The contentious topic of oil transport will be the focus of a symposium set to take place on Grouse Mountain next week.

Eight conservation organizations will be represented at the event, which is taking place as part of the third annual Artists for Conservation festival.

Jeff Whiting, the president and founder of the organization Artists for Conservation, said the goal of the festival is to bring the arts and sciences together in support of conservation.

“It’s a full cultural event framed around the world’s top conservation-themed art exhibit,” Whiting told the Straight by phone. “So we have about 80 original artworks that have come in from all over the world, and these artworks are for sale…a large portion, approximately 40 percent, goes towards supporting conservation.”

The B.C. Conservation Symposium on October 3 will feature representatives from eight conservation organizations, including the Pacific Wildlife Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and the David Suzuki Foundation.

“The objective of the symposium is to be an engagement point with the community to find out about the state of conservation in B.C., and for B.C.’s leading conservation organizations to interface with the public and talk about the projects they’re most engaged with right now,” explained Whiting, adding he expects the symposium to include discussion of issues including the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.

The festival, which runs from September 28 to October 6 at Grouse Mountain, will also feature live art demonstrations, interpretive nature walks, film screenings, and music.

Artists for Conservation, which was established in 1997, consists of 500 artist members from 27 countries. The annual festival marks the group's largest public outreach event.

According to Whiting, the organization's goal is to "support wildlife and habitat conservation and environmental education through art that celebrates nature".

The conservation symposium will take place on October 3 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.