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CONFERENCE COSTS and FEES

Conference Registration $350 before July 1, 2012; $400 after July 1
Conference Registration for Ecuadorian scientists and students $100 before July 1, 2012, $125 after July 1

If you have an interest in joining us please e-mail a confirmation to barkerb@wildspotsfoundation.org. The conference registration fee conference admission, a reception hosted by the City of Baños, an annual Ecuadorian Culture night with food, entrance fees, and a field trip to Puyo to photograph orchids in the rainforest. You may use the registration form below to register or call us for more details at 954-816-1974.

There are two ways to attend the conference. Baños, Ecuador, is located around four hours south and east of Quito.

The Foundation is offering a package ($1850) that includes r/t air from MIA-UIO-MIA, pick up and return to the airport in Quito, registration fee, lodging* with breakfasts, all admissions, receptions, culture night, and the Puyo field trip on August 4, 2012.

Registration fee payment options:

1. go to www.paypal.com; send money (either $350 for "registration only" or $1850 for total package from Miami,

2. Wire fees by Western Union to Dr. Barry Barker, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Specify 2012 Biodiversity Conference)

As an independent traveler: Car rentals are available at the airport. Travel by car can take 4-6 hours. There are also express buses from downtown Quito that cost around $10 one way. There are a variety of small hotels and hostels in Baños, ranging from $10-$30 night per person. A list of those accommodations can be found on the Conference website.

Arrival date: on or before July 29
Departure date: August 4 First meeting begins 9:00AM on July 30 at the Conference Center.

*There are three choices of lodging: 1) San Martin Hostel (modest accommodations on site with double rooms and private baths); 2) Sanguay Hotel (Conference headquarters and meeting rooms); or the Hostel Volcan, (an upscale bed and breakfast). Or, go to the following link for additional hotels. Make sure your selection is within walking distance to the Sangay Hotel. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g312857-Banos-Hotels.html

This is a most unique conference and setting. The conference takes place in a cloud forest biogeographic region, rich in biodiversity and environmental conflict. This is a working eco-conference, in that we share multidisciplinary research with colleagues around the world. It takes place in an isolated area, where local experts successfully breed endangered and threatened species, where orchid researchers are discovering new species every month, where wildlife conservation research conflicts with local economic interests, and where environmental conflict resolution is an ongoing paradigm.

San Martin Zoological Gardens in Baños is a unique experience that we want our attendees to enjoy. The hostel acts as a working field station for the many scientists conducting research in the local cloud forests, volunteers helping the zoo staff, and students/visitors who wish to explore the beautiful surrounding ecosystems and wildlife. Be sure to bring:

Hiking boots for rough terrain.
A two-pronged adapter for the outlets. Three-pronged plugs will not work in the outlets, although the electrical system is 110.
Power strips for laptops, hair dryers, camera chargers, etc.
An alarm clock (battery-powered is best).
Money in small denomination bills of $1, $5 and $10. For most people, $200-$300 will be sufficient for spending money.
An English-Spanish dictionary.
A towel and bath soap. The hostel does not provide these. LABEL your towels with your name.
Flip-flops for the shower.
Rain poncho.
Flashlight
Camera with telephoto and macro lens.

Be aware that

Ecuador uses United States dollars, but the community is poor: Most places do not accept credit cards or bank cards; bring cash in small denominations ($1s, $5s, $10s )
There are some ATM machines in the city that work sometimes.
The rooms at the hostel DO NOT contain phones.
There is NO internet service at the hostel, but there are many cyber cafes available in the city of Baños. There may be wifi working by conference time.
Taxi fares to and from the hostel are only $1.50-$2.00. Taxis to and from the airport in Quito are $75-$80 one way.
The San Martin hostel IS NOT handicapped accessible, having been built on the mountainside.
There is a weight limit for baggage: 8 lbs for carry-on, and 16 lbs for luggage.

Keynote Speakers:

Lou Jost

Dr. Edward O Keith

Lou Jost:

Our keynote speaker and resident scientist is Dr. Lou Jost, an American ecologist from Texas who has been living in Baños, Ecuador for 15 years. He has methodically explored the cloud forests at various elevations in this region of Amazonia and has made several significant discoveries, including dozens of new species of orchids, microhabitat formation and evolution, and a mathematical system to correctly assess biodiversity in a given area. He is a published and respected member of the scientific community. His most recent article has been accepted to be published in ECOLOGY later this year. He is also an author and well known ornithologist. Please visit the following websites for more information:

www.loujost.com

www.ecominga.org

Edward O. Keith

Dr. Keith’s main interests lie in conducting interdisciplinary studies of current issues in marine mammalogy, ranging from testing new technological approaches to reducing the number of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) killed by boat strikes, examining the abiotic and biotic factors associated with marine mammal strandings in Florida and the southeastern United States, collaborating on conservation projects for Antillean manatees (T. m. manatus) in Mexico and Panama, and constructing population models for marine mammals useful in management and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts. He also has a strong interest in biochemistry, and in using biochemical tools to study a variety of issues, from the evolution of pinnipeds to tear protein interactions with contact lenses. He has been studying the structure, function, and evolution of the lipocalin superfamily of proteins for over 20 years. Many of his projects involve the use of mathematics and computer algorithms to analyze data and to test hypotheses about population dynamics and evolution. He also is a strong believer in two new ideas in education, place-centered learning (where one conducts a variety of studies across disciplines and hierarchical levels in one particular location) and service-oriented learning (where students learn while serving their communities and the common good).

