The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) will venture out of Africa to engage European experts, advisors and supporters when it stages the PASA 2011 Management Workshop from May 2-6 in Kent, England.

The workshop, which will focus on key sanctuary issues such as illegal trade, crisis response, reintroduction, strategic partnerships, volunteer coordination, and long-term planning, will be hosted by the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park.

The PASA 2011 Management Workshop will also feature the PASA Public Forum, a presentation open to the general public on May 3 at the University of Kent. Speakers will include PASA sanctuary managers and guests, and the annual PASA Siddle-Marsden Award will be presented to an African national staff member that displays a commitment to primates, a commitment to conservation, and a commitment to excellence.

“The PASA 2011 Management Workshop will provide us a unique opportunity connect with the European community,” said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA. “PASA recognizes that there is a wealth of information and support outside of Africa that we need to tap, and we believe the United Kingdom is a country of great importance. We are excited by the prospect of reaching a new audience.”

Although PASA stages the majority of its workshops in Africa, the PASA Management Workshop is held outside of the continent in alternate years in order to increase exposure, awareness and support. That decision was inaugurated with the PASA 2009 Management Workshop, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Other PASA Management Workshops have been staged in Uganda (2000, 2003 and 2006), Cameroon (2001 and 2010), Kenya (2002 and 2005), South Africa (2004), Rwanda (2007), and Sierra Leone (2008).

The Port Lympne Wild Animal Park was chosen as the host site due to its long-standing relationship with PASA through The Apsinal Foundation charity. The Aspinall Foundation supports two charter members of PASA: the Projet Protection des Gorilles (PPG) facilities in Gabon and Congo.

PASA was formed in 2000 to unite the sanctuaries that care for thousands of rescued chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills and other endangered primates across Africa. For more information, please visit www.pasaprimates.org or contact info@www.pasaprimates.org.