Join us for the 2026 bctws conference!
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The 2026 BCTWS Conference
September 23 - 26, 2026 Harrison Hot Springs, BC. The theme for the 2026 conference is: Conflict and Coexistence: Wildlife ecology and management along the wildland-urban interface |
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Conference Program:
Download the conference program here:
Registration Desk: The registration desk will be open:
Conference Venues: Conference events will be held at Harrison Memorial Hall and Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa, with the exception of some workshops and field trips. The social event will be located at the Old Settler's Pub. Please refer to the conference program for venue details. |
REGISTRATION FEES
Fee Category |
Early Bird |
Regular |
BCTWS Member |
$350 |
$425 |
Student |
$225 |
$290 |
Indigenous |
$225 |
$290 |
Non-member |
$400 |
$450 |
Single day (Member/Non-member) |
$200 |
$200 |
Single day (Student/Indigenous) |
$125 |
$125 |
ACCOMMODATION
A group code is available for guests of our conference at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa.
The group code is 266719.
Visit www.harrisonresort.com and follow these steps:
The group code is 266719.
Visit www.harrisonresort.com and follow these steps:
- Select Specials
- Select Book Now (upper right corner)
- Select Add Code
- Click on Discount Code and select Group Attendee. Enter the group code: 266719
- Click Add, then Select & Go To The Next Step
- Choose your dates
Plenary Speaker
Friday, September 25, 2026
"The UBC Urban Wildlife Project: Integrating Urban Carnivore Behaviour, Cognition, Ecology, Physiology, and Management" Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram (she/her) Associate Professor Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia |
Sarah Benson-Amram is an associate professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia. Sarah earned her B.A. from Cornell University in the U.S., her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in the U.S., and conducted her postdoctoral research at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, UK. Prior to joining the University of British Columbia, Sarah was an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. Sarah investigates how cognition facilitates adaptation of wildlife to urban environments and how urbanization affects the behaviour, ecology, and cognition of wildlife through her field studies of urban carnivores, especially raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. Her work is also heavily focused on understanding drivers of human-wildlife conflict in urban environments and on applying the results of her work to help mitigate conflict and improve co-existence with wildlife in urban spaces. She has also studied behaviour, cognition, personality, and communication in other diverse taxa, including Asian and African elephants, spotted hyenas, Tasmanian devils, zebra finches, prairie dogs, and lemurs. Sarah’s research has been published in top international journals, such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Articles about her work have appeared in many news publications, including: the New York Times, The New Scientist, the BBC, National Public Radio, and Nature News.
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Keynote SPeaker
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Nikki Heim Manager of Communities and Conservation Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative |
Nikki Heim is a Wildlife Ecologist and Registered Professional Biologist with The College of Applied Biology. Nikki’s career path is rooted in understanding population dynamics of medium to large-sized carnivores, monitoring species such as cougar, grizzly bear, and badger. She completed an M.Sc. at the University of British Columbia where she examined distribution patterns of wolverine in the central Rocky Mountains. Over time, working with carnivores led her to further focus her efforts on improving conditions for human-wildlife coexistence. Nikki was raised in BC and has worked across western North America, now residing in Canmore, Alberta. Since landing in Alberta over 15 years ago, she has held roles as a Coexistence Officer in Banff National Park, Park Ecologist for the Kananaskis Country Region, and most recently as Manager of the Communities and Conservation Program with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Nikki also had the wonderful opportunity to work as an Ecosystems Biologist for the Ktunaxa Nation where she supported a Ktunaxa-led cumulative effects assessment aimed at predicting current and future impacts of recreational disturbance on wildlife and other cultural values.
