Workshops
Workshops
The RRF will be hosting a half day workshop on October 26th, a full day of workshops on October 27th, and is helping to organize a 3-day post-conference workshop November 2-4.
Workshops are available to all conference participants with discounted rates available for students, Early Career Raptor Researchers (<3 years post-graduation) that are current members of RRF, as well as special-country conference participants.
Workshops will be taught by leading experts and will focus on hands-on skill-building that is typically not available in traditional undergraduate or graduate classes. Courses lengths vary from 4-5 hours and will be scheduled to allow participants to select from a variety of courses throughout the day. Class sizes will be up to 25 students per class to provide an intimate and interactive learning environment. All raptor carcasses are used with federal and state permissions.
Please note all workshops will occur outside of the scientific program, so please plan your travels accordingly.
A fee will be charged for each workshop to help defray room rental and supplies.
Note: We are offering reduced rates for conference participants from all countries except: USA, Canada, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Portugal
Techniques for Handling, Auxiliary Marking, and Measuring Raptors after Capture
Instructors: Teresa Ely (Avian Behavior Conservancy), John Smallwood (Montclair State University)
Participant cap: 24
Date: Monday, October 26th
Time/duration: 1300 – 1700; 4 hours
Location: Conference Hotel
Cost: $50 regular/$15 ECRR
AV needs: projector
This course will give students hands-on experience in applying USGS butt-end and lock-on leg bands, as well as the following types of auxiliary markers: colored leg bands, feathers (through feather imping), and patagial markers for small and large raptors. Students will also have the opportunity to learn and practice proper raptor handling and measuring techniques. This will be a classroom-based course.
Introduction to Technical Tree Climbing for Research
Instructors: Will Cottrell, Curt Andrews, and Eric Folmer
Participant cap: 20
Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time/duration: 0900 – 1700; 8 hours
Location: TBD; Duluth area
Cost: $100 regular/$30 ECRR
AV needs: none
Description: This class is a hands-on introduction to technical tree climbing. You will learn and practice safe ascending, descending, knot tying, rope setting, and basic tree assessment. All equipment will be provided. The four instructors are very experienced climbers and climbing teachers.
Harnessing Raptors with Transmitters
Instructors: Tricia Miller (Conservation Science Global, Inc.), Vincent Slabe (Conservation Science Global, Inc.), Michael Lanzone (Cellular Tracking Technologies)
Participant cap: 25
Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time/duration: 0800 – 1300; 5 hours
Location: Conference Hotel
Cost: $60 regular/$20 ECRR
AV needs: projector
This class will cover the process of attaching transmitters (either VHF, satellite, or GSM) to raptors, from initial thoughts of the bird’s welfare to specifics of making backpack harnesses and attaching telemetry units to birds. We will discuss and demonstrate several different options and methods for making harnesses, different attachment techniques (e.g., tailmount, patagial), and types of transmitters. The majority of the class will be hands-on, using a backpack harness to attach a transmitter to carcasses of different-sized raptors.
Intro to Raptor Movement Analyses: Integrated Step Selection Functions
Instructors: Joe Eisaguirre (USGS Alaska Science Center), Nick Alioto (Michigan State University)
Participant cap: 20
Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time/duration: 1300 – 1700; 4 hours
Location: Conference Hotel
Cost: $50 regular/$15 ECRR
AV needs: projector
Step selection analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for better understanding the movement ecology of animals from telemetry data. This workshop will cover some basics of analyzing raptor movement data, background on step selection functions, and some exercises applying integrated step selection methods to raptor movement data. Prior experience programming in R and application of linear modeling approaches (e.g., LMs, GLMs, GLMMs, etc) to data required.
Basics of Raptor Physical Exams and Necropsies
Instructors: Dr. Annette Ahlmann-Garcia (TRC), Dr. Dana Franzen-Klein (TRC)
Participant cap: 20
Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time/duration: 0900-1200; 3 hours
Location: Conference Hotel
Cost: $50 regular/$15 ECRR
AV needs: projector
This workshop will focus on learning how to perform a thorough and efficient physical exam, including how to identify signs of trauma or disease, and how to accurately score the body condition of a wild raptor. After performing external physical exams, participants will have the opportunity to practice performing a basic necropsy evaluation, including how to identify normal structures or abnormal findings, and how to collect samples for additional testing. For this workshop we will be working with raptor cadavers, not live animals.
Technical Tree Climbing Class for Raptor Research
Instructors: Will Cottrell, Curt Andrews, and Eric Folmer.
Participant cap: 12
Dates: Monday - Wednesday November 2 - 4, 2026.
Time/duration: 0830 - 1700 daily.
Location: TBD; Duluth area
Cost: $400 regular/$300 special country fee
AV needs: none
This three-day hands-on class in technical tree climbing covers ropes, ascending, descending, transferring and positioning in the canopy. We will also go over tree evaluation and practice advanced climbing equipment for accessing tall trees. All equipment will be provided. We will introduce ways to access large nests and safely handle raptors. For more information contact Eric Folmer, Treewolf@msn.com; +1-510-410-8351.
