The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Working Group welcomes presenters to our sixth Academy. February 16-20, 2026, Cedarbrook Lodge, Seattle, Washington.
The Academy offers practical and insightful learning sessions to help practitioners in the planning and delivery of wildlife viewing and nature tourism-related programs. Sessions are designed to be engaging to ensure participants come away with ideas, tools, or skills that they can bring back to their organizations.
Academy Theme - Trailblazing the Future of Nature Tourism: Innovating Together to Expand Access and Build Connections
Focal Areas
Information and Education
Human Dimensions of Wildlife Viewing
Connecting with Your Community
Environmental Ethics and Responsible Recreation
Marketing, Advertising, and Tourism
Wearing Many Hats: Performs Other Duties as Assigned
Key Dates
June 16, 2025 - Deadline for submission of proposals
July 31, 2025 - Notification of acceptance
August 25, 2025 - Short biography and presenter photo due
October 31, 2025 - Deadline for conference early registration
To facilitate presentation proposal planning, feel free to use this Word document version of the proposal which lists all required sections in the formal proposal. Final presentations proposals MUST be submitted online using the Microsoft Form
1 - Information and Education
Professionals in this field use many tools to share and communicate information about wildlife viewing, connecting with nature, and outdoor recreation. The primary tools many of us use to communicate our messages involve a variety of potential formats. Creativity and succinctness are critical to success, as our audience is bombarded with information daily. Presentations in this focus area might describe different informational tools and products and how they educate and connect with wildlife-viewing audiences. Examples include:
Onsite infrastructure, including trails, platforms, nature centers, displays, and wayside signs
Passive informational products, such as panels, brochures, booklets, and maps
Active informational programs that teach people how to better view wildlife, such as guided walks, tours, demonstrations
Games, children’s programs, lectures, and demonstrations
Community science and stewardship programs focused on wildlife viewing and nature tourism (e.g., using eBird or iNaturalist, participating in a local wildlife habitat program, helping with Monarch Watch Waystations, joining BioBlitz events, etc.)
Digital tools, including websites, wildlife cams, films, apps, augmented reality, geolocation, contests, games, and audio tours
2 - Human Dimensions of Wildlife Viewing Wildlife education, wildlife viewing, and nature tourism outreach are all forms of people-focused work. We interact with audiences that bring their own experiences, wants, needs, limitations, and distractions. Understanding who we are trying to reach is essential to program success. Presentations in this area might focus on the following:
Research and insight into audiences and what motivates them
Survey methods and design, metrics, and focus groups
The economic value of wildlife viewing and nature tourism
Evaluating and improving program success
3 – Connecting with Your Community Although this topic is part of the human dimensions of wildlife viewing and nature tourism, it deserves its own focus area to emphasize the importance of building relationships and expanding who we reach. Presentations might focus on:
Connecting with untapped audiences and your community
Tools and strategies to better connect people to outdoor recreation
Necessary changes to increase the quality of our audience’s means of entry and experience
Improvement in messaging and storytelling
4 - Environmental Ethics and Responsible Recreation Our actions and services will have both positive and negative impacts on the land and wildlife. The balancing act of these trade-offs influences program design and outcomes. Presentations in this area of focus might include:
Responsible recreation campaigns
Discussions on conservation versus preservation, stewardship, and the balance between education and enforcement
Research on outdoor recreation’s impacts on wildlife and their habitats
Practical tools and tips for reducing impacts
Community science programs and strategies for involving the public in our goals and objectives
5 - Marketing, Advertising, and Tourism The best programs and products go nowhere if your audience doesn’t know about them. Promotion is a critical part of getting your message out and increasing engagement. Presentations in this area of focus might include:
Marketing campaigns - maximizing outreach via social media, email marketing, and traditional media
Product advertising - styles, mediums, products
Using creative spaces and unconventional techniques
Cost-benefit analyses
Branding
The role and value of gift shops, souvenirs, and SWAG
6 - Wearing Many Hats: Performs Other Duties as Assigned Regardless of our official job titles — whether we are educators, managers, biologists, or rangers — we often find ourselves taking on a wide variety of tasks. This focus area highlights practical skills to help manage those “other duties” we all encounter. Presentations could cover:
Public speaking and managing other speakers
Establishing new funding streams
Recruiting and training volunteers
Project management skills
Graphic design techniques and rules
Procurement processes and tendering
Grant or funding application preparation
Partnership development and nurturing
Consultation and public surveys
Media Relations
Important Information
The deadline for submission of proposals is June 16, 2025.
All selected presenters must pay for their full conference registration by October 31, 2025 (single-day registration is available on a case-by-case basis).
Presentations that highlight a product or service must clearly demonstrate the practical takeaway for wildlife viewing and nature tourism programs.
You may submit multiple proposals, but each must be submitted as a separate entry.
Presentation Details
A computer, LCD projector, and screen will be provided for presentations. Additional audio-visual equipment is the responsibility of the individual presenter.
Time options for sessions include 15-, 30- and 60-minute formats. Please Note: Similar 15-minute and/or 30-minute topics may be combined into a 60-minute or 90-minute panel presentation by the Academy planning committee.
Individual presentations will be scheduled for the morning or afternoon of February 17, 18, or 19, 2026. If selected to present, please be prepared to present on any one of these dates.
Formal notification of presentation acceptance will be emailed by July 31, 2025.
All presenters must submit, by August 25, 2025, a short biographical sketch and appropriate high-resolution photo to be used on the Academy website and printed material.
All presenters must complete and pay for their full conference registration by October 31, 2025, to ensure accurate production of the conference program.