Wind Wildlife Research Meeting

Hatchet Ridge, Pattern Energy

Registration for the 15th Wind Wildlife Research Meeting (WWRM) is now open.

Secure your spot early to take advantage of our discounted early bird rates and ensure your participation in this pivotal event.

Click Here to Register for the 15th WWRM

Registration Rates

In-person and virtual attendance is available for this meeting. Registration rates are the same regardless of attendance type.

Virtual and In-person Registration Rates	Early Bird Discount (available through Oct. 4, 2024)	General
Regular	$700	$850
Non-profit/Government/Academia/ Student	$550	$650

*Scholarships are available for eligible individuals – see scholarship section for more detail.

Workshops and Field Trips

REWI is excited to offer several workshops and field trips in conjunction with the 15^th WWRM. Workshops and field trips are only offered for in-person attendees. Registrations for the workshops and field trips will include a separate fee per event.

Pre-Conference Sessions – Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Eagle Act 101 Workshop

12:30-2:30 PM CT | Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | Fee: $50

This workshop will provide an overview of the new eagle permit regulations as they relate to wind energy facilities and participants will walk through the various new application review and permit issuance processes for wind projects. Topics will also include: what is new (and what isn’t), general permit eligibility, mitigation requirements, monitoring requirements, application processing tiers, where to find online resources for eligibility and Q&A with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulation biologists.

Distilling the green-green dilemma: towards conceptualizing competing stressors on biodiversity

3:00-5:00 PM CT | Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | Fee: $50

This workshop addresses the interconnected challenge of navigating climate trade-offs. Wind energy is one solution to abate climate-driven effects but, in turn, becomes the focal environmental stressor for the wind-wildlife domain. Participants will work together towards conceptualizing a quantitative framework to assess the trade-offs between the impacts of wind energy development and those resulting from climate change, using biodiversity as a common metric.

Eagle Rule Compensatory Mitigation Workshop

3:00-5:00 PM CT | Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | Fee: $50

This workshop will cover the following topics:

Overview of compensatory mitigation under the Eagle Act
Current mitigation options
FWS approval process for compensatory mitigation methods
Permittee-responsible mitigation and mitigation plans for specific permits
In-Lieu Fee Programs

Questions and discussion will occur between each topic, as well as breakout sessions so participants can evaluate sample mitigation proposals, plans, or in-lieu fee instruments.

Field Trips – Friday, November 15, 2024

Birding & Banding at Big Tree

7:00AM-3:00PM CT | Friday, November 15, 2024 | Fee: $75

Attend a bird banding station in Rockport with a USGS-permitted biologist from American Bird Conservancy, and then bird and view Whooping Cranes at Big Tree. The trip will end at Goose Island State Park for a lunch-and-learn led by the International Crane Foundation to discuss Whooping Crane conservation and biologists from the Corpus Christi U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office who will discuss birds and bats as they relate to wind energy and the regulatory environment in southern Texas. Lunch and transportation will be provided. Attendees should bring binoculars, water, snacks, and any sun protection they prefer.

Please Note: Field trip time is subject to slight fluctuation. Please make any travel plans with this in mind. Part of this field trip fee will go directly to supporting Whooping Crane conservation.

Thank you to Bowman Consulting for supporting this field trip.

Boat Tour of Aransas NWR & Whooping Crane Conservation

8:00AM-1:00PM CT | Friday, November 15, 2024 | Fee: $75

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Lamar Beach, and other places around Corpus Christi are home to whooping cranes during the winter. The endangered whooping cranes are endemic to North America and are one of North America’s largest birds, driven almost to extinction in the 1940s by hunting and habitat loss. Join us to see and learn more about whooping cranes (in addition to 30 to 60 different species), their wintering habitat, and the challenges this population faces. Transportation to and from the conference hotel and boat tour are included. Attendees should bring water, snacks, slip-resistant footwear, and any sun protection they prefer.

Thank you to WEST, Inc. and The Conservation Fund for supporting this field trip.

REWI Scholarship

REWI is thrilled to offer scholarships providing eligible individuals with the unique opportunity to participate in the WWRM for a significantly discounted rate of $200. Scholarships are available for in-person or virtual attendance (with opportunities for in-person attendance limited).

Scholarship-eligible candidates include:

Higher education students interested in renewable energy and wildlife conservation.
Individuals employed in relevant fields who lack institutional funding.
Underrepresented groups in the energy and wildlife/conservation industries.

Eligible individuals wishing to apply for a scholarship should email wwrm@rewi.org with their name and organization/educational institution to request the application form (estimated time to complete is 20 minutes).