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Adult Programs

AviChat

AviChat is an informal conference and networking event developed by the Young Professionals Advisory Council of Houston Audubon. The inaugural event was held during 2021 Houston Bird Week to great success, and we are excited to continue to grow AviChat as an inclusive space for people to share study findings/ ongoing conservation efforts and learn more about what is going on in the world of bird conservation research in Texas.

AviChat is purposely set up in two parts: 1) to host a series of brief science-based talks pertaining to bird conservation in Texas, with particular focus on the Texas Gulf Coast, and 2) a networking period to foster professional connections and conversation among people who could collaborate productively to further the mission of bird and wildlife conservation in our region. 

Please email ypac@houstonaudubon.org with questions.

We’re currently looking for submissions to present your individual or organizational projects related to bird and/or land conservation, including both planned and completed research. Talks with a focus on the Upper Texas Coast will be given priority. Please select whether you would like to give a 5-minute lightning talk (best for planned research or research with limited data) or a 10-minute presentation (best for full, completed projects) on the form below.

Who Can be a Presenter?

Anyone with interest in Texas bird conservation and/or has any level of relevant research, conservation efforts, or experience they would like to share, to participate as either an attendee or apply to present for AviChat. We encourage people from all different backgrounds and industries to participate so we can have the opportunity to hear about different approaches and perspectives on bird conservation. AviChat can also provide a great platform for students to gain some public-speaking experience, share their ongoing research efforts, and meet others in academia/ industry fields.

How is Avichat formatted?

Presenters are allotted five- or ten-minute time slots. Depending on the number of presenters, presentations may run back to back with no time for questions until the break or social. We typically have presenters send their PowerPoints before the event to make setup more efficient and virtual presentations have been allowed in the past.

First Name *
Last Name *
Length
2023 AviChat Presentations
  • Northeast Texas Conservation Delivery Network

    Reuben L. Gay, Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

  • Pastures for Upland Bird Program

    Reuben L. Gay, Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

  • How to Dominate a Big Day

    Stuart Nelson, Acting President | Executive Vice President, Institute for Spirituality and Health

  • Birds with Intention; Bees by proxy

    Marissa Llosa, Conservation Manager, Houston Parks Board

  • Interspecific and circadian differences in artificial roosting habitat selection in non-breeding shorebirds

    Jasmine Xiong, Student, Rice University

  • Attracting Birds with Backyard Habitats

    Chris Bick

  • Mercer - Conservation & Restoration

    Christy Jones, Education Director, Mercer Botanic Gardens, Precinct 3 Harris Co.

  • Remnant Prairie at Almeda Road Nature Reserve

    Royce Daniels, Field Operations Coordinator, Harris County Precinct One

  • Flycatchers of North America

    Cin-Ty Lee, Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Geology, Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University

  • There and Back Again: A Wild Houston Tale

    Suzanne Simpson

  • High Island (is no island): Connecting our Sanctuaries to the Rest of the World

    Wyatt Egelhoff, Conservation Specialist (Coastal Sanctuaries), Houston Audubon

  • Harris County Flood Control - Habitat Creation and Preservation

    Jennifer O. Garrison, Mitigation Banking Manager, Harris County Flood Control District

  • The Ever-Changing World of Bird Populations

    B.C. Robison, Environmental writer and consultant

  • Restoring Bird Habitat in a Fragmented Urban Environment: Mapping Nests Using Survey123

    Gabriela Sosa, PhD, Conservation Manager, Buffalo Bayou Partnership

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