Details

The 27th Annual Meeting of the Missouri Herpetological Association was held on 27 – 28 September 2014 at Bull Shoals Field Station near Kirbyville, Taney County, Missouri.

A total of 46 members, representing 11 organizations, attended the meeting. Eighteen (18) paper sessions were presented during the regular meeting. A brief business meeting followed the last regular presentation. Business meeting discussion topics included the date and location of the 2015 meeting. Abstracts from presentations will be published in the 2014 newsletter, which will be available this winter.

PDF Document Schedule

After the traditional potluck dinner, Jeff Briggler, state herpetologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, talked about his travels to Armenia.

The MHA would like to thank Missouri State University for generously hosting the 2014 meeting at the beautiful Bull Shoals Field Station. We wish to extend a special appreciation to Alicia Mathis for making arrangements for the group to use the facilities.

Group Photograph

Annual Meeting 2014 Group Photograph


Front row (seated): Ian Clifton (UCA), Luke Pearson (UCA), Brian Edmond (MSU).
Second row (seated and standing): Darrin Welchert (USFW), Tim Clay (UALR), Jeremy Chamberlain (UCA), Matt Gifford (UCA), Tom Anderson (UMC), Dustin Siegel (SEMO), Abby Nicholson (TRC), Kristen Kohlhepp (MSU), Kayla Shelton (MSU), Eva Gann (MSU), Travis Lyon (MDC), Pete Blaine, Carl Gerhardt (UMC).
Third row (seated and standing): Bob Powell (AU), Jeff Briggler (MDC), Alicia Mathis (MSU), Eric Sievers (MSU), Sam Alvino (SEMO), Jon Davenport (SEMO), Brian Greene (MSU), Don McKnight (MSU), Sam Blecha (MSU), Josh Harmon (MSU), Olivia Graves (MSU), Lori Monday (UCA).
Fourth row (seated and standing): Kelsey Anderson (MSU), Ben Dalton (MSU), Rachel Settle (MSU), Valerie Jones (MSU), Rachel Bortosky (MSU), Carolyn Kupec (MSU), Day Ligon (MSU), Kari Spivey (MSU), Glenn Manning (UAM), Leslie Brinkman (MSU), Katrina Street (MSU), Ben Cash (UCA), Brock Couch (MWSU), Mark Mills (MWSU), Richard Daniel (UMC).
Not pictured: Wafa Abudayah (MSU), Jay Krystyniak (MSU), Lauren Rudolph (MSU).
Key: AU=Avila University, MDC=Missouri Department of Conservation, MSU=Missouri State University, MWSU=Missouri Western State University, SEMO=Southest Missouri State University, TRC=Three Rivers College, UALR=University of Arkansas at Little Rock, UAM=University of Arkansas at Monticello, UCA=University of Central Arkansas, UMC=University of Missouri at Columbia, USFW=US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Other Photographs

Original Announcement

Date and Location

The 27th annual meeting of the Missouri Herpetological Association will be held September 27 – 28, 2014 at Bull Shoals Field Station near Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri.

Agenda

Paper sessions will begin at 1 pm on Saturday afternoon. Members planning to present a paper should fill out and return the attached registration form to Jeff Briggler no later than Fri 19 Sep 2014.

After the paper sessions are concluded, we will have a potluck for the Saturday evening dinner. Please bring a hot dish, salad, chips, dessert, hot rolls, chicken wings, etc. Supply your own drinks and tableware for dinner.

Saturday evening, Jeff Briggler will present “Adventures in Armenia: A historical, biological and cultural perspective.” followed by the usual fellowship, live music (bring instruments), etc.

Sunday morning, a field trip is planned between 9am and noon.

Accommodations

A dormitory (bunk beds and cots for approximately 30 people on a first come basis) and sites for tent camping near the Drury House are available. Bring pillow, sleeping bag or bedding. There is a $5 charge for anyone staying overnight. Motel rooms are available in nearby Forsyth and Branson for the less adventurous.

Driving Directions

From Springfield, take Highway 65 south about 38 miles, then exit at MO 248 (red route – red diamond on exit sign). There will be a traffic light at the intersection of the exit ramp and 248. Turn left (east) which will take you into old downtown Branson. At the roundabout, select Veterans Blvd (Business 65) that continues south through a major intersection with Main Street. After this intersection the road becomes MO 76 east. Continue on Hwy 76 for 6 miles. As you leave town, cross Lake Taneycomo and turn left after the bridge. After the long hill and some curves, you will also pass a golf course and new developments on the right. Shortly after passing a small school (Kirbyville), turn right (south) onto county road J. Follow Rt. J for about 6 miles, and then go straight through the four-way intersection (a Missouri Department of Conservation sign points toward the near by Mincy Conservation Area for a turn to the right).

The pavement turns to gravel as you pass through an open gate where you will see yellow Department of Conservation signage for the Drury Conservation Area. You will later pass through a second bar gate, which is usually locked, but open for special events. Follow the gravel road for 4 miles until it dead ends at the field station. You will see the Bull Shoals Field Station sign and the large stone house overlooking the lake.

More Information

The following documents contain more information.