Papers presented at the Conference July 29-Aug 4, 2011

Adriana Maupome carvantes Areas Naturales Protegidas, CONANP SEMARNAT conservation project in the Gulf of Mex
Prakash Chandra Mardaraj Wildlife Institute of India Human sloth bear conflict
Addisu D Mekuriaw Andhra University College of Law (Ethiopia) Conservation and sustainable use of the Biodiversity through Regulating Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources
Luis Amador SENESCYT (Ecuador)
La Cordillera Chongón Colonche
Ayyappan sarvaan sarvaan Annamalai University (India) Mangrove associated faunal resources in India
Besnik Rexhepi State University of Tetova (Macedonia) The ethnobotanic research in Sharr Mountain
bijoy nandan Cochin University of Science & Technology (India)
Biodiversity changes in the wetlands of Kerala, India
Bita Archangi School of Marine Science and Oceanography, Khorramshahr Marine Science and Technology University (KMSU), Khuzestan, Khorramshahr, IRAN LEVELS AND PATTERNS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN WILD POPULATIONS OF SILVER POMFRET (Pampus argenteus) USING 11 MIROSATELLITE LOCI IN PERSIAN GULF AND OMAN SEA
Bita Archangi School of Marine Science and Oceanography, Khorramshahr Marine Science and Technology University (KMSU), Khuzestan, Khorramshahr, IRAN GENETIC STOCK STRUCTURE OF MULLOWAY (Argyrosomus japonicus) IN WILD AND CULTURED POPULATIONS USING MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND MICROSATELLITESGENETIC STOCK STRUCTURE OF MULLOWAY (Argyrosomus japonicus) IN WILD AND CULTURED POPULATIONS USING MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND MICROSATELLITES
Robert Tumwesigye Bwindi Forest Community Development Organisation Commnity wetland management for economic development
Shahriar Rahman Centre for Coastal Environmental Conservation (Bangledesh)
David Sanín Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia, Serpocaulon ×manizalense (Polypodiaceae), a new hybrid which proposes a genes flow into pinnade, simple and pinnatisec species.
SUNDAR KUMAR SHARMA Wildlife Division Sasan,
Junagarh, Gujarat, India
Critical Realism on Political Ecology of Biodiversity Conservation
A Young Keum Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies(S. Korea) Suggestions to protect the Red Crowned Cranes in Demilitarized Zone of South Korea
ALHASSAN MAMMAN MUHAMMAD UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA ABUJA, NIGERIA AN ASSESSMENT OF TREE DENSITY AND DIVERSITY CHANGE ON SMALL HOLDER FARMS ALONG NIGERIA NIGER BOADER
makuregye nathan PROBICOU
Lou Jost Biodiversity of Banos: Scientific
implications and conservation challenges
Mukunda Behera CORAL Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, W.B. India Characterizing Forest Vegetation in Kargil-Ladakh Region, the Himalayas
Mac Elikem Nutsuakor
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
DIVERSITY AND STRUCTURE OF A BIRD COMMUNITY IN A SELECTIVELY LOGGED TROPICAL FOREST IN GHANA
Mariano Houngbedji University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin Conservation state of red-bellied guenon (Cercopithecus erythrogaster) in the Dahomey-Gap.
Dr. Narasimha Murthy Kakatiya University, Warangal-506 009, INDIA Vegetation patterns of Tropical Dry deciduous forests of Deccan Plateau, India
SHADANANAN NAIR Nansen Environmental Research Centre-India Biodiversity Conservation through Sustainable Forests Management under a Changing Climate in the Western Ghats Mountain
Nisrine Machaka Lebanese American University Distribution and reproductive success of the rare endemic Himantoglossum affine (Boissier) Schlechter
Olga Nuneza Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (Philippines) Distribution and Conservation of Bat fauna in Mindanao caves
Osunsina Israel Oluyinka University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta. Nigeria (1) DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF FLORA AND FAUNA IN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA) FOREST AND NATURE RESERVE, IBADAN. OYO STATE. NIGERIA. (2) BUSHMEAT COLLECTION, CONSUMPTION AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS
Paul Tufiño SIMBIOE (Ecuador) The method of electrofishing and the study of aquatic fauna in Ecuador
Rana Naveed Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad.
Watershed Management of Cross Boundary between India and Pakistan Using Geo-Informatics
Saif Zaman Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh) ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMETAL DEGRADATION DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
ABASAHEB GARWARE COLLEGE (India) STUDIES ON SELECTED ECONOMICALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPORTANT PLANT RESOURCES
SHELEMAT TESFAYE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY OF ETHIOPIA
Tanja Petrovic Ministry of Environmental Mining and Spatial Planning (Belgrade, Serbia) Nature Protected Area in Serbia
