Summary of workshops at AOC 2025

Full and half-day workshops will be run on Monday 17 November. These workshops are free but do require booking (booking details to come later).

Shorter workshops, meetings and events will run during lunch breaks on Tuesday 18 November, Wednesday 19 November and Thursday 20 November at the Business School, UWS. No bookings needed.

Additional workshop details will be added to this page as they are confirmed.

Full-day Workshop: Monday 17 November

Mapping the sensitivity of Australia’s Avifauna to renewable energy infrastructure using the free online siting tool AviStep: A vital first step in achieving nature-safe renewable energy projects.

Organisers: Tris Allinson (BirdLife International), Dr Golo Maurer, Dr Yuna Kim (BirdLife Australia)
Time: 9am- 3pm
Venue: UWA
By invitation only

Australia aims to achieve 82% of its electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030. This will require a considerable expansion of utility-scale wind and solar, as well as an associated increase in powerlines. This infrastructure could have a significant impact on Australian Avifauna if sited inappropriately. It is therefore vital for achieving the ambitious renewables target without detrimental impact on biodiversity that the energy transition is based on a clear understanding of where sensitive bird populations occur.

BirdLife International and its national partner, BirdLife Australia, have developed a series of detailed spatial assessments of avian sensitivity for the following infrastructure: onshore wind, offshore wind, photovoltaic solar, overhead transmission lines and overhead distribution lines. These assessments are compiled in a global online siting tool for renewable energy against wind availability AVISTEP – the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning (https://avistep.birdlife.org).

This workshop will coincide with the public launch of the Australian maps on AVISTEP – and will explain:

• Why spatial information is so important to achieve a nature-safe and nature-positive energy transition in Australia.
• How the AVISTEP maps were created by reviewing the datasets and methodologies used in the analyses.
• How AVISTEP maps can be integrated into national and regional planning decisions.

Who is the workshop for? This in-person workshop will be valuable to renewable energy peak bodies, windfarm developers, ecological consultants, government agencies, conservationists and anyone with an interest in ensuring that Australia meets its renewable energy targets without jeopardising its extraordinary avifauna.

The development of AVISTEP for Australia has been made possible through the generous support of Fortescue.

Half-day Workshop: Monday 17 November

Citizen Advocacy: Native Vegetation Protection for Birds in WA

Organisers: Viv Read and Mark Henryon (BirdLife WA Advocacy Committee)
Time: 8:30am – 12:30pm
Venue: WA Ecology Centre, 165 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat (next door to BirdLife WA Offices)
For details and to book click here.

Native vegetation across south-west Western Australia is disappearing at an alarming rate – and with it, the vital habitats our birds depend on. As protections weaken and long-promised national reforms stall, BirdLife WA asks: how can we – as citizens – make a real difference?

About the workshop

This half-day, interactive workshop hosted by BirdLife WA will pinpoint the key actions and strategies that citizen advocates, community groups, and conservation organisations can use to protect native vegetation and bird habitat.
Drawing on a BirdLife WA analysis of state and federal assessment systems by Piers Verstegen, the workshop will explore:

• Working effectively within the system – influencing environmental assessment and planning decisions before it’s too late.
• Engaging constructively with decision makers – building credibility, influence, and partnerships that deliver better outcomes for nature.
• When the system fails – campaigning strategically outside formal processes to secure stronger protection for native vegetation and bird habitat.

The workshop will feature short presentations and interactive discussions enabling participants to share experiences, develop strategies, and connect with others passionate about defending WA’s natural heritage.

Speakers

• Piers Verstegen, Advocacy Consultant: Understanding how the “system” works – and where to focus limited time and resources for the greatest impact.
• Hon Jess Beckerling, MLC: Working with decision makers – and what to do when the system fails nature.
• Dr Tom Hatton, Chair WA EPA (2015-2020): Working with the EPA – how citizens can help shape sound environmental decisions.
• Rhiannon Hardwick, CCWA: Harnessing the power of community advocacy – creating groundswells of public support that drive change.
• Claire Stevenson, Manager Terrestrial Ecosystems Branch, DWER: Connecting with regulators – how citizen science and data help to inform better environmental policy and protection.

Who should attend

This workshop is for motivated individuals, community groups, and NGOs who want to be more effective in navigating our system of environmental assessment, influencing decisions, and driving change – both inside and outside the system.

Registration

Attendance is free, but registration is essential as numbers are limited by venue capacity.

Morning tea and lunch will be provided.

Register at: https://events.humanitix.com/aoc-workshop-citizen-advocacy-native-vegetation-protection-for-birds-in-wa

Note: Transport to and from this venue is not included as part of the workshop, and delegates will have to make their own way there and back.

Workshops running alongside AOC2025

There are also two workshops running before and after the AOC2025 that AOC attendees might be interested in attending. These have not been organised by the AOC committee.

Full-day Workshop: Monday 17 November

Open Ecoacoustics Workshop

Hosted by Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)
Venue: University of Western Australia
Cost: Free
For details and to book click here

Join the Open Ecoacoustics Workshop to explore tools, shape future features, and connect with others working in ecoacoustics.

