WAMBAM is a small international workshop that happens (roughly) every two years and provides a forum for discussion and collaboration for researchers interested in applying quantitative genetic techniques to natural populations.
The next meeting is scheduled to happen in England in September 2023 (after having been postponed for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Past meetings
WAMBAM 6 - La Huardière, Québec
July 2017 The meeting was organized by Emmanuel Milot (UQTR) and Denis Réale (UQAM), and featured work on quantitative genetics and genomics, both conspicuously and increasingly facilitated by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping technologies, and discussions of the increasing potential for this work to influence other fields such as demography and conservation. The scientific contributions were summarized in (this Molecular Ecology article by the loosing team in the canoe race.
Day trip: Canoe trip up the lake to a beaver dam.
Birders highlight: The strange owl calling that turns out to be a snipe after a night crossing of the lake.
Non-birder wildlife highlight: Beaver dam.
WAMBAM 5 - Scotland
2014 Day trip: Birders highlight: Common crossbill? (No Scottish crossbill though) Non-birder highlight: Sunny Scotland almost midge-free.
WAMBAM 4 - Galeria, Corsica
19th - 23rd September 2011 Organised by Anne Charmantier and held at the Casa Marina in Galeria. Another beautiful location, great science, good food and, as usual, a few too many glasses of wine.
Day trip: Hike over the mountains to the remote village of Girolata, and amazing return trip by boat. Glorious day enjoyed by all!
Birders highlight: no idea but I expect the twitchers saw something to excite them
Non-birders wildlife highlight: Turtles in the pond, lizards everywhere and loads of fish while snorkeling in the bay
WAMBAM 3 - Degioz, Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, Italy
21st - 26th June 2009 Organised by Denis Réale and Achaz von Hardenberg and held in the municipal hall in the stunning Alpine village of Degioz. The location was astonishingly beautiful, the food and drink plentiful, and the science started off a bit scary… but then it was all OK in the end. We all learnt to drink from the ‘cup of friendship’ and what will happen to us if we ever do that with BLUPs again.
Day trip: Chose your own adventure - either the ibex or the marmot study sites
Birders highlight: Wallcreeper (what do you mean, you didn’t see it? It was on the wall outside the hotel for hours…)
Non-birders wildlife highlight: MarmotsIbex! (someone’s going to change this to ibexmarmots, aren’t they…)
WAMBAM 2 - Gotland, Sweden
August 2007 Organised by Jon Brommer and Lars Gustafsson on the beautiful Swedish island of Gotland. Plenty of good science, with discussions marked by increaing rumblings of disquiet over BLUP. Plenty of good beer too and a final banquet at which Lars sang Swedish drinking songs while the WAMBAM Queen (LK) table-danced.
Day trip: To the collared flycatcher study site - sadly the bird were on their holidays though.
WAMBAM 1 - Isle of Rum, Scotland
14th - 19th March 2004 The first WAMBAM was organised by Loeske Kruuk (University of Edinburgh) in Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum. There were around 20 attendants from across Europe and North America. The location was stunning - albeit a bit wet and windy. And it was a superb catalyst for many collaborations which are still going on today.
Day trip: To see the red deer study site at Kilmory
Birders highlight: Sea eagle
Non-birders wildlife highlight: red deer and goats