Information about WAMBAM 2026
How to participate to come and submit an abstract
As for previous WAMBAM we would like to keep the meeting small, with around 45 people. It is possible not everyone who wants to join will be able to. That is why you need to apply to participate, let us know if you would like to give a talk, propose a discussion topic or join in a hackaton.
To do so, please fill-in this form: https://framaforms.org/wambam-2026-apply-submit-1772444984
When selecting participants we will try to find a balance between the different research groups, career stages, research topics…
Who organizes the meeting and select the participants
Timothée Bonnet, Pierre de Villemereuil, Céline Téplitsky, Anne Charmantier and Benoît Pujol.
Get in touch with Timothée first if you have questions, comments or complaints.
When?
The current plan is to welcome participants from noon on Monday August 24th, with an official start around 5pm. WAMBAM itself will end on Friday August 28th before noon. But, if enough people are interested there will be a bonus “hackaton” on the afternoon of the 28th and morning of the 29th.
Where?
Le Prioulet (https://www.leprioulet.com/), in Villiers-en-Bois in the middle of Chizé forest.
That is 50 Km inland right in the middle of the French west coast, about half way between Bordeaux and Nantes (or half way between England and Spain if you don’t know the cities).
We rent out the whole venue, where we will have talks, meals and accomodation.
We will have access to 13 bedrooms, with 2 to 8 beds per bedroom. You will have to bring your own sleeping bag or sheets (or ask us to organise something if you cannot fit them into your luggage). Camping (tent or camping-car) is allowed.
What is around?
- 0.2 Km: Zoodysée, a European wildlife zoo with large enclosures, starring wolves, brown bears, otters, bisons, owls…
- 1 Km: Chizé forest, with some old growth, woodpeckers, owls, badgers, deer, newts…
- 2km: CEBC research campus (we can easily go visit if you are interested or know people there)
- 3 Km: openfield farmland with common bustards, harriers, black-winged kite, stone curlews…
- 25 Km: The small city of Melle, where you can visit major silver mines dating back from the 8th century and beautiful 11th century Romanesque churches
- 50-70 Km: Major bird migration stopover and breeding areas along the coast. In late August you can expect lots of wadders, warblers, raptors, storks, ibises…
- 65 Km: The city of La Rochelle, with its fortified harbour, towers, old covered streets…
Local specialties include many goat cheeses, cognac, pineau, oysters.
Provisional information subject to change
Registration fee
We have received a grant from La Rochelle University and are still waiting to hear from a grant application to CNRS that would cover part of the registration fees.
Without that second grant the full fee would be 280€, with a reduced fee of 140€ for students.
Participants to the optional hackaton would have to pay one more night of accommodation (hopefully only around 20€).
Program
We aim to have aroung 25 long talks, 10 short talks, 3 discussion sessions (potentially parallel sessions), one excursion to the forest.
On Monday we will welcome people from noon, allowing time for informal discussions and meetings between whoever wants during the afternoon. The main events will start at 5 or 6pm with welcome, dinner and a keynote talk.
Talks and discussions will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Excursion to the forest on Thursday morning. On Friday morning we will have a final discussion session before ending the meeting.
Finally, for interested people we will move to CEBC around noon to have a hackaton on Friday afternoon, perhaps continuing Saturday morning.
Travel
The conference venue is difficult to access by public transport. It will be convenient if you can drive, car share or bike there on your own. If not we will organize pick-ups at train stations.
For international travellers, the best way to WAMBAM 2026 is probably going to be through Paris (including Paris Roissy airport). From Paris Montparnasse or Paris Roissy Airport train stations you would arrive at Niort train station (direct connections take about 2 hours), where we could pick-you up (30 minutes from the WAMBAM venue). If possible it would be even better if you could take the connecting train from Niort to Beauvoir-sur-Niort train station (10 minutes from WAMBAM venue, but irregular connections).
People may also arrive at La Rochelle airport (1 hour from conference), especially if coming from the UK. It is possible to take a train from La Rochelle airport to Beauvoir-sur-Niort, but you would probably need to find your way to La Rochelle train station first, by bus or taxi, and you would need to land rather early to get a connecting train. We could arrange a pick-up for a limited number of people at La Rochelle airport if needed.
As much as possible, please plan to arrive wherever we pick you up from before 4pm on Monday.
Departures are expected before noon on Friday (or Saturday if you stay for the hackaton).