2008 EEAA Conference

As the summer heat drags on I start thinking of the upcoming EEAA conference this upcoming winter Jan.31-Feb2, 2008- all the friendships, camaraderie, and learning, what a great time! We have selected a wonderful backdrop for all this, the 2008 EEAA Conference will be held at Blue Lake United Methodist Camp near Andalusia, AL. The camp promises to be a magical location for our conference. The 350 acre camp sits on the shores of the 60 acre Blue Lake. A clear spring fed natural sinkhole pond. For you history buffs, the chapel is a restored 1836 church. From the camp one can easily access the 20 mile Conecuh trail, great for hiking and biking. If you think, wow, could it get any better than that, well yes, it could. The camp sits in the heart of the 84,000 acre Conecuh National Forest.

The Conecuh National Forest is home to some of the last stands of old fire maintained Longleaf pine ecosystem left in the state. The longleaf is an ecosystem that used to dominate Alabama. With only 2% of its original acreage in the southeast left, it is now one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world. The longleaf provides habitat for many of our state’s rarest plants and animals, from the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, to the Mimic Glass Lizard recently rediscovered after a 34 year absence from Alabama. The area is teaming with diversity. In fact if you come to this year’s conference you will be in one of the most diverse areas in the world. That is what makes the longleaf like a good illusionist, at first it seems like acres of nothing but pine trees, but as one looks closer, all that diversity begins to reveal itself.

Some of the highlights of the upcoming conference are the field trips. At this time, we are looking at going to the top notch Turtle Point Environmental Center, visiting a world class fossil site, and of course touring some of the unique spots of the Conecuh. Also, Thursday night, we will be taking a tour of some of the local frog ponds. These ponds contain the highest diversity of frog species of all the US National Forests. If the group is lucky, we will hear Dusky Gopher frogs. In Alabama, these large frogs only breed in less than 10 ponds. Most all of these are within a couple of miles of the camp. Starting to sound good! Well, combine that with dynamic and entertaining speakers, awe-inspiring and informative sessions, and who can forget the Auctions to support professional development and the 2008 EEAA Conference has me longing for the longleaf! See you there!!

Consider making a presentation during the 2008 EEAA Conference! Download your "Call for Presentations" form here (FREE Adobe Acrobat required).

If you're contemplating attending the Conference as an exhibitor, here's the Exhibitors Letter with all the information you'll need to "make it so." (FREE Adobe Acrobat required.)

If you've missed your copy of the 2008 Conference Guide/Brochure (mailed in November), you may download that document here as well. (FREE Adobe Acrobat required.)