“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved.” – Jane Goodall
Photo credits from left to right: Northern Copperhead by Phillip de Maynadier, Northern Two-lined Salamander by Matthew Chatfield, and Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog by John (J.D.) Kleopfer
Meetings are held annually and provide a forum to discuss NEPARC projects, hear presentations on various herp conservation and research activities, network and enjoy the company of like-minded herp enthusiasts, and elect officers.
Call for Abstracts!
Abstract Deadlines Have Been Extended! DEADLINE for submission of abstracts to be considered for oral presentations is: May 31, 2019. Poster abstract deadline is: June 14, 2019. For submission guidelines click here.
*20 YEARS of NEPARC – Back to New Jersey*
The 2019 NEPARC meeting will be on July 17 – 19 at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey
101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205-944 – (609) 652-1776
Mass Transit Options: Atlantic City International Airport, Greyhound Bus, New Jersey Transit Trains
With close proximity to the Jersey Shore, Cape May, and Atlantic City, the months of July and August are busy ones in and around the Stockton University area. Significant delays along the Garden State Parkway or Atlantic City Expressway can be expected, particularly Friday afternoons through Sunday, so please plan accordingly and check local traffic ahead of traveling.
Questions? Contact us at NEPARC2019@gmail.com
Follow us on
Registration: https://www.regonline.com/neparc2019
All registrants receive a free meeting t-shirt and tote bag this year!
- Online Registration Deadline of July 3
- Student registration: $90
- Regular registration: $120
Click here for the Draft Agenda
Students:
- A total of five student grants are available this year that cover your $90 registration cost. Applicants should submit an email request with a brief statement of need for the grant to NEPARC2019@gmail.com with Subject Line “Student Grant” by June 7 for consideration. Grant awardee names are selected by a random drawing and will be notified on June 10 by email and provided with a free registration code to use online. You will be reimbursed if you’ve already registered and are awarded a student grant. Grant recipients may be asked to assist with small tasks at the meeting.
- A total of three student presentation prizes will be awarded at the meeting this year. $100 cash prizes are awarded to Best Graduate Oral Presentation, Best Undergraduate Oral Presentation, and Best Poster.
Lodging
- On-site ($29 per bed per night)
- Apartment-style lodging at Stockton University. Lodging available from July 16 (check-in) through July 20 (check-out). Click on Housing 1 image for example of apartment layout: https://stockton.edu/residential-life/housing-options.html
- Each apartment unit has beds for four people. There are two bedrooms, each bedroom has two beds. It is $29 per bed per night. You will have a chance to coordinate your roommate and apartment-mates by email after registering.
- You may have your own private bedroom in an apartment by reserving both beds in your room for each night of your stay for an extra $29 per night. Example: $29 per night x 2 beds x 3 nights = $174
- You may have your own private apartment by reserving all four beds for $29 a bed for each night of your stay. Example: $29 per night x 4 beds x 3 nights = $348
- Apartments have wireless internet, central air, private bathroom/shower
- Bring your own linens/towels. Bed linens available for purchase for $10.
- Apartment-style lodging at Stockton University. Lodging available from July 16 (check-in) through July 20 (check-out). Click on Housing 1 image for example of apartment layout: https://stockton.edu/residential-life/housing-options.html
- Off-site (On Your Own): This year’s meeting in New Jersey is during a peak tourism period. We recommend booking off-site lodging or camping as soon as possible. There are several hotel and motel options along the Route 30 corridor near Stockton and we suggest two below.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Absecon-Atlantic City Area, 655 White Horse Pike Route 30e, Absecon, New Jersey 08201 – 1-888-HOLIDAY – https://tinyurl.com/y3fxg6tc
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Absecon (Atlantic City) Galloway, NJ, 100 White Horse Pike, Galloway NJ 08205 – 1-800-830-5222 – https://tinyurl.com/y4dt7l9u
- Wharton State Forest: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/wharton.html
- Bass River State Forest: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/bass.html
Meals/Socials
- The following meals are included with your registration costs (vegetarian and gluten-free options available):
- July 17 – Dinner
- July 18 – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- July 19 – Breakfast and Lunch
- Evening socials the nights of July 17 and July 18. Alcohol served to those 21 years and older (with ID) for $10 per night open bar.
Have any great pictures from any of the past 20 years of NEPARC meetings? We are seeking photos for an anniversary slideshow. Upload your pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PFT6eaMgYhy6LhLy8.
Seeking Meeting Sponsors! We are seeking sponsors for our 2019 annual meeting. Sponsorships help offset the cost of the meeting itself, keep the cost for students attending the conference low, and fund the production of NEPARC educational material. All supporters’ names will be included in the meeting agenda and will receive verbal acknowledgement during the meeting opening session. Sponsors contributing $500 or more will receive one complimentary registration including meals (does not include lodging). Deadline of June 14. Click here to learn more.
