Record Crowd Expected for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Meeting in Tennessee

Over 200 scientists and conservationists will converge on Chattanooga, Tennessee for the annual meeting of Southeastern Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SE PARC). The meeting will take place at the Tennessee Aquarium February 22-25 and is completely sold out. This will be largest meeting in the history of SE PARC or any of its counterparts in other regions. Attendees will include representatives from universities, government agencies, non-profit organizations, private industry, and the general public. A limited number of local area middle and high school teachers were also invited and were given free registration.

According to SE PARC Co-Chair Jeff Holmes, “The rapid growth of PARC over the past few years reflects the growing concern among conservationists about the decline of our native non-game wildlife.”

Founded nearly a decade ago, PARC is a national coalition with five regional working groups encompassing the entire United States. Dedicated to a collaborative, solution-oriented approach to conservation, PARC describes itself as “an inclusive partnership dedicated to the conservation of the herpetofauna--reptiles and amphibians--and their habitats.” PARC members come from all walks of life and include individuals from state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, museums, pet trade industry, nature centers, zoos, energy industry, universities, herpetological organizations, research laboratories, forest industries, environmental consultants, and the general public. The diversity of the membership makes PARC the most comprehensive conservation effort ever undertaken for amphibians and reptiles. Reptiles (alligators, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, the tuatara, and snakes) and amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians) have suffered from a broad range of human activities, due in part to the perception that these animals are either dangerous or of little environmental or economic value. Conservationists know now that they are important parts of our natural and cultural heritage.

Among SE PARC’s recent accomplishments, the new publication, Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Southeastern United States, has received rave reviews from land managers and conservation professionals across the region. The book features detailed, easy-to-understand tips and pointers to help landowners improve the quality of their habitat. It includes every conceivable habitat type in the Southeast, from suburban backyards to vast commercial timberlands. The book is available to the public and can be ordered through the National PARC website (www.parcplace.org).

At this year’s meeting, SE PARC members will hear talks from nationally-renowned senior herpetologists such as Whit Gibbons and Paul Moler, as well as young college researchers presenting their ideas for the first time. The talks will focus primarily on three issues: non-native invasive species such as fire ants, new trends in eco-friendly road construction and real estate development, and federally-funded State Wildlife Action Plans. Attendees with then be asked to begin developing the next generation of tools and products related to these issues. Finally, the group will begin identifying issues for future meetings. Among the topics under consideration for 2008 are forest management, the value of prescribed fire, aquatic habitat quality, and emerging diseases afflicting herpetofauna.

“We want people to leave this meeting with a sense of hope and enthusiasm. It’s so easy to get discouraged when you look at all the challenges we face but we have to remember that it’s been done before,” Holmes noted. “Back in the early 20th century, when prized game species such as turkey and deer were nearly wiped out across much of the eastern U.S., outdoorsmen got fed up and said ‘Enough is enough.’ They teamed up with government agencies and academic researchers and look where we are today. Hunting has never been better.” Then he added, “We may never have the numbers, the money, or the political clout that the hunting community had back then but, hey, they didn’t have the internet and Animal Planet.”

To learn more about PARC nationwide, visit www.parcplace.org. For information about the Southeastern working group in particular, visit www.separc.org.