Pensoft set to attend the Small Mammal Conservation Conference (SMCC) 2026
The first European Small Mammal Conservation Conference (SMCC 2026) is taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 21 to 25 September 2026.
Small mammals are often overlooked in conservation planning, despite the important ecological roles they play. A shortage of data and inconsistent monitoring methods mean that declining populations can go unnoticed, with knock-on effects for wider biodiversity. SMCC 2026 has been organised to help address these gaps, bringing together new approaches, tools and case studies from across the field of small mammal research and conservation.
The event is organised jointly by the Habitat Foundation, the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Dutch Mammal Society and Mammal Conservation Europe, with support from the Faculty of Biology at Sofia University. It forms part of the Life for Falcons project, funded by the EU LIFE Programme.This year's conference is being held jointly with the 33rd Hamster Working Group and the VIII European Ground Squirrel Meeting, therefore hamsters and sousliks will be the main focus. Contributions on predator-prey interactions involving other small mammal species are also included in the programme.
Conference ThemesThe conference will explore a range of key current topics in small mammal research and conservation, including:
- Hamster and souslik ecology and conservation
- Renewable energy development
- Impacts from agriculture
- Reintroductions and management in changing ecosystems
- Predator-prey interactions
- Innovative and emerging methodologies
RegistrationThere is still time to register and join the conference. Talks (15 minutes), speed talks (5 minutes) and posters will be presented by participants from across Europe and beyond, covering the full breadth of the conference themes.
Pensoft at SMCC 2026Pensoft is pleased to announce that we will be participating in SMCC 2026 with our own exhibition booth. Delegates are warmly invited to visit our designated team member to learn more about the company's publishing services, journals and tools supporting biodiversity research and conservation. Further, to recognise outstanding contributions to the conference, we will be presenting awards for Best Talk and Best Poster.
For further information about the conference, visit the official site.