COLUMBUS, OH - Some of Ohio’s lesser-known wildlife will take center stage during the 2006 Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference set for Wednesday, March 8 at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus. The conference, “Looking Beyond the Surface,” is open to the public and is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

“New information about our state’s wildlife will be unveiled during the conference,” said Kendra Wecker, ODNR wildlife diversity coordinator. “Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about new technology and how it is being used to manage Ohio’s wildlife.”

The keynote speaker will be Guy Denny, executive director of the Ohio Biological Survey. Denny, a distinguished naturalist, will highlight the state’s abundant biodiversity during his presentation.

Other conference topics include the secretive world of the bobcat, Eastern fox snake and a lesser-known Ohio resident, the badger. Wildlife biologists also will discuss how technology is helping them to monitor osprey migrations. Representatives from a range of conservation and natural resource organizations will have displays and be available to answer questions, including the Ohio Bluebird Society, several county metro park districts and the Ohio Biological Survey.

The Wildlife Diversity Conference has steadily grown in popularity. The first conference in 1985 drew 40 people. Last year, 650 people attended the day-long gathering.

For more information about the conference or to register, call 1-800-WILDLIFE. Or visit the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.com for more information. Register by February 22 for $20 and afterward and on the day of the conference for $30.

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For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com

For Further Information Contact:
Kendra Wecker, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6300
Vicki Ervin, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6325
Andrea Strle, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882