outcomes, while supporting land owners, land managers and scientists. Bushfire 2016 is a chance to engage and network with Australia’s best fire scientists and onground managers – an opportunity to learn something new about fire and build invaluable partnerships.
Keynote Speakers & the Program
The Bushfire 2016 Organizing Committee is thrilled to announce the following internationally recognized keynote speakers:
- Professor Ross Bradstock, Director – Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong;
- Dr Neil Burrows, Senior Principal Research Scientist – Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia; and
- Associate Professor Alan York, Head – Fire & Biodiversity Research Program, University of Melbourne.
The program will include two concurrent sessions running all day Wednesday and Thursday. Keynote speakers will be featured in the morning and after lunch. As much as possible, time will be allowed for questions and discussion, after presentations or at the end of a themed session. Wednesday evening includes a catered poster session, Thursday evening an (affordable) informal dinner, and a field trip on Friday. A permanent poster display will be assembled in the main break out space, along with displays for sponsors and stallholders. Further information on the program, themes and social activities will be provided soon.
Session themes that are proposed for inclusion include:
- fire, flora and fungi;
- fire and fauna (including vertebrate pests);
- Indigenous and Traditional Owner fire projects;
- fire management for linear corridors (i.e. power infrastructure lines, rail, road);
- climate change, soils and fire;
- fire and land management;
- collaborative fire projects (i.e. successful stakeholder and community engagement); and
- fire, risk and biodiversity.
As the oldest collaborative organisation of its kind in Australia, the SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium has an extensive network of sponsors, contributors and supporters, both in SEQ and interstate. This includes over 760 people on our e-news list, over 40 members in our Research Working Group and regular over-subscription to our very successful biannual forum series (i.e. one-day mini conference). The consortium has extensive experience and expertise in organising such events and are excited about the calibre of speakers and supporting organisations involved in Bushfire 2016, which are expected to attract delegates from across Queensland and the nation.
Registrations and the Call for Abstracts are now open, key diary dates include May 6 (Abstract call closes) and July 29 (Early bird registration closes). Places are limited and given the very reasonable registration costs (Early bird standard registration is $390) and the extensive interest we have had to date, we encourage you to register now and join our mailing list to ensure you receive updates and alerts. For more information visit: http://www.bushfire2016.org/