Silent Auction: Please consider donating a reptile or amphibian related item for our annual silent auction!
Field Trips and Workshop – All July 17 – Signup during Online Registration
Program R Workshops with Kris Hoffman, St. Lawrence University
Program R for Absolute Beginners: Join us for a gentle introduction to Program R, the fastest growing language for data science and the new norm for statistical analysis in journals. This workshop is intended for those who have no experience or those who are just getting started in learning this language, but who are computer literate and comfortable in Microsoft Excel. We’ll walk through the basic components of R Studio and how to import data, manipulate data, run simple statistical tests and other functions, make plots, and find help online. We’ll discuss troubleshooting, common pitfalls, and how to boost your confidence with this software. Participants will receive instructions on how to download the needed software ahead of time. Bring your laptop so you can play along.
When: 9am – noon; Where: At NEPARC meeting location; Capacity 20 people
Occupancy Models with umarked in Program R: When we don’t observe an animal using a site, we don’t necessarily know if the species is absent or just hidden. Occupancy models examine both the probability that the species is present at the site and the probability of detecting a species given it is present. These models can also examine the proportion of sites where the species occurs and the effects of environmental variables on detection and presence. In this two-hour workshop we will discuss the components of the package unmarked and practice coding with a cleaned dataset. We will find the detection probability and the occupancy probability across a landscape, examine the effects of environmental variables, rank models by AIC, and plot our top covariates with ggplot2. This workshop assumes basic familiarity with program R, AIC, and the theory behind occupancy modeling. Bring your laptop so you can play along.¬
When: 1-3pm; Where: At NEPARC meeting location; Capacity 20 people
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The Wetlands Institute with Brian Williamson
The trip would include a tour of the lab, including a look at our incubators and salvaged eggs, head-started terrapins awaiting release, and the radio telemetry equipment we are using to study terrapin movements. Attendees would check a fyke net set on site for captured terrapins, and potentially help TWI researchers track terrapins using radio telemetry equipment. Attendees should wear knee boots or hip waders, or shoes they otherwise do not mind getting wet or muddy.
Time: 1-3:30pm; Where: TWI is approximately 40 minutes from NEPARC; Capacity: 14 people
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Cape May Zoo with Kevin Wilson
The Cape May County Park/Zoo Reptile House is home to 63 species from all around the world with a heavy emphasis on New Jersey natives. Join us for a private tour of the facility including behind-the-scenes access with discussions on daily husbandry and our involvement in conservation efforts both locally and globally. Lunch on your own at zoo.
When: 11am – 230pm; Where: The Zoo is approximately 40 minutes from NEPARC; Capacity 15 people
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Pinelands Snakes, Plants, and Fish with New Jersey Pinelands Commission and New Jersey Conservation Foundation staff
The state threatened northern pine snake and state endangered corn snake are part of ongoing research to better understand their activity ranges, habitat requirements, and nesting and denning in the New Jersey Pinelands. Acidic Pinelands surface waters support unique assemblages of coastal-plain plants and animals. During the first half of this field trip, we will radio-track a pine snake and a corn snake and, for the second half of the trip, we will explore the plants and fish that inhabit a Pinelands lake. Long pants and field clothing necessary. Bring your own lunch.
When: 8:30am – 3:00pm; Where: Approximately 40 minutes north of NEPARC; Capacity 20 people
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Stockton Wetland Ecology with Aaron Stoler
A tour of the wetland ecology research facility and major amphibian breeding sites on Stockton’s campus. We will first take a short drive (5 minutes) to an outdoor facility in which wetlands are created and manipulated for research purposes. From there, we will take a walking tour of the various wetlands and breeding sites on Stockton’s 2000-acre wooded campus. Sites include vernal ponds, swamps, and man-made pathways through large lakes. Estimated time for each tour will be 1.5 hours.
When: 10am and 1pm; Where: At NEPARC meeting location, short drive; Capacity 20 people per tour
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Stockton Terrapin Headstart Lab with John Rokita
Stockton University’s new animal laboratory, or vivarium, is located within a recent 58,000 square-foot expansion of the Unified Science Center (USC). Tour participants will be shown specialized rooms housing diamondback terrapins, poison dart frogs, fishes, and various other animal species used for research purposes. In addition, there is a dedicated biology X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) research facility with real-time X-ray imaging and a CT scanner to study animal movement. Estimated time for each tour is 30 minutes.
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Previous NEPARC Meetings
See previous meetings page for information on our past annual meetings.