HIO'S “BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL” SPECIES TO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT ANNUAL WILDLIFE DIVERSITY CONFERENCE

OHIO'S “BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL” SPECIES TO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT ANNUAL WILDLIFE DIVERSITY CONFERENCE

Early registrants get a special discount

COLUMBUS, OH -- A wide range of Ohio wildlife will be highlighted during the 2005 Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference set for Wednesday, March 9 at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus. This year’s conference, “Big, Bold, and Beautiful,” is open to the public and is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

“This year’s conference will focus on many of the state’s better known members of the wildlife diversity community,” said Kendra Wecker, ODNR wildlife diversity coordinator. “However, not all the species featured during the day are ones that you’d necessarily envision as bold or beautiful. This conference will provide participants with new perspectives.”

The keynote speaker will be the Division of Wildlife’s Mark Shieldcastle, manager of the Crane Creek Wildlife Research Unit and lead biologist for Ohio’s bald eagle management program. Shieldcastle will open the conference with a presentation on the recovery of the bald eagle in Ohio.

Other conference topics include the use of reclaimed mine lands by grassland birds, ant colonies in Ohio, and the impact of bullfrogs on other amphibians. Representatives from a range of conservation and natural resource organizations, including the Ohio Bluebird Society, county metropark districts, and the Ohio Biological Survey, will have displays and be available to answer questions.

The Wildlife Diversity Conference has steadily grown in popularity. The first conference in 1985 drew 40 people. Last year, 525 people attended the day-long gathering.

For more information on the conference or to register, call 1-800-WILDLIFE. Or visit the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.com for more information. Early registration discounts apply until February 21. Registrations also will be accepted on the day of the conference.