KHS Field Trips

Upcoming Field Trips:

About KHS Field Trips:

The KHS hosts two or more Field Trips each year; currently one in the Spring (April), mid-Summer (July), and late-Summer (September).

Field Trips are held at a pre-determined area and most participants camp (while others find lodging nearby and drive in for each group event).  The Field Trips typically occur from Friday evening (5pm-ish) through Sunday (at noon).

The Spring Field Trip is our best attended and having 170+ participants has become common. The group events (excursions) take place Saturday morning (9am), Saturday afternoon (1pm), and Sunday morning (9am), and consist of the group traveling to a nearby site (often private land) to search for amphibians and reptiles.

The mid-Summer Field Trip is a loosely arranged affair. A central camping spot is chosen and participants are largely on their own (or to form groups) to explore the surrounding areas. Daytime activities are often centered around water to offer respite from the Kansas summer heat and include seining, dip netting, and setting and checking turtle traps. Nighttime activities including road-cruising for reptiles or night shining with lights for amphibians.

The late-Summer Field Trip is structured much like the Spring Field but attendance is usually slightly less.

Field trips serve to broaden understanding of the distribution and abundance of various herpetofaunal species in Kansas. In addition, field trips are an enjoyable educational experience for everyone. While most specimens observed and counted during the KHS field trip will be released, selected specimens also will be collected by individuals with current Kansas Scientific Collecting Permits and kept for deposition in research collections at accredited institutions, where they (and their tissues) will be available for research use by any qualified investigators. Field trip participants wishing to assist in this research effort are encouraged to donate their specimens to those individuals qualified to receive them.

Field trip participants do not need to be KHS members and all interested persons are invited to attend. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact the KHS Field Trip Chairperson.

Travis W. Taggart
ttaggart@fhsu.edu
785-650-2445

Past KHS Field Trips: