Kansas Herpetological Society

50th Annual Meeting
2023-11-03 - 2023-11-05 | University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
KHS 50th Annual Meeting
3—5 November 2023 – University of Kansas, Lawrence

INFORMATION
PROGRAM

REGISTRATION
HOSPITALITY/PARKING

KHS ANNUAL MEETING CALL FOR PAPERS, POSTERS, AND AUCTION ITEMS:
The 50th annual meeting of the Kansas Herpetological Society will be held 3-5 November 2023 on the University of Kansas, Lawrence campus. Scientific paper sessions and general meeting activities will be held in the Burge Union, while the annual KHS Auction and associated festivities will be held in the historic Oread Hotel.
Effective immediately, the Society accepts titles for talks to be presented at the meeting.
Are you looking for an alternative to costly national herpetological meetings held in large cities with too many registrants (and where you only have a cash bar)? Try the KHS.
Regional meetings are ideal venues for graduate students. The KHS annual meeting allows herpetologists and other like-minded individuals interested in amphibians and reptiles to share and discuss. There is ample opportunity for socializing in a collegial and supportive atmosphere. Meeting registration is only $50 ($25 for students and includes membership).
Herpetologists at all levels of expertise are encouraged and urged to give scientific paper presentations. An award and stipend of $200 (The George Toland Award for Ecological Research on North American Herpetofauna) will be presented for an outstanding student presentation at the end of the meeting, so students are strongly encouraged to participate. The $100 Meshaka Award for best poster will also be awarded. The Suzanne L. & Joseph T. Collins Award for Excellence in Kansas Herpetology is also a $1,000 prize. Being an odd-numbered year, the Collins Award will be awarded for the best photograph.
On Friday, tours of the Herpetology collection and Fitch Natural History Reservation will be followed by a social that evening.
The annual fund-raising auction will held at the Oread Hotel on Saturday evening. The KHS will provide FREE BEER, SOFT DRINKS, and SNACKS. Please bring herpetological items for the auction. PLEASE DO NOT BRING LIVING OR DEAD ANIMALS. No specimens or body parts of herpetofauna will be sold at auction.”
UPDATE: Friday 13 October 2023
We’re a mere three weeks away from KHS’s 50th Annual Meeting! I can’t believe time has flown by already. The KHS Local Committee and Executive Council are working hard to wrap up loose ends and get everything in place! KHS President Rafe Brown will send out a message on Monday to help fill you in on updated details for the meeting and generally lay out a lot of information for you. Until then, I have some time-sensitive things to advertise!
Friday Afternoon Tours
Folks wishing to tour the Fitch Natural History Reserve and/or the KU Natural History Museum Herpetology Collections may SIGN UP HERE. These tours are free but require early sign-up due to the limited capacity for each group. No transportation is provided, but if you need a ride, you can likely contact someone else in the time slot you hope to attend. The meeting location and contact information for each tour are in the sign-up sheet. Tours are first-come, first-serve, so don’t dawdle!
Fitch Reserve: Four one-hour time slots are available between noon and 4 p.m. on Friday, 3 November. Each time slot has a capacity for 25 attendees. KHS President Rafe Brown and KU Field Station Education Program Coordinator Wendy Holman will guide attendees on a historical tour up the Roth Trailhead, where Henry S. Fitch conducted his more than 50 years of snake research. Due to ongoing research at the site, the KU Field Station asks that attendees not turn cover, natural or artificial.
