Fayard Hall, On the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University

May 25-27

We’re so glad you’re coming to Hammond to share in the state-of-the-art in plethodontid biology. Hammond and the area (including Baton Rouge and New Orleans) are great! Food, drink and herping here is wonderful. Louisiana has approximately 125 species of reptiles and amphibians spread across 32 families, and the Florida Parishes is the most herp-diverse area in the state! Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page for recommendations for good herping sites near Southeastern.

CONFERENCE AGENDA AND SCHEDULE IS READY! (pdf)

Registration will remain open until the end of the conference

CLICK TO REGISTER FOR PLETHODONTIDS2023!

Students simply skip the first choice and move to the second menu choice (i.e., “Free Admission”). Registration is free to students ($103 for others). Any questions about other details can be emailed to christopher.beachy@selu.edu

———————————————————-

INFORMATION ON PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS

Oral Presentations - With the exception of the last session, all oral presentations are 15 minute format with a suggestion of 12 minutes of talking and 3 minutes for questions. Time limits will be officiated by the session moderator. Presentations may be either (1) emailed to christopher.beachy@selu.edu prior to arrival or (2) brought on a flash drive and loaded to the presentation computer during the 30-60 minutes prior to your session.

Poster presentations - Posters should be mounted at the presentation location (Fayard Hall lobby) at the numbered poster board appropriate to your poster number (available in the Conference Schedule). The poster space available to mount your poster is 33”X45” height X length. Please bring mounting materials as needed. Thumbtacks will be available, and staff will be able to assist in problem-solving as need emerges.

Please mount your poster as soon as you are able so that attendees can have time to peruse them prior to the official “Poster Session” (4:00 pm, May 26).

Fly into New Orleans (MSY), Louis Armstrong International, shuttles to Hammond provided.

Socials on 25th and 26th will be no-cost and include beverages, beer, food and boiled crawfish!

As you prepare for attendance, remember that if you have any questions, just send me an email. We at Southeastern are here to help and to ensure that you have a great conference! Any requests? Just email me (christopher.beachy@selu.edu) and I can help. We have a gaggle of herpetologists that work here and we all are excited about hosting you in Hammond.

CAMPUS MAP

ON-CAMPUS LODGING (registration for staying on-campus has closed)

Please remember that linens are NOT provided.

If you have a preferred roommate and have not heard back with a confirmation email from me, please email me that information.

The dormitory housing is typical for a college campus. Take this online tour to see what your lodging in Twelve Oaks Hall will look like.

OFF-CAMPUS LODGING

Our response to on-campus housing has been very good! But this means that we do not have the numbers to leverage a room block at local hotels. As you search for local housing, I can answer any questions that you have about local hotels. We house our visiting speakers and job candidates at either the Holiday Inn Express or the Courtyard Marriott. Both are nice, of medium expense, and are approximately 2 miles from campus. There are many other local hotels. It might be wise to check with local host (Beachy) if you have questions about any of them.

OFF-CAMPUS DINING

During the conference, there are MANY off-campus food options available that serve meals and beverages throughout the day. Many options are available within five blocks of campus. Here’s a list to get you going:

Places for eating that I can vouch for: I have only listed places in Hammond. If one expands one’s circle to within 30 miles, it provides more options. All the places below are wonderful. It is hard to find a food experience in the region that will leave you dissatisfied.

(There are loads of fast food places, including the southern classics: Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, and Cane’s. As fast food goes, these are very good.)

Mariners - this is where we hold our seminar receptions

TopeLa (fancy, pricey) Tommy’s Pizza LaCarretta

Taco’s and Beer Our Mom’s (used to called “Your Mom’s”; nothing can be fun anymore…)

Brady’s Green Leaf LeSaigon

Coop DeVille BBQ Station (it’s just across the street!)

Cate Street Seafood B&J’s Seafood Michael’s Seafood

Don’s Seafood Eddy’s Frozen Custard (just dessert)

Albasha Punjabi Dhaba (yeah, it’s in a gas station, but it’s pretty great)

Lee’s Diner Annette’s (soul food) Jeannie’s Country Kitchen*

Kirin Chookies Margarita’s

Sarita’s El Paso Si Señor

El Jimador Isabella’s Pizza Pho Grace

Yellow Bird Cafe* Cracker Barrel* Courtyard Cafe*

PJ’s Coffee* (it’s our local chain coffee place; better than Starbucks)

Starbucks* (there is one on campus within 100 yard of the meeting location, Fayard Hall)

Waffle House* (Hammond has SIX!! I love Waffle House and, admit it, you do too!)

(*has breakfast)

Places for just drinking:

GnarlyBarley - highly recommend! Also sometimes has food trucks

Mariners - highly recommend! Especially patio seating

Red, White and Brew The Crescent Benny’s

Our shuttle service will take you to whatever eating location you want to go to so long as it is in Hammond.

TRANSPORT ONCE IN LOUISIANA

If you intend on field trips during your stay in south Louisiana or anticipate staying longer than the dates of the Conference, I encourage you to rent a car. If you are only coming in to participate in the Conference, then we have free shuttle service available.

SHUTTLES:

For both airline arrivals and departures, we are offering no-cost shuttles between the New Orleans airport (Louis Armstrong International Airport, MSY) and Southeastern. These shuttles will take you to wherever you are staying, whether it’s the on-campus option or at an off-campus site.

Once your travel arrangements are set, just send me an email with your flight information and I’ll coordinate the shuttle service.

I will be sending emails in mid-May with the shuttle service schedule that is applicable to your needs.

For an interesting travel option, there is Amtrak service to Hammond. If you travel this way, just send me an email with your arrival and departure schedule and I can make shuttle arrangements for you. The Hammond Amtrak stop is literally only one block from campus! You could walk more easily that using the shuttle service.

In town shuttle service will also be available for travel from lodging to campus and from campus to nearby downtown dining options. Or pretty much wherever you want to go.

HERPING SITES WITHIN 1.5 HOURS OF HAMMOND

Joyce Wildlife Management Area boardwalk — a decent birding site and an okay herping site during the day. At night, it’s a wonderful herping spot. Commonly night sitings of lots of frogs, alligators, sirens, amphiumas, and turtles. Lots of snakes. About 20 minutes from Southeastern.

Sandy Hollow Wildlife Management Area — good for local plethodontids (likely finds Eurycea cirrigera, E. guttolineata, Plethodon glutinosus (mississippi), and Desmognathus conanti). Plenty of lizards and snakes, and potential for gopher tortoises. Lamprey eels can be caught here if you have a net. About 30 minutes from Southeastern.

North Oak Park — This area is part of Southeastern’s campus. It forms the northern boundary of our campus. Just walk the hiking trail that encircles the Park, and where it looks right, enter the forest. You’ll know where. Lots of Plethodon glutinosus (feel free to look under the cover board array) and also Eurycea paludicola, Louisiana newts, marbled salamanders, amphiumas, sirens, lizards and snakes. Some turtles. Despite it being just “right over there”, this locality has 15 species of amphibian! About 0 minutes from Southeastern!

Bogue Chitto State Park — Lovely place. Surprisingly lovely clear streams in forests; unexpected when one thinks of Louisiana. And, on a good day, six plethodontids, including both Pseudotriton ruber and P. montanus. Great for Eurycea cirrigera larvae! Some frogs, lizards, snakes and turtles too. There is an entrance fee. About 50 minutes from Southeastern.

Stubbs Creek — In Pine, Louisiana. A classic locality that is included on almost all large-scale phylogeography projects. It’s tricky (but not hard) to find, so just ask Beachy or anyone at this conference that’s ever done any popgen stuff on Gulf Coast plethodontids. Several species are there, and also snakes, frogs and lizards. If you have a net, the cirrigera larvae at Stubbs Creek will jump into it! I have only been to one other place that has as many Eurycea larvae. It’s private land, but no one has ever bothered me when I’ve been there. About 90 minutes from Southeastern.

Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve — Great herping if you want to find Cottonmouths! But no plethodontids are likely to found here. However, this site is managed by the Nature Conservancy, contains a well-managed Longleaf Pine Savanna, one of the rarest and most-imperiled ecosystems on Earth. The place is just lovely and contains loads of pitcher plants, sundews, and, of course, the amazing Longleaf Pine. I have seen coral reefs, and, for me, this place makes me feel the same. If you schedule ahead and contact the Nature Conservancy, you can walk deeper into the property than the usual public access area. I recommend it. The place feels primeval. Taking this trip will blend nicely with the (named by me) Abita Springs Minitour. About 35 minutes from Southeastern.

Tickfaw State Park — lots of trails, lots of herps. If you can’t get bitten by a Cottonmouth here, then you’ll never be bitten by a Cottonmouth! This place also has Timber Rattlesnakes, and lots of other snakes. Snakes, snakes, snakes. Marbled salamanders and newts too. Also Plethodon glutinosus and some Euryceas. The nature center there has the biggest Amphiuma you will ever see in an aquarium. About 30 minutes from Southeastern.

For the birders or those who would just like a boat ride — On May 27th, the Director of the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station, which is owned and operated by Southeastern, will arrange to take anyone that would be interested on the several mile swamp boat ride from Galva Canal to the Turtle Cove Station (you can’t get there by car). Turtle Cove includes an excellent boardwalk that takes you on a nice hike through what remains of the degraded cypress swamp of the Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas basins. Time of departure and duration of the boat ride/tour depends on interest. Please contact Beachy if interested. Lots of birds and snakes and possibly alligators can be seen. Galva Canal, where the boat is launched, is 15 minutes from Southeastern.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This conference is being supported by Developmental Foundation funds provided by the Department of Biological Sciences (Dept. Head, Dr. Justin Anderson) and the College of Science and Technology (Dean, Dr. Dan McCarthy, Asst. Dean, Dr. Brian Crother) of Southeastern Louisiana University. Any leftover funds after this conference will be donated to the Cashner Fund of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.