Three-day Workshop: Friday 21- Sunday 23 November

Sound recording

Hosted by Cornell University/Macaulay Library
Cost: $100
Details and registration on the Cornell website

This workshop is intended to teach the basics of sound recording, editing, and sharing, as well as how your efforts in the field can help bring Merlin Sound ID to Australia and power research and conservation.

 

Lunchtime Workshops at AOC2025

No bookings required

Key Biodiversity Areas: help shape the sites for birds in Australia

Organiser: Anna McCallum (BirdLife Australia)
Time: Wednesday 19 November

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites that contribute to the persistence of biodiversity and are identified using a globally standardised science-based approach. In Australia, there are currently 334 KBAs, most of which were first identified as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). BirdLife Australia is currently reviewing and updating legacy IBA sites to ensure they meet the KBA Standard. This process includes a technical review of the latest data on species population sizes, in addition to stakeholder engagement regarding a site’s management. We are calling on species experts, land managers and community to collaborate to ensure the KBA network represents the most important areas for birds across Australia. Learn more about the KBA process and how you can get involved.

Birds on Farms goes digital: Helping landholders create bird-friendly farms across Australia

Organiser: Margot Oorebeek (BirdLife Australia)
Time: Wednesday 19 November

Birds on Farms is working with landholders to improve the extent, condition and connectivity of woodland habitat on private properties. We will be showcasing our new online courses where landholders across Australia can learn how to create a bird-friendly farm and develop a habitat restoration plan for their property.

Atlas of Living Australia: Your gateway to Birdata
This workshop is no longer running

Organiser: Rachel Swain (BirdLife Australia)
Time: Tuesday 18 November

Thanks to BirdLife partnering with the Atlas of Living Australia, you can now search, filter and download all Birdata records. In this workshop we will show you how to use ALA tools to explore BirdLife data and the new and improved process for requesting sensitive species records.

Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme – Framework discussion

Organiser: Nathan Perring (ABBBS)
Time: Tuesday 18 November

The ABBBS is currently conducting a review of its authority and endorsement frameworks. This review is suggesting the (re)introduction of an intermediary authority level, a B class, and a revision to the existing endorsement levels and a move away from the current hierarchical structure. To continue this work, we are looking to engage with banders around the suggestions to date and next steps. Additionally, work has commenced on the formalisation of the Regional Organiser framework to embed appointment processes and to provide a robust structure to the positions.

Introduction to Ecoacoustics

Organiser: May-Le Ng (Faunatech)
Time: Wednesday 19 November

Learn foundational ecoacoustics concepts and terminology, applications and how Wildlife Acoustics recorders and software can be used in bird

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Sound Localisation

Organiser: Michael Maggs (Frontier Labs)
Time: Tuesday 18 November

Join Michael from Frontier Labs for a hands-on workshop on acoustic localisation. Learn just how easy it is to use time difference of arrival (TDoA) to locate animal calls in 3D space. Explore how Frontier Labs’ recorders and software simplify this powerful tool for wildlife monitoring, and population and behavioural studies

The Good, the Bad, (and the Messy) of Species Recovery

Organisers: Andrew Hunter & Davide Gaglio (BirdLife Australia)
Time: Wednesday 19 November

This interactive workshop will build on the themes of the symposium From Plans to Action: Overcoming Barriers in Species Recovery, providing a space for participants to share and synthesise insights from their own practice and experience. Through group exercises, we will explore how recovery efforts can be reframed in more strategic governance terms, and identify opportunities to strengthen coordination, partnerships, and collective impact. This workshop will draw on participants’ experiences to highlight practical pathways for turning recovery planning into effective on-ground action.

Mortality addition to Birdata: tracking the fate of the birds we love

Organiser: Tanya Loos (BirdLife Australia)
Time: Tuesday 18 November

Birdata now has functionality to record mortality rates, and observations of sick, injured and dying birds. Join us on a short walk to nearby Pelican Point for a demonstration of how to use this vital addition to the Birdata platform. Grab your lunch to eat by the shore.

Multi-Spot Sampling, INTELINK, and the Path from Supervised to Unsupervised Learning for Behavior Recognition

Organiser: Guozheng Li (Druid Technology), Dr. Hui Yu (Deakin University), Lin Yan (Druid Technology)
Time: Tuesday 18 November

This workshop will explore how three core components—multi-spot sampling, INTELINK device-to-device connectivity, and hybrid supervised–unsupervised learning—combine to advance wildlife behavior recognition.

We will discuss:

· How advances in miniaturisation and ultra-low power design makes it feasible to mount multiple devices on an animal individual at different body locations (e.g., leg, back, tail, neck) to capture sophisticated behaviors as well as enable cross annotation.

· How INTELINK enables in-situ modeling by live-streaming acceleration data for on-site behavior annotation as well as synchronized video recording for post validation and calibration and achieves on-board continuous behavior recognition output.

· How some unsupervised learning experiments are designed and their current states.

We will also focus on INTELINK’s key role in coordinating multi-spot sampling for precise capture of the high-resolution data, while laying the groundwork for future device-to-device assisted model self-optimisation.