KU Museum of Natural History: Three one-hour time slots are available between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, 3 November. The University of Kansas is home to the US’s fourth-largest collection of preserved amphibians and non-avian reptiles. The collection is global in scope, with a significant sampling of the Philippines and the Neotropics. The collection is also very active, with thousands of new specimens added yearly and thousands more sent out on loan to other researchers. KU Herpetology Curator Rich Glor and Collections Manager Ana Motta will lead groups of up to 20 on behind-the-scenes peeks at these unique and diverse collections.
Friday Night Social-Trivia Sign Up
The Friday Night Social will feature a KHS favorite, Herp Trivia! Due to capacity restraints within the trivia venue, there’s only space for 80 people to participate. Please SIGN UP HERE if you’d like to form a team to test your brain against KHS’s finest! If you want to be a team of 1 to duel all the others, even better! The Social is from 6:30-9:30 and features plenty of space for non-trivia folks to mingle and chat throughout the public side of KU’s Dyche Museum of Natural History. Herp Trivia will be from ~7-9 pm.
NEW Student Travel Grants!
Due to the increased cost of this year’s meeting, KHS has solicited an anonymous donor to sponsor travel grants to help offset the costs of attendance. The donor is willing to sponsor five $100 travel grants to students but asks that we try to raise more. So, KHS is soliciting donations in multiples of $100 or more to help match this generous offer! Currently, KHS can offer six travel grants to students for $100 each!
These grants will be handed out raffle-style. Any student registered and attending the KHS meeting who wants financial help to offset costs may APPLY HERE to be included in the drawing. The application deadline is 27 October. All applicants will be entered into an online randomizer to pick the recipients. Student winners will be notified by 30 October and receive a check at the KHS Awards Ceremony.
The Gann Scholarship for Women in Herpetology
Long-time KHS member Eva Gann wants to honor and lift up the women of herpetology and has established a scholarship to support this goal! Announced at last year’s meeting, details are finally available for the Gann Scholarship for Women in Herpetology! I apologize for the lateness of this announcement; we’ve moved the general application date to accommodate this.
Nominations for the scholarship ($300.00) are open to any AFAB or female-presenting KHS member enrolled in an accredited educational institution. The scholarship is awarded based on the potential for contributing to the science of herpetology and being a role model for the future of women in STEM. Students from high school through university are eligible. Self-nomination is encouraged. If self-nominated, a letter of reference from an academician is required. Nominations should include typewritten details of the nominee’s qualifications, plus the name and address of the nominee and nominator.
Nominations should include, but are not limited to, academic records, herpetological activities, and plans in herpetology. Academic records should address schools attended and indicate academic performance (e.g., grade point average, teacher evaluations, courses completed, etc.). Herpetological activities should include a brief narrative that details experiences and activities that demonstrate a long-term interest in herpetology and document accomplishments in herpetological study. Plans in herpetology should include a statement, not to exceed one page, written by the student about his/her future interests and plans. Applicants may include an optional appendix with photographs, awards, newspaper articles, reports written by the student, or other documents relevant to herpetological activities.
Applications should be emailed to KHS Awards Committee Chair Dan Fogell at dfogell@ southeast.edu by Nov 1st.

KHS 2024 Spring Field Trip
2024-04-26 06:00 - 2024-04-28 12:00 UTC
We will camp at West Park in Fredonia. There are bathroom facilities.
There are several motels in the area as well.
We will gather at the campsite and carpool to the first field trip location at 9 AM on Saturday, 27 April.
At 1:30 PM we will again meet at the campsite and carpool to the next site.
Finally, at 9 AM Sunday morning we will meet and carpool to the last field site.

KHS 2024 Summer Field Trip
2024-06-28 18:00 - 2024-06-30 12:00
Location: To be determined.

KHS 2024 Fall Field Trip
2024-09-27 16:00 - 2024-09-29 12:00
Location: To be determined

KHS 51st Annual Meeting
2024-11-01 18:00 | Sternberg Museum of Natural History, FHSU, 3000 Sternberg Drive, Hays, KS, 67601, United States
1-3 November 2024
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Registration
2024 Program
Submitted Papers and Posters

Friday:
Professional Development: Cale Morris (Phoenix Herpetological Society) will provide up to two hands-on workshops focused on the proper handling and transport of venomous snakes. Live snakes from the display collections in the Sternberg Museum of Natural History will be used in each workshop. Sessions will be 3 hours in length and will provide an opportunity for each participant to learn and practice appropriate techniques and procedures with LIVE ANIMALS. Sessions are limited to 15 persons each. Fees are $50 for students and $100 for non-students.
Friday Night Social
Special Brew for the 51st meeting of the Kansas Herpetological Society!
The local committee has partnered with Defiance Brewing Company, Hays, KS, to produce a small batch-themed beverage for the Annual Meeting – Chihuahuan Gold! A Mexican lager with a custom label featuring one of our favorite herps in western Kansas. Our own, Jacob Alexander produced the custom label for the brew. The launch of this beer will be at the social Friday, November 1, so you won’t want to miss it.
The Friday Night Social will be at Defiance Downtown, 111 W. 7th Street, Hays, starting at 5 pm, but doors will open at 4:30. Defiance Downtown has pizza and burgers and plenty of vegetarian options. Please RSVP for the social on the KHS website when you register for the meeting.
Hotel Contracts:
Comfort Inn & Suites
1001 E. 41st St.
Hays, KS 6760
(785) 625-9327
KS608@stayatchoice.com
$89 Single; $89 Double
Book by 4 October
Hampton by Hilton
4002 General Hays Road
Hays, Kansas 67601
(785) 621-4444
Option for online booking will be directed to the official link for our property:
Hampton Inn Hays, KS Hotel North of I-70 (hilton.com)
Enter “KHS” on the reservation website or reserve over the phone for the special rate.
Book by 21 October
$119 (singles and doubles)
Saturday:
7:30 am – 4:30 pm: Registration Open. 2nd Floor of the FHSU Memorial Union. 600 Park Street, Hays, KS 67601.
9:00 am: Welcome message followed by Keynote Speaker Cale Morris, Phoenix Herpetological Society.
6:00 pm: Social, Poster Session, and Live Auction at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. 3000 Sternberg Dr.
Sunday:
8:00 am: Registration Open.
9:00 am: Oral presentations start. The KHS Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony will take place at the end of presentations, immediately before the adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

2025 KHS Spring Field Trip
2025-04-25 18:00 - 2025-04-27 12:00 | Cedar Valley Reservoir, 6 miles S, 2 miles W of Garnett, KS
The field trip campsite will be at Cedar Valley Reservoir, SW of Garnett in Anderson County.
Tent camping will be $5.80 for the two nights.

2025 KHS Summer Field Trip
2025-07-25 - 2025-07-27 | Bourbon State Fishing Lake, 20th St,, Uniontown, KS, 66779, United States
Bourbon State Fishing Lake
37.797264, -95.065253

2025 KHS Fall Field Trip
2025-09-26 08:00 - 2025-09-28 12:00 | wilson state park, kansas
KHS 2025 Fall Field Trip

2025 KHS Annual Meeting -Manhattan
2025-11-07 18:00 - 2025-11-09 12:00
This year’s meeting will be held 7-9 November at the DoubleTree Hotel in Manhattan, KS.
Registration:
Register by midnight (PST) on 9 October to receive a discount. Register here! Registration includes access to both poster sessions, paper talks, the KHS Business Meeting, and the famous KHS Live Auction! KHS provides beverages and snacks throughout the weekend as well.
Early Student Registration: $20
Early Regular Registration: $45
Full Student Registration: $30
Full Regular Registration: $60

Friday Workshops:
MWPARC is hosting two pre-conference workshops on Friday, 7 November from 2-5pm. Student cost is $25 and Professional cost is $35.
Click here for workshop registration. Registration for the full weekend is not required.
Workshop 1: Community outreach project development: How to develop and implement conservation projects in your community.
Led by: Dr. Nicole Palenske Ladner (Department of Natural Sciences, Central College) and Dreux Watermolen (Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources)
Are you interested in learning more about how to educate your community by studying herps in their natural environment? Join our workshop to explore how you can study live animals in both education and community outreach. We will explore Community Citizen Science development and explore ways that you could try to implement projects in your community. Feel free to bring your laptop – though not required. We’ll provide some worksheets on how you could create a project of your own.
Workshop 2: Getting started with ecological niche modeling/species distribution modeling
Led by: Dr. Mona Papes, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
The development of GIS tools with applications in ecology and evolution has enabled new research avenues. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) used to investigate species’ geographic distributions has generated much interest in the past couple of decades. This workshop will introduce participants to the theoretical aspects of ENM and data inputs in modeling algorithms and will include a demonstration of one modeling algorithm (Maxent). The workshop will close with a discussion about uses and limitations of model outputs (potential distribution maps) to address questions related to species’ ecology, conservation, and biogeography.

