Location The University of Kansas' hilltop campus in Lawrence, Kansas is an intimate venue with a rich herpetological history.

The Venue

The Kansas Union. Image from KU Unions Photos from the U.

All oral presentations and poster sessions will be hosted in a single centrally located building — The Kansas Union. In addition to its modern conference facilities, the Union is home to a full service cafeteria that will serve lunch options ranging from deli sandwiches to Mexican fare. Some special events will be hosted at the Oread Hotel or Spooner Hall, which are both a short walk from the Union.

The Museum

Dyche Hall. Image from The University of Kansas Official Flickr Site.

The meeting venue is immediately adjacent to Dyche Hall, home to the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Biodiversity Institute and KU Herpetology. In addition to public exhibits, including the iconic panorama, Dyche Hall is home to an active herpetological research group and one of the largest collections of preserved reptiles and amphibians in the world.

Lodging

The Oread Hotel. Image from lawrencehits.com

Just down the street from the Union and Museum are the newly constructed Oread Hotel and the recently renovated GSP dormitory, both of which will provide lodging for the conference.

Climate

Grinter Family Farms outside of Lawrence. Image from The University of Kansas Official Flickr Site.

Lawrence in mid-Summer is usually hot and sunny with mean daily lows and highs in the range of 20-31°C/66-89°F. Rain is also a possibility with monthly mean precipitation of 100 mm/4 inches.

Downtown Lawrence

Just downhill from the meeting venue is downtown Lawrence, with its historic main street featuring dozens of bars, restaurants, music venues, and shops.

Spooner Hall

Spooner Hall. Image from The University of Kansas Official Flickr Site.

Historic Spooner Hall and the Commons, across the street from the Union, will host a special reception for Distinguished Senior Herpetologists as well as an event for authors and book signings.

KU Herpetology

KU Herpetology undergraduate students. Image copyright R. E. Glor.

The KU Collections are home to more than 330,000 specimens. Tours of the collections will be available during the meeting.

The Fitch Reserve

The site of its late namesake's monumental long-term surveys of herpetofaunal diversity, the Henry Fitch Reserve is a short drive from campus. Guided tours will be offered.

Regional Herpetofauna

Masticophis flagellum from Wilson Lake State Park, Kansas. Image copyright Chan Kin Onn.

Kansas and surrounding states offer numerous interesting destinations for herpetological exploration across a range of habitat types.