An army of conservation scientists invades the concrete jungle

After spending a night in a hide in a quiet corner of an ancient rainforest Esti and I suddenly found ourselves transported to the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur later the same day...quite a shock to the system! But also a bit of comfort after "roughing it" in the jungle for a few days. Our primary reason for visiting this exciting city was my attendance at the International Congress for Conservation Biology, which ran from 21 to 25 July. ICCB, as it is known, is one of the premier conservation science conferences in the world, attracting over 2000 delegates who come to present their work, hold workshops and discussions groups and generally try to solve the burgeoning biodiversity crisis in which we find ourselves.

But first a bit of site-seeing. A trip to a new city for us would not be complete without a sojourn on the local version of the "hop-on hop-off" bus. We love to sit back and ride around the new city, taking in the major sites whilst also becoming acquainted with the layout. This particular journey, on the Sunday prior to the conference starting, included views of the National Palace (in which their symbolic, yet essentially powerless king, resides), the National Museum, Botanical Gardens, Bird and Butterfly parks, as well as the National Mosque, and a slightly less appealing temple of consumerism - one of the largest shopping malls in the world. Our first evening views of the Petronas towers, the highest twin towers in the world and one of Malaysia's well known highlights, were most definitely awe-inspiring, and well paired with a magnificent water fountain show in the adjacent park.

On to the conference. It is always exciting to catch up with old friends and colleagues, all united in a single purpose and having set aside a few days to engage in deep learning. The unison of conservationists almost elevating the collective consciousness, perhaps leading to novel solutions to age-old challenges. I was fortunate to have convened a symposium and discussion group with colleagues from around the world - USA, Australia, SA and Uruguay, in which we focused on Privately Protected Areas. These are growing in number around the world, and providing an important additional tool where we cannot simply rely on state owned and managed protected areas to conserve all of our biodiversity. Our sessions were well attended (despite being in the graveyard shift at the end of a long day), and we recieved much positive feedback from colleagues (if I may say so myself). Sessions focused on incredibly diverse topics, ranging from ethics in research, to impacts of habitat fragmentation, environmental education and species population modelling. An interesting final plenary spoke about innovative marine conservation, which had involved "authentic collaboration" with the local indigenous people. Up to 25% of the remaining biodiversity rich areas of the world are occupied by indigenous communities, often living a way of life far more compatible with nature conservation than those of us from the "developed world". It is essential that we engage with them respectfully and without prejudice if we are to conserve the earth's diverse biological, and cultural, heritage.

But conferences are not all about the science, as my colleague Dr Hayley Clements explained, they are as much about the socialising and networking which happens over lunch or a cold beer after a long day of presentations. Esti would come across and join us, after spending a tough day relaxing by the apartment complex pool, and provide some conversational respite from the conservation focused deliberations. Our evening outings included a great discovery of the "Beer Cave" - hidden behind a grocery store and stocking enough variety to keep any beer lover happy, and a trip out with Leejiah's uncle and aunt to their favourite chinese restaurant in the city....always trust the local's recommedations! On another evening we found ourselves at the Havanna Bar with my good friend Matthew Selinske and his australian university colleagues, providing beers and good times in equal measure. Our final night involved a trip to the famous Bukit Bintang night market, sampling a variety of Malay cuisine.

The time in the city allowed us a few creature comforts, and provided Dale with enough intellectual stimulation to last the next few months, along with a number of new connections for future work. Conservation scientists and practitioners have their work cut out for them and so gatherings such as these are important to allow us to reflect and learn, and feel inspired to tackle the challenges which lie ahead.