Workshops - FULL

Tickets for this event are now sold out

All workshops at VicBioCon23 will be held on Wednesday 8th February 2023.

Please note: Workshops are optional extras and are not included in conference registration. You must register for workshops separately to purchasing a conference ticket.

This year, we are offering two workshops on the following topics:

Say goodbye to data entry: how to create data collection forms for your phone or tablet/iPad.

Date: Wednesday 8th February 2023

Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm

Location: Burnley Campus

Tickets: SOLD OUT

Facilitator: Rachel McIntosh

Rachel is a field ecologist currently completing her PhD. Prior to studying

ecology, Rachel worked in data management. She has designed electronic

data collections forms for Bush Heritage, DELWP, and her own PhD. She is

passionate about data quality and believes in making data management

accessible for people with any level of technical knowledge and experience.

Objective: Electronic data collection not only saves time by eliminating the need for data entry it also enables you to design forms that prevent common data collection errors. In this workshop you will learn how to create a data collection form that you can use on your phone or tablet/iPad in the field or the lab. We will use a real-life ecological field work example to learn how to:

Create a simple data collection form.
Use multiple choice lists to ensure data like species names are recorded with consistent formatting and correct spelling.
Use requirement rules and format restrictions to reduce data collection errors.
Make forms efficient and easy to use.
Design forms that output data with minimal manipulation and formatting.
Easy methods and tricks for formatting your data in Excel.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to create a simple data collection form for most field and lab methods and will receive a procedure document that you can refer back to when you next create a form.

Format: We will be using the app Fulcrum in this workshop however most of what you will learn can be applied to any data collection app. You will have the option to follow along with a free trial of Fulcrum on your own device if you wish to. More information here: https://www.fulcrumapp.com/

Prerequisites: No previous experience or technical ability required.

Creating Memorable Wildlife Images

Date: Wednesday 8th February 2023

Time: 1.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Burnley Campus

Max participants: 20 people

Tickets: SOLD OUT

Facilitator: Doug Gimesy

Doug is a professional conservation and wildlife photojournalist who focuses

on Australian issues. A Senior Fellow of the International League of

Conservation Photographers (iLCP), his clients include National Geographic,
BBC Wildlife, bioGraphic, Australian Geographic, Audubon, as well various
mastheads like The Guardian. Initially trained as a zoologist and microbiologist,
he later completed a Masters of Environment and a Masters of Bioethics. Together,
these two qualifications helped shape his thinking as what type of issues he should be
focusing on and why – conservation and animal welfare issues.

Believing people should focus on the issues they care about and those that are close to home, his recent work has focused on the conservation and animal welfare issues facing the platypus and the Grey-headed Flying-fox – having recently facilitated the platypus being listed as threatened species in his home state of Victoria, as well as launching
a children’s book with his partner on Grey-headed Flying-foxes titled ‘Life Upside Down’. Current on-going projects
include covering the illegal reptile trade out of Australia, the use of scent dogs in conservation, and a series of portraits called 'Wildlife Warriors, Conservation Champions and Animal Advocates’.

His hope is that the images and information he shares, will inspire people to stop, think, and treat the world more kindly.

Objective: At the end of this interactive class, photographers will have developed a better understanding of what to consider when trying to capture memorable and impactful wildlife/nature photographs.

Format: The workshop will run for 2.5 - 3 hours, and will be split into two parts (with a short break in between).
In the first part, we will examine why images are so powerful and what features and characteristics, beyond a mastery of the technical basics, can give a wildlife/nature images real impact. In the second part, we will review (as a group) some anonymous images provided by each of the ‘active’ participants, to better understand what worked well, and what could be done differently next time.

Prerequisites: Workshop participants can elect to be an 'active' participant in the workshop or an 'observer'.

‘Active’ participants:

A solid understanding of photography and camera basics.
Experience/understanding of the impact of changing basic functions (e.g. ISO, aperture and shutter speed) on a DSLR camera or equivalent.
Two wildlife/nature images taken by the participant sent as high resolution jpeg files (max 1MB, no watermarks please). These should have an image title/name as if you were presenting in a gallery, and each file should be less than 2MB. Active participants should send their images to VicBioCon Committee Member Rachel McIntosh by 3pm Friday 3rd February 2023.

‘Observer’ participants:

No prerequisites. May be new to photography.