The 2011 Annual Meeting of the Raptor Research Foundation

will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Duluth, Minnesota October 5-9, 2011

The 2011 conference is hosted by:
University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Biology
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
Duluth Audubon Society

The 2011 Annual Meeting will feature general paper sessions, a poster session, special symposia, Early Career Raptor Researcher workshops, silent auction, evening socials showcasing the beauty and resources of Duluth and fantastic northern-specialty field trips.

Register online, by mail or by phone beginning March 1, 2011

The conference will open on Wednesday, October 5 with the RRF Board meeting, registration and a welcome social in the evening. Thursday through Saturday will be filled with speakers, scientific presentations and field trip options. A schedule of scientific presentations is now available online.
Conference Schedule
Abstracts
Full Program Book (~5MB file size)

Less than three hours north of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, and 15 minutes from the Duluth International Airport, conference attendees have several options for easy travel to Duluth. Shuttles are available from the Minneapolis/St. Paul to the Radisson for a reasonable fee, and the Radisson provides a free shuttle to its patrons to/from the Duluth International Airport.

Accommodations are available at a discounted conference rate of $109 +tax per night at the Radisson Hotel, featuring a rotating panoramic view of Duluth’s international shipping harbor from the restaurant atop the hotel.  Update August 18: Our block of rooms is now full at the Radisson, and the hotel does not have more rooms available.  We have blocked more rooms at nearby hotels, and have posted a list of other nearby hotels on the Lodging and Travel page.

Extend your visit to Duluth by a day or two and take advantage of our field trip options. Field trips include visits to the restored wetlands of Crex Meadows in Grantsburg, Wisconsin and the legendary Sax-Zim Bog just north of Duluth. Each morning we’ll offer trips to local birding hotspots (you’ll be back to the conference site before presentations begin). We will offer the same field trips on the days preceding and following the meeting so you won’t have to choose between the speakers you want to hear and the birds you want to see!

Positioned at the southwestern tip of magnificent Lake Superior, Duluth offers a mix of great birding, picturesque scenery and a terrific fall raptor migration. Fall birding in Northern Minnesota offers a wide variety of species as the convergence of three different biomes maximizes the number of different species to be seen. Hawk watching at Hawk Ridge is at its best in early October as the greatest number of the widest variety of species are passing through during this peak week.

Duluth has a rich history in shipping, logging and railroads; several museums and historic sites are within walking distance of the Radisson Hotel and well worth a visit!

For more information, contact conference coordinator Julie O’Connor at RRFinDuluth@aol.com or at 218-348-2291.