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PUBLIC TALK
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Unlocking Urban Biodiversity: A Guide to iNaturalist
September 23, 2026, 5:30 - 7:30 PM Speaker: Nathan Earley Venue: Harrison Memorial Hall Kick off the BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s annual conference with a public talk by Nathan Earley. Learn how to use iNaturalist to document species, improve your ID skills, and contribute meaningful data to conservation in British Columbia. Stick around for a guided hike the next day, where we’ll put these skills into action as part of a conference-wide bioblitz—working together to record local biodiversity and support real science. |
Register Here |
CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Sign up for workshops on the conference Eventbrite page
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Human-Bear Coexistence in the Wildland-Urban Interface
September 23, 1:00-4:00 PM Venue: Meet at the Spirit Trail Picnic Tables ***Sold Out*** Join representatives from the Harrison Hot Springs Bear Project and WildSafeBC for an interactive workshop exploring the challenges and opportunities of human–bear coexistence in a rapidly developing landscape. Participants will learn about local conflict mitigation efforts, Bear Smart principles, wildlife corridors, landscape connectivity, and community-based conservation initiatives aimed at reducing human–bear conflicts. The workshop will also highlight emerging research using conservation detection dogs, genetic sampling, and diet analyses to better understand bear ecology and the role of anthropogenic food sources in shaping bear behaviour at the wildland–urban interface. |
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WildCAM Camera Data Exploration
September 23, 2:00-4:00 PM Host: Chris Beirne (Wildlife Insights), with a guest appearance from Dan Morris (Google AI for Nature) Venue: Harrison Memorial Hall Camera traps are transforming wildlife monitoring, but turning thousands of images into meaningful insights can be challenging. This hands-on workshop introduces participants to practical tools for managing and analyzing camera trap data using R, while exploring resources such as WildCAM's Camera Trap Data Exploration Shiny App. Whether you're new to camera trap data analysis or looking to learn new tools and workflows, this workshop will guide participants from camera trap processing platforms (e.g., Wildlife Insights, WildTrax, or Migrations) to meaningful summaries and data exploration. Participants are encouraged to bring their own camera trap dataset to work through with the instructor, or use a sample dataset if they don't have one. Plenty of time will be available for questions and one-on-one support. |
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Chris Beirne is the Executive Director of Wildlife Insights, a one-stop platform for managing, sharing, and analyzing camera trap data. His research explores how wildlife communities respond to anthropogenic disturbance and what those changes mean for conservation. He has championed camera traps everywhere from the hyperdiverse tropics of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, and Gabon to the subarctic cold of the Northwest Territories, contributing to more than 70 scientific publications along the way. Chris is passionate about open-access science, reproducible research, and doughnut consumption.
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Dan Morris is a researcher in the Google AI for Nature program, where he develops AI tools that help conservation scientists spend less time doing boring things and more time doing conservation. This includes tools that accelerate urban forest canopy assessments and image-based wildlife surveys. Prior to joining Google, he directed the AI for Earth program at Microsoft, and prior to that he spent approximately a zillion years in the medical devices group at Microsoft Research, working on signal processing and machine learning tools for wearable devices that supported cardiovascular monitoring, fitness tracking, and gesture interaction. He received his PhD from Stanford, where he worked on haptics and physical simulation for virtual surgery.
CONFERENCE FIELD TRIPS
Sign up for field trips on the conference Eventbrite page
Bioblitz and Guided iNaturalist Walk
September 24, 1:00-3:00 PM
Take your iNaturalist skills into the field during a guided biodiversity walk led by Nathan Earley. Explore the natural areas surrounding Harrison Hot Springs while documenting plants, animals, and fungi as part of a conference-wide bioblitz. Whether you're new to iNaturalist or an experienced user, this hands-on field trip offers a fun opportunity to contribute meaningful observations to science while connecting with fellow wildlife professionals.
Plant and Animal Health Centre Tour: Wildlife Disease and Diagnostics
September 24, 1:00-5:00 PM
Explore the science behind wildlife health, disease surveillance, and diagnostic testing during a behind-the-scenes visit to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food's Plant and Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford. Through a series of short presentations and a guided laboratory tour, participants will gain insight into the diverse research, diagnostic, and biosafety work conducted at one of British Columbia's premier animal health facilities. This unique opportunity highlights the critical role of disease monitoring and laboratory science in wildlife and ecosystem management.
Greenway Restoration Project: Community Stewardship in Action
September 24, 1:00-3:00 PM
Discover how local stewardship groups are restoring and protecting critical salmon and riparian habitat in the Harrison Hot Springs area. Hosted by the Miami River Streamkeepers Society, this field trip will showcase ongoing restoration efforts along the Miami River, including invasive species management, native vegetation planting, fish habitat enhancement, and salmon monitoring programs. Learn how community-led conservation can support ecological resilience in landscapes facing increasing pressures from urban development.