2nd Call for Paper and Poster Presentations:
Effective immediately, the Society is accepting titles for talks and posters to be presented at the meeting. Herpetologists at all levels of expertise are encouraged and urged to give scientific presentations. Please submit titles here. There are limited spaces available, so submit early. Titles are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and are due by noon (CST) on 20 October, 2025. If our spaces fill up, we will close submissions early. Despite an earlier miscommunication, abstracts are not being required this year.

Due to the ever-growing popularity of the Poster Session, the KHS Executive Council has decided to split it into two sections. Section A will be held Friday evening before the social, and Section B will be held Saturday evening before the Awards Ceremony and Live Auction. Poster presenters will be assigned to either Friday or Saturday evening. This allows presenters time to see other posters, and gives more time for each poster to be read/discussed by attendees. Presenters should contact KHS Editor Travis W. Taggart (twtaggart@fhsu.edu) AND myself if they are unable to attend a session and need to ensure scheduling for the other option. Schedule assignments will be communicated once Title Submissions close on 20 October. See below for more information on timing.

Call for Auction Items:
The perpetually thrilling KHS Live Auction is back and will be held Saturday evening after the KHS Awards Ceremony. Additionally, we will be hosting a Silent Auction throughout Saturday. There will be items to raise money for MWPARC, as well for KHS and our many awards! KHS and MWPARC are seeking any items that may fit the description of “loosely associated with herpetology and/or herpers” for the auctions. They may be designated to support MWPARC, KHS, or both. Funds raised for MWPARC support Field Research Travel Grants. Funds raised for KHS are used towards endowments for awards, as well as supporting the publication of pocket guides, field guides, and the state Eco-meet program. Historical items seen at the auction include (but are definitely not limited to) field/hiking/camping equipment, books, art, posters, herping experiences, clothing (either new, used, or stolen from comrades), knick-knacks, and the disappointment of bidding rivals. The value of many objects is likely to be dubious and subjective. Please do not bring live/dead animals, or parts thereof. Remember to pack extra spending cash or your neighbor’s credit card, as there will be free beer and you’ll want to buy more than you brought money for. Conference organizers are seeking a dedicated individual who may be interested in helping to organize the auction items as they are received. If you’re interested, please contact me. Lacking any volunteers, one may be selected at random. Auction items should be delivered upon your arrival to me or other individuals to be advertised in the future, or to a clearly labelled table/zone within the Ballroom. Remember, correlation between price and value is more often a myth than reality at the KHS auction.

Hotel:
The DoubleTree Manhattan by Hilton is a newly remodelled hotel complete with an on-site restaurant and bar, perpetual supplies (supposedly) of freshly baked cookies, and a brand-new, indoor saltwater pool! So bring some inflatable crocodilians and play “frogger” in the pool with your colleagues and/or trustworthy strangers. The DoubleTree folks have also generously updated our breakfast bar from traditional continental to Hilton Hot, whatever that means. Presumably, the food will be warm and tasty! The hotel has set aside a large block of rooms for us at $119/night for Friday and Saturday nights. They have also reserved a smaller block of rooms for us that will include Thursday night for anyone coming in early to attend MWPARC events.
To reserve a room for Friday/Saturday nights, click here.
To reserve a room for Thurs/Fri/Sat nights, click here.

Airport:
For anyone needing to fly, Manhattan does have a small airport close by. Flights from Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth arrive a few times daily.

