from HerpDigest - 4th Box Turtle Conservation Workshop March 22-23, 2013 North Carolina Zoological Park, Asheboro, North Carolina
The Fourth Box Turtle Conservation Workshop, aimed at individuals actively engaged in box turtle research and conservation, will take place March 22-23, 2013 at the North Carolina Zoo. (There will be an optional field trip on the 24th). The workshop is sponsored by the National Box Turtle Conservation Committee, the North Carolina Zoological Park, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, National Science Foundation, The HERP Project, and the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Maryland. The deadline for receipt of abstracts is January 15, 2013. Objectives This workshop will focus on box turtle population status, ecology, life history strategies, systematics, and epidemiology. Box turtle populations are declining throughout their range, yet few efforts have been made to assess current population status in the interest of developing long-term conservation strategies. A major goal of the workshop is to provide current information, where it exists, on population size throughout the species' range, and to encourage population studies in as many states as possible where these turtles occur. Abstracts Researchers are invited to submit abstracts of 500 words or less describing ongoing or completed research related to the workshop objectives. The abstract should be submitted as an attachment (Microsoft Word format); do not paste the abstract directly into your email message. Include your name, organizational affiliation, presentation title, and indicate your preference for giving an oral presentation or a poster on the abstract document. Also, please include your contact information (email address and phone number). Email your abstract no later than January 15, 2012 to Sandy Barnett at [email protected]. Abstracts will be reviewed by the conference organizers and evaluated on the basis of their consistency with workshop objectives and the geographic area represented by the project/research study that is described. Authors will be notified by January 30 if their abstract is accepted. Keynote Speaker Dr. Michael Dorcas of Davidson College will be the keynote speaker. He will discuss Eastern Box Turtle demography, conservation, and strategies for helping wild populations like engaging citizen scientists. Dr. Dorcas has studied the life history strategies and ecology of reptiles and amphibians for over 20 years and has published more than 75 scientific papers. In 2009, he was elected a AAAS Fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and his students frequently win awards at national herpetological conferences. Registration and Contact Information $85 (professional); $75 (full-time students). To register on-line, to view the agenda, and to learn more about the workshop, please visit our web site at www.boxturtleconservation.org. If you have questions about the workshop, please contact John Groves at [email protected].
