Date: 4th - 8th September, 2006

The first South East Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium is to be held in Hong Kong from the 4th to 8th of September 2006. This symposium is not intended to be an academic conference, but a practical series of presentations and workshops aimed at assessing the current conservation status, then identifying and creating a framework for Lepidoptera conservation in the S.E.Asian Region.

Objectives

To facilitate the conservation of S.E. Asian Lepidoptera by:

• assessing their current conservation status;
• the creation of a regional network of organisations under an umbrella body;
• the development of a regional conservation strategy, including the identification of taxa under the highest level of threat

Anticipated Output

• Agreement to found an umbrella conservation organisation comparable to the Society Europea Lepidopteralogia that provides an outlet to guide the conservation of Lepidoptera in Europe;
• Proceedings of the symposium;
• A declaration of Lepidoptera conservation intentions and actions

Key Speakers

• Professor Roger Kitching, Head, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Australia (specialises in biodiversity ecosystem management and butterfly conservation);
• Dr. Jeremy Holloway, The Natural History Muesum, London, U.K. (the foremost researcher on South East Asian moths; author of Moths of Borneo);
• Professor LI Hou Hun, Department of Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China (Oriental Microlepidoptera, author of the Gelechiidae of China);
• Dr. Yen Shen-horn, Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan (Taxonomist, ecologist and specialist in Oriental Zygaenidae and Crambidae);
• Mr. David Goh, founder of Penang Butterfly Farm;
• Dr. Wang Min, Laboratory of Insect Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou (author of Lycaenidae of China)

Methods

The following key speakers will be presenting talks and chairing presentation and workshop sessions:

• seminar presentations, including keynote presentations from guest speakers, for each of the core themes in six sessions over three days;
• poster presentations from participants providing information or case studies on each of the core themes;
• workshop sessions & review session to:
• brainstorm the core themes;
• to develop and prioritise conservation actions for S.E.Asian Lepidoptera conservation;
• discuss (and hopefully reach agreement on) the formation of a network and umbrella body
• demonstration events, including:
• site visits to local butterfly gardens in Hong Kong:– KFBG, Tai Po Kau, Fung Yuen;
• moth recording at the symposium venue, including a micromoth recording workshop;
• the opportunity to visit the KFBG Lepidoptera collections

Final Call for Abstracts

There is still an opportunity to contribute a poster or an oral presentation. The deadline for submission of abstracts has been extended to July 1st. Presentations should be on topics covered by the symposium’s core themes:

Assessment of the Conservation Status of South East Asian Lepidoptera

• Review of existing conservation measures
• Recording Schemes for the region’s Lepidoptera

Regional Networking – Forming an Umbrella Body

• Regional Networking – Forming an Umbrella Body

Development of a Regional Conservation Strategy

• Towards sustainable conservation: identifying needs of the region’s Lepidoptera
• Towards sustainable conservation: butterfly gardening & farming for conservation
• Towards sustainable conservation: education & information sharing

Languages

Proceedings will take place in English, with Putonghua translation available for presentations and selected workshops.

Contacts

Symposium Organiser:- for enquiries about symposium content, please contact the organiser by e-mail, with the phrase "SEALCS2006 - content" as the subject line.

Symposium Administration:- for enquiries about the administration, symposium registration and site visits, please contact the administration officer by e-mail, with the phrase "SEALCS2006 - admin" as the subject line.

Please find attached a flyer and registration form.

Further information on the symposium is available at: http://asia.geocities.com/hkmoths/SEALCS2006/ or can be obtained in pdf format upon request directly from the symposium organisers, fauna@kfbg.org, or tel (+852) 2488-6192.