Wildlife Disease Association
72nd Annual Conference
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Registration for the On Country and Off Country conferences will open in April 2024. The pre-event webinar series can be registered for at the links provided with promotion of each webinar.
Registration includes all social functions. Single day registration is not available. Registration fees (in Australian Dollars AUD) will be as follows.
Canberra, Australia
Participants at WDA 2024 (On Country and Off Country meetings) can submit an abstract to share scientific, traditional, professional, experiential and other accumulated forms of ideas and knowledge regarding wildlife health through storytelling or through the arts. Spaces will be curated to enable the use of diverse media for both.
Free online workshops on ‘Knowledge and storytelling’ and ‘Ideas and the arts” will be held in June 2024 to assist participants in preparing to share ideas and knowledge through these methods. Storytelling and art have been used in sharing scientific knowledge since its earliest development.
Storytelling is a universal method for sharing communication in all cultures and societies and is recognised as a powerful way to transfer knowledge and ideas across experiential divides. Storytelling is not dependent on the nature of knowledge (ontology and epistemology) itself, but rather is a narrative form of sharing knowledge and ideas that is relatable to an audience that includes those without pre-existing experience of that particular knowledge.
Keynote presentations at conferences often use a storytelling or narrative approach, enabling a wider audience to engage, and to engage more deeply, with the ideas being communicated. Science communication events like the 3MT (three minute thesis), Nerd Nite and BioOne Ambassador Awards typically use narrative styles of sharing knowledge and ideas.
Some forms of art, including especially illustration and photography, are commonly used to communicate scientific knowledge and ideas. There are many examples of much more innovative and broadly targeted approaches to art-science partnerships however. The CORRIDOR project, who WDA 2024 is partnering with, showcases diverse approaches to science-arts collaboration. Our free online workshop in June (see Pre-event Webinar Series) will help prepare wildlife health professionals to use the arts or collaborate with artists to share their ideas or knowledge at WDA 2024.
Submit your abstract to present at WDA 2024 before June 1st 2024 (On Country meeting) or September 1st (Off Country meeting) here. Select whether you will present at the On Country or Off Country (online) meeting, whether you will present through storytelling or the arts (or if you are undecided), then follow the author guidelines to prepare your abstract as a Word document. In your abstract, you will need to describe 1) who you are, and 2) what the ideas or knowledge are that you want to share.
The Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) is committed to a diverse, inclusive, fair and equitable community and environment, as explicitly stated in our Charter of Values. Our Code of Conduct applies to all participants in any event hosted by WDA, including all events associated with WDA 2024. The organising committee for WDA 2024 will be working to maximise accessibility to and diverse participation in this event. Please contact the organising committee at wda2024updates@gmail.com if you have suggestions or personal requests regarding accessibility and the creation of a diverse and inclusive environment. Complaints and concerns can be directed to WDA’s executive manager at exec.manager@wildlifedisease.org and will be considered with confidentiality and respect.
We are working to accredit continuing education for the On Country and Off Country conferences. Stay tuned for updates.
WDA’s ‘on Country’ conference in Canberra will be radically different to traditional scientific meetings. We are very excited about what you will experience but want you to be fully informed on the nature of this conference.
All conference attendees will be EXPECTED to participate in group reflection and discussion activities in response to paradigm-challenging keynote talks and panel discussions.
Presentations by attendees are ONLY possible through storytelling or the arts (see abstract submission below for further details).
If you are not comfortable with this approach, the ‘on Country’ conference is NOT FOR YOU. As preparation for this conference, a series of webinars will introduce some key ideas and workshops on sharing knowledge through storytelling and the arts.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nations and people have a profound and enduring relationship with Country and wildlife that stretches back over 60,000 years.
We acknowledge the First Nations of the Australian continent and recognise their traditional and continuing connection and custodianship with the Country on which this event takes place. We honour, respect and listen to First Nations Elders. We respect, listen to and celebrate First Nations stories and knowledges.
We acknowledge our responsibility to First Nations and strive to honour this in our collective work towards this special event – WDA 2024.
