Meetings & Events
2010 32nd Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting
Please join us October 7-10 at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana, Alabama.
AS OF 8/23 REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO ACCEPT RESERVATIONS FOR LODGING. BUT REGISTER TODAY BECAUSE ROOMS HAVE ALSO BEEN OPENED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC!
Our meeting will include the following presentations (we are still accepting abstracts):
Craig Guyer: Title TBD
Bruce Means: Rattlesnake Roundups: Alabama's Prominent Role in Their History
Brent Shaver: Perdido River Tract Longleaf Pine Restoration Project: A Cooperative Restoration Project
Jim Godwin and Jimmy Stiles: Eastern Indigo Snakes in Alabama: a Project Summary and Updates from the Field
Daniel Gaillard: Comparing Genetic Diversity Between Eastern and Western Gopher Tortoise Populations
Mark Bailey: Jaguarundis in Alabama?
Deborah Burr: Progress on Implementing Florida’s Conservation Plan for the Gopher Tortoise
Joan Berish: A Tribute To Ray Ashton
Rachel Smith: A Preliminary Characterization of the Demography and Reproductive Biology of the Gopher Tortoise Population at White Oak Plantation, Nassau County, Florida
Kris Amatuli: Studies of the Gopher Tortoise Population at the University of North Florida
Sharon Hermann: Title TBD
Colleen Sinclair-Winters: Genetic Structuring of Gopher Tortoise Populations in Florida: Panhandle vs. Peninsula
Steve Godley: Florida Kingsnakes
Jayme Waldron: Overwintering ecology of canebrake rattlesnakes in South Carolina: A comparison of coastal and inland populations using climate and habitat variables
Sean Graham: An overlooked hotspot? Rapid biodiversity assessment reveals a region of exceptional herpetofaunal richness in the southeastern United States
Michael Martin: Examining relationships among behavior, weather, and the human dimensions of rattlesnake conservation: intra-latitude phenologies of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Jonathan Stober: Tortoise Population Estimates at the Extremes
Plus posters:
Jessica Gonynor: Gopher Tortoise Population Health in a Changing Georgia Landscape: Preliminary Results
Carl Qualls: Distribution and Habitat Utilization of the Gopher Tortoise Tick in Southern Mississippi
David Steen: Small Vertebrate Assemblage Response to Longleaf Pine Restoration: Preliminary Results
Lora Smith and Jennifer Linehan: Eastern Kingsnake Research in Southwestern Georgia
To submit your abstract, Go to The Annual Meeting Abstract Page and follow the instructions.
Preliminary Agenda:
Thursday, October 7: GTC Business Meeting
Friday, October 8: Special Alabama Session and Panel Discussion Regarding the Potential Implications of a Range-wide Federal Listing
Friday will kick off with a keynote presentation by Craig Guyer (Auburn University) followed by presentations highlighting tortoise, indigo snake, and longleaf pine conservation in Alabama. In the afternoon, a panel discussion will convene to discuss how a federal listing will influence various stakeholders. A question and answer session will allow the audience to participate.
Saturday, October 9: Ecology and Habitat Conservation and Ray Ashton Tribute
Conference sessions will focus on traditional meeting topics, such as gopher tortoise ecology, commensal species ecology, and upland habitat conservation efforts. On Saturday afternoon, we will remember a gopher tortoise conservation pioneer.
Hotel: This year's meeting will be held at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana, Alabama. Lodging is included in registration packages.
Saturday Evening Social: Join us Saturday night on-site for beverages and the musical stylings of Olin Howlin, an Auburn favorite.
We were able to keep costs for our meeting low by creating registration packages, please select one that best fits your schedule. All packages include Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting Registration (Use PayPal to pay, you may do so below the package descriptions). Send an e-mail to davidasteen@gmail.com with questions.
PACKAGE DESCRIPTIONS (You may stay in Guest Rooms or Dormitory Lodging)
Guest Rooms
Guest Room Package 1
Lodging for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.
Includes Thursday lunch, and dinner, Friday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday breakfast. Includes beverages for socials.
Guest Room Package 2
Lodging for Thursday and Friday night only.
Thursday lunch and dinner, Friday breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Saturday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Guest Room Package 3
Lodging for Friday and Saturday night only.
Friday lunch and dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Guest Room Package 4
Lodging for Friday night only.
Friday lunch and dinner, Saturday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Guest Room Package 5
Lodging for Saturday night only.
Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Dormitory Lodging
(Not available Thursday night)
Dormitory Lodging Package 6
Lodging for Friday and Saturday night only.
Friday lunch and dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Dormitory Lodging Package 7
Lodging for Friday night only.
Friday lunch and dinner, Saturday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Dormitory Lodging Package 8
Lodging for Saturday night only.
Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast.
Includes beverages for socials.
Registration Package 9
Registration ONLY (no lodging, registration is already included in lodging packages)
Includes Friday and Saturday lunch ($60)
Camping Options (make arrangements on your own)
Have a schedule that doesn’t quite fit into the above packages? Add meals here.
Thursday Dinner ($14)
Friday Breakfast ($7)
Friday Lunch ($10)
Friday Dinner ($14)
Saturday Breakfast ($7)
Saturday Lunch ($10)
Saturday Dinner ($14)
Sunday Breakfast ($7)
Take this opportunity to join the GTC or renew your membership. The contact information specified in your PayPal account will be how the GTC will notify you of Council news and where your newsletter will be sent. Prefer to use a different address? Contact our Membership Secretary at wknox@gophertortoisecouncil.org.
2009 31st Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting
The 2009 Meeting was held in Gainesville, Florida on October 2-3 at the Paramount Hotel.
This year’s topic was Effective Education and Outreach for Gopher Tortoises and Upland Habitat Conservation.
Meeting Program
Meeting Website