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. We can only accommodate 50 participants for the workshop this year, 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 is now available.
Click the following link to purchase your workshop and post-workshop tickets: https://wcw.tickit.ca/events/32321-waterfowl-conservation-workshop-2026
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. To learn more about the schedule and what is included with your registration each day, please visit the Workshop Schedule.
Ticket purchases will appear on your credit card statement as WILDWATERFOWL.ORG SCOTLAND NECK NC.
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 Chapel. 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 & Accommodation 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 for the main workshop:
De Vere Cranage Estates – https://www.devere.co.uk/cranage-estate
To book your room, click the link above, and enter the details as below to book the dates for your stay, however long you wish to be there. Be sure to click the drop down box and enter our group promotional code of IWWA2026 to be eligible for our preferred rates for the duration of your stay. Please note, all bookings made using our group code include complimentary hot breakfast.
If you prefer, you can phone the hotel directly to make, manage, or change your booking at (+44)01477 536666.
For specific questions related to your hotel stay(s), please contact the hotel directly.
Planning Details to Note
- Guests will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the host hotel prior to the event.
- Main conference – the welcome will begin at 5 pm on September 22, at the host hotel, and we will be hosting evening events at the same venue on September 24, 25, and 26, 2026.
- 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 Gloucestershire hotel, 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 or explore 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 the hotel venues for several days prior and following the event. Please phone the hotel to access these preferred rates and book your stay beyond the main conference!
Post Workshop Accommodation
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.
Like the main workshop, guests intending to come on the post workshop trip must book their hotel directly.
Details and booking link will be available in February, 2026.