2022 Annual Meeting
When: Dec. 3rd and Dec. 4th
Where: At the Francis Marion University Fresh Water Ecology Center
We hope you can join us on December 3rd and 4th in person at Francis Marion University’s Freshwater Ecology Center. Over the course of the weekend we will have great presentations lined up, delivered by incredible local herpetologists and researchers discussing research, conservation, and education of South Carolina’s reptiles and amphibians. We will hold our Annual Business meeting where you can help direct the future of SCPARC. And we will also be hosting Social Hours, Field Trips to explore some excellent spots for local herps with fellow herp enthusiasts, educators, and researchers. There will also be a silent auction and a photography contest this year! Check out our tentative schedule of events and more details below.
December 3rd:
9:00am – 9:30am: Check In and Coffee
9:30am – 10:00am: “Year in Review” – SCPARC Co-Chairs
10:00am – 11:00am: Presentation Period
Presentations during this period will be 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions. Presenters will be listed as we get closer to the event date.
Thomas Rainwater | Evidence of determinate growth in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in coastal South Carolina
Steve Bennett | A Guide to South Carolina Tadpoles: a work in progress
Tess Moody | An Introduction to Ethics in Herping
11:00am – 12:30pm: Field Trip: Freshwater Ecology Center
This large property includes mature hardwood forests and a plethora of wetland habitats. We will explore this property with FMU Professor and SCPARC CoChair, Dr. Jeff Camper.
12:30pm – 2:00pm: Lunch and Poster Session
Lunch is being catered by Aramark and provided by Francis Marion University. This time slot will also include time to observe posters and discuss with presenters.
Dr. Eran Kilpatrick | Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) Localities and Notes From 10 Years of Sampling Across the Southeastern United States
Sydney Grant | Effects of land use type on movement, habitat use, and health state of woodland box turtles
Clarissa Tuten | Influence of Complete Egg Removal During Early Incubation on Maternal Female Alligator Nest Attendance
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Presentation Period and Poster Session
Presentations during this period will be 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions. Presenters will be listed as we get closer to the event date.
Dr. Brian Arbogast | Kinship and Breeding Site Philopatry Drive Fine-Scale Genetic Structure in Fragmented Populations of the Gopher Frog (Rana capito) in North Carolina
Jeff Hall | StumpCams: Using Trail Cameras to Detect Herps
Dr. Whit Gibbons | Salleyland: Discovering South Carolina’s Hidden Biodiversity
3:00pm – 3:20pm: Break
3:20pm – 4:00pm: Presentation Period
Presentations during this period will be 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions. Presenters will be listed as we get closer to the event date.
Hazel Crago and Dr. Kiyoshi Sasaki |Effects of invasive nonnative plants on the movement of Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Tucker Heptinstall |Venom Complexity within Garter Snakes and the Role of Diet in Toxin Diversification
6:00pm – 8:00pm: Social Hour at Seminar Brewing and Restaurant
December 4th:
9:00am – 9:30am: Check In and Coffee
9:30am – 11:00am: Presentation Period
Presentations during this period will be 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions. Presenters will be listed as we get closer to the event date.
Ashley Graham |Does small space use area in urban populations of Woodland Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) have fitness and population consequences?
Parker Gibbons | Population Abundance and Movement Patterns of South Carolina Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata)
Ethan Shealy | Using epigenetic age estimation to aid in herpetological conservation
11:00am – 11:15: Break
11:15am – 12:00pm: Business Meeting
This hour will be discussing the future of SCPARC and hold elections of new officers and committee members.
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch
Lunch this hour will be on your own. There are several restaurants a short distance from the conference center.
1:00pm – 4:00pm: Field Trip: Great Pee Dee Heritage Preserve
This scenic heritage preserve includes a winding trail along the Great Pee Dee River and provides access to many ephemeral wetlands along the way.
Presenter Information:
If you are interested in presenting or submitting a poster to this year’s 2022 SCPARC Annual Meeting, please visit our presenter page for more information. That page can be found at this link: https://scparc.org/2022-annual-
Photography Contest
Calling all photographers to enter our 2022 Photography Contest! The last day to enter photos is Nov. 19th. Photos submitted will be displayed and judged at the 2022 Annual Meeting and winners will be awarded prizes. For more information about the photography contest, and how to submit photos, please check out this link: scparc.org/2022-photography-contest/
Location of Event:
On both days of the event we will be meeting at the Francis Marion University’s Freshwater Ecology Center. This facility is conveniently located just off of I-95. Full address and GPS pin of the location are below:
3742 N Williston Rd, Florence, SC 29506
https://goo.gl/maps/RydP2a5SKAXrMoei8
Check-in:
Check-in for the event will be at 9:00am on December 3rd and December 4th. The gates to the Freshwater Ecology Center will be closed until this time. At check in, all participants will be required to sign a general waiver that will allow everyone to participate in the presentations and field trips on the property. Safety is our top priority at all of our events. And with the lingering COVID Pandemic we want to ensure all those gathering with us are as safe as possible. This waiver can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsiPBzlQHDdioe71Qcdv8dx8J6QNhuIZuPDXr1QnU953XQxw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Lodging Nearby:
The Freshwater Ecology Center is located just off of I-95 and about a 15 minute drive outside of Downtown Florence, SC. There are plenty of hotel options in and around Florence. There is also a Holiday Inn Express less than 2 miles from the Freshwater Ecology Center. Camp sites such as Lynches River County Park and Little Pee Dee State Park are within 1-hour from the Freshwater Ecology Center.
What to Bring:
This meeting is designed to be partially indoors as well as outdoors. Please bring comfortable clothes for learning indoors, but also layers or a change of clothes to head out into the field. We always recommend close-toed shoes when in the field, and it is not a bad idea to bring along boots or shoes you do not mind getting muddy or wet.
It should be a fun, jam-packed day of learning and herping – so definitely bring along some snacks! Coffee and lunch will be covered on the first day of the event, but everyone will be on their own for snacks and dinner on day one, and snacks and lunch on the second day of the event.