September 24, 1:00-3:00 PM
Take your iNaturalist skills into the field during a guided biodiversity walk led by Nathan Earley. Explore the natural areas surrounding Harrison Hot Springs while documenting plants, animals, and fungi as part of a conference-wide bioblitz. Whether you're new to iNaturalist or an experienced user, this hands-on field trip offers a fun opportunity to contribute meaningful observations to science while connecting with fellow wildlife professionals.
Plant and Animal Health Centre Tour: Wildlife Disease and Diagnostics
September 24, 1:00-5:00 PM
Explore the science behind wildlife health, disease surveillance, and diagnostic testing during a behind-the-scenes visit to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food's Plant and Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford. Through a series of short presentations and a guided laboratory tour, participants will gain insight into the diverse research, diagnostic, and biosafety work conducted at one of British Columbia's premier animal health facilities. This unique opportunity highlights the critical role of disease monitoring and laboratory science in wildlife and ecosystem management.
Greenway Restoration Project: Community Stewardship in Action
September 24, 1:00-3:00 PM
Discover how local stewardship groups are restoring and protecting critical salmon and riparian habitat in the Harrison Hot Springs area. Hosted by the Miami River Streamkeepers Society, this field trip will showcase ongoing restoration efforts along the Miami River, including invasive species management, native vegetation planting, fish habitat enhancement, and salmon monitoring programs. Learn how community-led conservation can support ecological resilience in landscapes facing increasing pressures from urban development.
WILDLIFE DISEASE PANEL
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Thursday September 24, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Panel Speakers: Cori Lausen (White Nose Syndrome) Dr. Cori Lausen is the Director of Bat Conservation for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada. Cori is a BC bat research and conservation biologist with an MSc and PhD on bats focusing on behaviour and physiology, and landscape genetics, respectively. She has built a comprehensive Western Canada Bat Conservation Program within WCS Canada since 2011, focusing currently on two major projects: Bat-Friendly Forestry and Mitigating White-Nose Syndrome. Additionally, Cori teaches classroom and field-based courses in bat capture, acoustics and biology, and supervises graduate students at multiple universities. Jessica Russell (Chronic Wasting Disease) Jess has spent the majority of her career managing and planning responses for large disease and invasive pest incursions at the national level in New Zealand, and now in Canada. She translates disease management theory into application and has planned successful responses to primarily animal health threats but also plant pests, foodborne outbreaks and adverse events. Highlights include leading the eradication of Gumboro disease from New Zealand's poultry sector, planning and overseeing the response to New Zealand's largest ever outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. Within Canada she has supported the Planning Epidemiology Unit of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response with the CFIA. Currently, she is working with the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) supporting provincial governments across Canada to prevent the introduction of Chronic wasting disease and increase readiness in the event of its arrival. She works closely with the British Columbia CWD Program to support the Province's response to Chronic wasting disease. She also moonlights at the BC Centre for Disease Control managing environmental health projects. Glenna McGregor (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae/M. ovi) Glenna is a veterinary pathologist working at the Animal Health Centre, the BC provincial veterinary diagnostic lab based out of the BC Ministry of Agriculture. She performs cause-of-death investigations on a wide range of species including livestock, wildlife, companion animals and exotics. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, co-director of the BC node of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, and locums regularly as a private small animal practitioner at Allondale Animal Hospital. |
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held during the conference on Friday Sept 24 from 4:45 - 5:30 pm. If you are not attending the conference, you can join the AGM virtually by using the Google Meet link below.
For more information, visit our Bylaws and Elections page.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jrt-hnfm-fsg
Or dial: (CA) +1 613-778-1684 PIN: 944 476 857#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/jrt-hnfm-fsg?pin=9765127326148
For more information, visit our Bylaws and Elections page.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jrt-hnfm-fsg
Or dial: (CA) +1 613-778-1684 PIN: 944 476 857#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/jrt-hnfm-fsg?pin=9765127326148
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR AMAZING CONFERENCE SPONSORS!
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Premier Sponsors
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Platinum Sponsors
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Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
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PHOTO CREDITS: SOOTY GROUSE, KIIRSTI OWEN; HARRISON HOT SPRINGS, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harrison_Hot_Springs.jpg CC by SA 2.0; MOUNTAIN GOAT, JT FISHER; BLACK BEAR and CARIBOU, JULIE THOMAS