The Waterfowl Conservation Workshop was created in 2016 by Sylvan Heights Bird Park and the International Wild Waterfowl Association. The objectives of this event are to establish a network of professionals dedicated to the future of waterfowl conservation, address current concerns across the industry, bridge gaps in communication among international organizations and communities, and provide a resource from which aviculturists can draw knowledge and information about waterfowl husbandry.
The 2018 Waterfowl Conservation Workshop consisted of two days of presentations and discussion, and one day of practical, hands-on workshops at Sylvan Heights Bird Park. WCW 2018 coincided with the 2018 International Wild Waterfowl Association Conference, which was also held in eastern North Carolina.
WCW 2020 was held in the Netherlands, at the campus of Aeres MBO Barneveld and at Ouwehands Zoo. WCW 2020 included speaker sessions and hands-on workshops in Barneveld and a tour at Ouwehands Zoo. A post-conference wild goose safari was offered to participants following the classroom sessions.
In 2023, the workshop was held in Seattle, WA. For more information on this conference and all the related programming information, visit our Past Workshops page.
The 2026 Waterfowl Conservation Workshop
Main Conference: September 22 to 26, 2026
50 participants maximum, space is limited! Please register early!
Optional Post-Workshop Tour: September 27 & 28, 2026
Registration for the 2026 Waterfowl Conservation Workshop in the United Kingdom will open in early January, 2026. We look forward to welcoming everyone this year!
Your workshop registration includes meals, admission, and transportation between the host hotel each day. Breakfast is provided for those staying at the host hotel only. Please remember that accommodation is not included in your conference registration. For information on accommodations, please see below.
Location 2026
The workshop will include a variety of private and public avicultural collections, as well as speakers. The host hotel, and location for evening events during the main conference will primarily be at De Vere Cranage Estate, in Holmes Chappell. Transportation by coach to and from daytime event locations is included in registration. The workshop locations include Smiths Nurseries, Chester Zoo, and Flamingo Falls.
The post-tour will depart from our host hotel on 27 September and visit a number of interesting venues and locations on our way to Gloucestershire, for a visit at WWT Slimbridge on 28 September, with our return to Manchester that evening.
Travel & Accommodations info
The nearest international airport to the workshop is Manchester International Airport (MAN). You can also fly into other nearby airports, but you may require a transfer or train to/from Manchester.
Group rates have been arranged at the event host hotel:
Booking Instructions
- Main conference – welcome events will begin at 5 pm on September 26, at the host hotel, and we will be hosting events at the same venue in the evenings on September 24, 25, and 26.
- Post conference – we will be checking out of the host hotel in the morning of September 27, 2026 and will be staying that evening in a hotel Gloucestershire, returning to Manchester on September 28, 2026 for the return trip home. You can also arrange your own transportation if you wish to depart from elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
- Guests wishing to stay in the area before the workshop, or following the main workshop, have access to our preferred rates at this venue for a number of days prior and following the event. Please phone the hotel to access these preferred rates and book your stay beyond the main conference!
For specific questions related to your hotel stay(s), please contact the hotel directly.
Post-Workshop Accommodations
For those joining on the tour to Gloucestershire on September 27-28, 2026, we will be spending the night near WWT Slimbridge. The post-workshop tour will include private and public collections and wildlife viewing (weather permitting) on the trip.
Guests intending to come on the post-workshop trip must book their hotel directly.