2018 Ohio Amphibian & Reptile Conference

The Ohio Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (OHPARC) annual conference brings together invited speakers from around the state to present findings of recent research and conservation projects involving Ohio’s amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats. If you are interested in learning more about Ohio’s herps and networking with others in the field, then be sure to reserve this date and register for the meeting.  We are pleased to announce Dr. Justin Congdon, renowned turtle biologist, as this year’s keynote speaker.  Check back soon for a full list of speakers and their presentation titles.

This conference is made possible due to the generous support of The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, The Ohio State University, The Ohio Division of Wildlife, The United States Fish & Wildlife Service, and Enviroscience.

The on-line registration cost ($45; $25 for students) includes a catered lunch.   However, on-line registration has now closed.  On-site registration (space permitting) is the same cost, but does not include lunch.

Location

The conference will be held at the Ohio Farm Bureau, 4-H Center, Columbus, OH.

Posters

 Registration for poster presentation is now closed.  We are proudly hosting 28 posters at this years conference. For a full list of this year’s poster presentations in PDF format, click here.

‘Round-the-Room Updates

As with previous conferences, we want to encourage YOU to share any updates or announcements on herp happenings at your organization or in your area during the time slot set aside for updates.  Examples of updates include:

• recent research findings or planned research/survey projects;
• conservation actions or opportunities;
• observations of disease/die-offs;
• emerging conservation concerns;
• recent publications of interest;
• opportunities for volunteer involvement;
• graduate student opportunities; and,
• other herp related news in Ohio.

These updates are meant to be informal and short (1-2 min).  If necessary, 1 or 2 slides (maximum) can accompany the update.  Please indicate if you are willing to provide an update by answering “Yes” to the “Give brief update?” column of the registration page, then sending an email to Greg Lipps (GregLipps@gmail.com) with the subject line “OHPARC update” and the following information in the body of the email: name, affiliation, and a single sentence on your update subject.

Silent Auction

To offset the cost of the conference and raise funds for OHPARC, we will be curating a silent auction on the day of the conference. We are requesting donations for the auction. Items could include: tickets to your institution or an event, merchandise, books, apparel, local products from your region of the state, or any other item that might interest our attendees. Please consider donating an item and/or requesting an item (or two!) from your company/institution. Items can either be brought to the conference or mailed in advance.

If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please answer “Yes” to the “Provide item for silent auction?” column of the registration page, then send an email to Nicole Hafer (nicole.hafer@muskingumswcd.org) with the subject line “OHPARC donation” and the following information in the body of the email: name of donor (institution, agency, or person), description and quantity of item to be donated, and value of the donated item(s).

T-shirts

The order deadline OHPARC t-shirts has now passed.  However, a limited number of t-shirts will be available for purchase at the conference.

Description: A soft, lightweight, white, 5.5 oz short sleeve shirt with 3/4” seamed rib knit collar. Two-needle hemmed sleeve and bottom hems. 50/50 cotton/poly blend. Polyester material is made from post-consumer recycled PET bottles.

Agenda (Draft)
A full schedule of speakers and activities can be found below. Be sure to check back for a finalized agenda. For a downloadable PDF of speaker abstracts, click here.