Tej Basnet
Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu
Valdemar Ribeiro University of Angola man-natural life-develpoment
vandana thaplyal Bishop Cotton School (India) Sacred Groves: Traditional Practices of presevring biodiversty repository in western Himalaya
Yamin WANG Shandong University at Weihai Distribution & migration of Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, in China
ASMA ZAFAR National University of Science and Technology, Pakistan Ecological Suitability and Temporal Analysis of Ucchali Lake for White Headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala
Mark Otarigho Delta State Nigeria Man's Impact on Terrestrial Habitats
Luis Jimenez Florida Atlantic University Neoselva zoological conservancy: breeding endagered educational purposes
Sarah E. Reed University of California, Berkeley vernal pools
Ahmad Houri Lebanese American University Distribution and reproductive success of the rare endemic Himantoglossum affine (Boissier) Schlechter
Terence Centner University of Georgia Governments’ Ability to Confront Diseases and Invasive Species and to Preserve Biodiversity
teresa downing Iowa State University Biodiversity, land rights, and the institutionalization of child sex trafficking in the Global South: An ecofeminist perspective
Eugenio Matibag Iowa State University Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Coca Cultivation in the Andean Region
Jose A. P. Marcelino Universidad de las Azores Partitioning of biodiversity across anthropogenic impacted habitats in the archipelago of the Azores
Ana Mariscal Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Plant biodiversity regeneration, under native tree plantations in degraded pastures in the Ecuadorian Amazonian
Becky Zug & Lucas Achig University of Wisconsin - Madison Ecuador Bear Project
A Young Keum Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies (Korea) ?
PIETRO GRAZIANI ACRA NGO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLANS (EMP) IN THE INDIGENOUS AMAZON ACHUAR COMMUNITIES Communities
Juan Pablo Reyes Fundación Oscar Efrén Reyes Baños Conservation of the mountain tapir in central Ecuadorian Andes
Nisrine Machaka Lebanese American University Distribution and reproductive success of the rare endemic Himantoglossum affine (Boissier) Schlechter
Sampan Tongnunui
Mahidol University, Kanchanaburi Campus (Thailand) Species-Rich or Species-Poor-It is up to Environment
Shrinath P. Kavade Arts, Commerce & Science College, Lanja, Ratnagiri District Floristic Diversity of Chandoli National Park in a Unesco World Heritage Site
Imesh Nuwan Bandara University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka) Effect of unsuitable land use pattern on Fresh water Ichthyofaunal diversity.
Diana Bermudéz Loor Proyecto Conservación del Tapir Andino (PCTA) DIET AND DIETARY HABITS OF THE MOUNTAIN TAPIR IN THREE LOCATIONS IN THE THE ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR LLANGANATES-SANGAY
Mary Griffin Cultivation on a microscopic level with mutualistic endophytes
Malik Abubakry British Institute/Al Azhar university
VIDYA SAGAR DEVABHAKTUNI
TEMITOPE-OWOLABI ROBB KARL ASSOCIATE CHARITY ORGANISATION
Climate Change and Biodiversity
BENSON ADEBOLA DAUDA
ROBB KARL ASSOCIATE CHARITY ORGANISATION
The Importance of Diversity in Life
Khabibullin Rachit, Ph.D. Nizhniy Novgorod State University, Russia Diversity, ecological structure and conservation of the forest
Lepidoptera of Russian plain central part
Mosyagina Asya, Ph.D. Nizhniy Novgorod State University, Russia Diversity, ecological structure and conservation of the forest Lepidoptera of Russian plain central part
Laxmi Prasad Timilsina Padmakanya Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University Population composition and habitat utilization of blue sheep in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area of Nepal.
Prof. G. Agoramoorthy College of Environmental Sciences
Tajen University (Taiwan)
"Interactions between
tourists and the endangered Formosan Macaques in Taiwan
Augustine Otekhile University of Parthenope (Italy) The Impacts of human and agricultural practices on biodiversity and soil quality
Evengelista Mudzonga
Trade and Development Studies Centre (Zimbabwe) Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change in Chivi District of Zimbabwe
babu a Annamalai University, Parangipettai BIODIVERSITY OF MOLLUSCS FROM BYCATCH AT NAGAPATTINAM COAST, SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA
Maqsood Ahmed University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
characterization of indigenous germplasm of two soft fruits raspberry
Shiva Ramakrishnan Bharathidasan University (India) buterflies and their associated host plants
Don Arunade Rathnayake University Of Perafeniya (Sri Lanka)
Michael Rutherford Broward College A Simple Grass Called, Vetiver