IUCN Red List webinars
A growing number of IUCN Red List and Red List-related webinars are available online.
In 2022, the IUCN Red List Unit, in collaboration with ABQ Biopark, initiated a series of webinars about the IUCN Red List. These webinars were developed for members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Red List Partners, who provide the majority of the information and effort that goes into preparing and updating IUCN Red List assessments. Since then, other Red List-related webinars have been posted online. Links to these valuable resources are provided below.
Details of upcoming webinars and recordings of all past webinars will be added to this page as they become available. All times noted below are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
IUCN Red List Webinars
01 – The IUCN Red List Criteria: your questions answered
Webinar aired on 21st and 26th April 2022.
In this, the first in the series of IUCN Red List webinars, Professor H. Reşit Akçakaya (Chair of the IUCN SSC Standards and Petitions Committee) discusses some common misunderstandings when applying the Red List Criteria. Main topics covered:
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Incorporating data uncertainty into Red List assessments.
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Calculating generation length.
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Understanding what is meant by severe fragmentation.
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Considering climate change when applying the Red List Criteria.
The repeat of this webinar, aired on 24th April 2022, is available here.
02 – Mapping species distributions
Webinar aired on 17th and 24th August 2022.
In this second IUCN Red List webinar, Clayton Meredith and Anna Walker (New Mexico Biopark Society, Albuquerque) discussed some of the commonly available mapping tools and software to demonstrate how to prepare distribution maps for IUCN Red List assessments. Main topics covered were:
- Useful Data sources for distribution maps
- Tools for calculating extent of occurrence (EOO)
- Resources for basic map preparation tutorials using a variety of GIS platforms
- How to avoid common mistakes when making maps
The repeat of this webinar, aired on 24th August 2022, is available here.
03 – IUCN Species Information Service (SIS): a wealth of Red List data
Webinar aired on 16th and 23rd November 2022.
All assessment data on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ are stored and managed in the IUCN Species Information Service (SIS). This online data management system is used by IUCN SSC Specialist Groups and Red List Authorities to compile, review, and submit assessments for publication on the IUCN Red List. The system also allows large datasets to be imported and exported via SIS Connect. In this third and last webinar of 2022, Craig Hilton-Taylor and Janet Scott (IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge, UK) provided a tour of the IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) and SIS Connect to demonstrate how to use the system to compile and manage Red List assessments. Some topics included in this webinar were:
- How to add and attach references to Red List assessments;
- The importance of data fields for the criteria calculator;
- Recording data uncertainty in SIS;
- The purpose and use of SIS Connect.
The repeat of this webinar, aired on 23rd November 2022, is available here.
IUCN Green Status of Species Webinars
01 – An introduction to the IUCN Green Status of Species
Webinar aired 21st May 2024.
In this webinar, Magdalena Cygan (IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge, UK) explains what the IUCN Green Status of Species (GSS) is, common misconceptions around the GSS, and why it is important to carry our GSS assessments.
02 – Mechanisms to facilitate IUCN Green Status of Species Assessments
Webinar aired 29th May 2024.
In this webinar, Molly Grace (University of Oxford, UK) discuss how to find appropriate information for Green Status of Species (GSS) assessments, where to get training to carry out GSS assessments, and where to find funding and support for the GSS assessment process.
03 – The Role of SIS and how to deal with uncertainty
Webinar aired 4th June 2024.
In this third Green Status of Species (GSS) webinar, Molly Grace (University of Oxford, UK) and Magdalena Cygan (IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge, UK) explain how to handle uncertainty when carrying out GSS assessments, and the GSS module in the IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) data management system.
National Red List Webinars
In 2022, the IUCN Red List Unit provided support to a series of webinars focusing on national Red Lists. These are all available to view on the Reverse the Red website, and covered the following topics:
01 – National Red Listing and its links to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Webinar aired on 1st June 2022.
This webinar involves an interactive discussion about the uses of National Red Lists, how they can inform actions, policies, and decisions about conservation, and how they can help countries measure their progress against the new monitoring framework indicators being considered for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Discussion panelists: Jillian Campbell (UN Convention on Biological Diversity); Jon Paul Rodríguez (IUCN Species Survival Commission); Domitilla Raimondo (South African National Biodiversity Institute); Braulio Dias (Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília); Hermenegildo Matimele (Institute for Agricultural Research in Mozambique); Yang Biao (Society of Enterprise and Ecology Foundation, China).
02 – How to apply the IUCN Red List Criteria for National Red List assessments
Webinar aired on 27th July 2022.
In this webinar, Caroline Pollock (IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge, UK) explains some of the key distinctive terminology definitions and differences between the global and national Red List, the national Red List assessment process, the national Red List categories and the tools and resources available to help guide assessors in compiling national Red List assessments. The presentation was followed by a moderated question and answer session to help clarify some national Red List concepts or misconceptions.
03 – Step-by-Step Guidelines to Setting up a National Red List Project
Webinar aired 10th August 2022.
In this webinar, Domitilla Raimondo (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Neil Cox (IUCN Biodiversity Assessment Unit, USA), and Simmy Bezeng (BirdLife South Africa) presented the key points to consider when creating a National Red List project, the key stakeholders involved in establishing a National Red List initiative, host institutions, national species experts, funders and the crucial role that the diverse SSC network plays in advancing such an initiative. An interactive moderated discussion followed the presentation to provide some context to the ins and outs of developing a National Red List project.
04 – National Red List Indexes: why do we need to produce them and how should we go about it?
Webinar aired 21st September 2022.
This webinar was presented by Jon Paul Rodríguez (IUCN Species Survival Commission) and Domitilla Raimondo (South African National Biodiversity Institute), who discussed the key points to consider when creating a National Red List Index, and presented two approaches to producing RLIs. An interactive moderated discussion followed the presentation to provide some context to the practicalities of developing a National Red List Index and using it to monitor species.
05 – The National Red List website: how to use it and how to share your national Red List data
Webinar aired 19th October 2022.
In this webinar, Sophie Ledger (Zoological Society of London, UK) presented the National Red List database and website, an online repository for all sub-global species extinction risk assessments. Hosted at ZSL, and under the guidance of the IUCN SSC National Red List Working Group, the National Red List database and website has undergone redevelopment since 2019. This webinar introduced new features and included a walkthrough on how to use the uploading tool for National users ahead of its official launch.
Other Red List-related Webinars
sRed List
Webinar aired on 23rd October 2023.
This webinar is presented by Moreno Di Marco and Victor Cazalis (La Sapienza University, Rome) and provides a general introduction to sRedList, the people behind the platform, a guided tour on the platform, and includes a Question and Answer session.