*Merchandise:
T-shirts designed by KHS’s own Felix Harrington will be available for pre-order soon! One is an American-Traditional Tattoo art style featuring an Alligator Snapping Turtle, and the official meeting shirt is a more classic-KHS design with a Coachwhip. Hang tight, details will come along.

Pre-order Meals:
Sometimes, you just want to get to a conference hotel and not leave for a few days. I’m excited to offer Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner options for anyone who doesn’t want to rush across town during the all-too-quick meal breaks! If you look forward to getting out for Thai food, or a microbrewery, or ordering at the hotel restaurant, skip ahead! If you want one or both of these options, they can be selected in the webstore during (or outside of) registration. Deadline to order is Midnight, 9 October. If you have dietary restrictions and would like to explore other options, please reach out to me. The DoubleTree is happy to accommodate special requests.
Saturday lunch– Fiesta Buffet: Ground beef, fajita chicken, flour tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese, jalapeño, guacamole, sour cream, queso, seasoned black beans, Spanish rice, tortilla chips & salsa, and sopapillas & honey. $17.
Saturday dinner– Midwestern Buffet: Fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded cheese, croutons, Italian & ranch dressings, macaroni and cheese, roast beef, herb roasted chicken, homestyle mashed potatoes, green beans, buttermilk biscuit, and chocolate cake. $27

Awards:
Including the brand new award announced below, the KHS and Center for North American Herpetology give out $5,000 at the Annual Meeting. Many of these awards are student-focused and strive to recognize current herpetology while honoring the history of Kansas Herpetology as well. Check the KHS website for a full list of the awards and their information. Of particular interest is The Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins Award, which for this year is a $1,000 prize for the best photograph of an amphibian or reptile native to Kansas. Note that membership and attendance to the Annual Meeting is required to be eligible for these awards. In our effort to continue to remove financial barriers wherever possible for students, a membership is included gratis with student registration. The cost is covered by contributing memberships, as well as generous donations from individuals. Awards requiring a written proposal must be received by KHS Awards Chair Dan Fogell by 25 September 2025. This includes the below-mentioned Brunson-Roth Grant, the Gloyd-Taylor Scholarship, the Kamb Grant for Research on Kansas Snakes, and the Gann Scholarship for Women in Herpetology.

Announcement of the Kenneth L. Brunson & Stanley D. Roth Grant for Student Research:
In the fall of 2024, two paragons of Kansas conservation passed away. Before almost any of us can recall, Stan Roth and Ken Brunson stood at the forefront of conservation and education for Kansas’ flora, fauna, and wild places. To my mind, they were the last bastions of a bygone era where being a phenomenal general naturalist was an intrinsic calling born from living in and with nature. They lived full lives and left behind tremendous shoes to fill. Towards that end, the KHS has established a grant to memorialize them. The Brunson-Roth Grant awards $500 for the best proposal for student research on Kansas Herpetofauna. The KHS hopes to grow this amount in the future.

Annual Meeting Travel Grants/Call for Donors:
Every year, KHS supports students traveling to the annual meeting by offering $100 awards to help offset the cost of travel. Awardees are selected by a random name selector run by me and observed by KHS Media Director Shania Burkhead-Harris and President-elect Tom Luhring. Interested students in need of travel aid should fill out this form. KHS has a commitment to fund 5 awards from a generous benefactor. If you’re able to support more of these grants, visit here to donate. For the low cost of at least 20ish cups of coffee, you too can help a student attend the KHS Annual Meeting.

Keynote Speaker:
KHS is proud to host Lisa Barrow, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, for this year’s Keynote Address. Stay tuned for more information!

KHS 2026 Spring Field Trip
2026-04-17 17:00 - 2026-04-19 12:00
Somewhere in Labette County, Kansas. Campsite to be determined. Please check back for additional information as the field trip date approaches.

KHS Annual Meeting - 2026
2026-11-06 18:00 - 2026-11-08 12:00
More information will be posted as plans for the 2026 KHS Annual Meeting are settled.
