Colloquium History

COLLOQUIUM ON CONSERVATION OF
MAMMALS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Michael L. Kennedy - Department of Biology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152
From: Occasional Papers of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Biological Survey, Number 12 (Fall 2000)

The Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States stemmed from an interest to foster communications and research on mammals by professional biologists working in the Southeast. Earliest discussions of such a conference were held informally by T. L. Best, G. A. Heidt, M. L. Kennedy, P K. Kennedy, and V R. McDaniel during the 1980s. The number of professional mammalogists and biologists conducting research and either charged or interested in the conservation of mammalian resources in the southeastern states grew significantly from the 1950s and 1960s to the 1980s. There was a feeling among the early organizers of the Colloquium of a need for better communication among biologists working in this region. A desire of the early organizers was to bring individuals from academic institutions, state and federal agencies, and companies in the private sector together to discuss conservation issues of significance to people in the region, as well as to establish needs and priorities (if possible) for scientific study. A unique feature of this meeting, from the start, was a gathering of professionals from different disciplines with mutual interests in mammals. There was feeling among the early organizers that communication among agencies, as well as among individuals, was a key to success relating to mammalian conservation in the Southeast. The original region of interest was limited to the south-central states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee), and, initially, the loosely structured organization was referred to as the Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the South-central States. At the 1994 meeting, the geographic region was expanded to include all of the southeastern United States and the organization named appropriately (Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States). A brief history of the Colloquium is presented in the following paragraphs.

On 17 May 1991, the First Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the South-central United States was held at The University of Memphis at the Edward J. Meeman Biological Station in Shelby Co., Tennessee. The meeting focused on conservation biology and was sponsored by the Edward J. Meeman Biological Station, College of Arts and Sciences, and Office of Public Service at The University of Memphis. The meeting was hosted by M. L. Kennedy, and, for this first meeting, papers and participants (39 attended) were invited. Following an official welcome by Associate Dean H. D. Black, J. K. Jones, Jr., spoke during the Plenary Session. His talk was entitled "Concerns for Mammalian Biodiversity and Bioconservation in the South-central States". G. A. Heidt, V R. McDaniel, and J. P Nelson, Jr., served as chairpersons for three paper sessions. Paper sessions were followed by a panel discussion entitled "Priorities in Mammalian Bioconservation in the South-central States". Panel members included V R. McDaniel (Chair), J. K. Jones, Jr., T. L. Best, and G. A. Heidt. The meeting concluded with a wrap up and discussion of future plans. Participants voiced a "successful meeting" and voted to make the meeting an annual event. Informal discussions tended to indicate that the best time for the annual meeting would be in February. It was decided that the second meeting should be in northern Alabama to be hosted by T. L. Best, Auburn University.

The Second Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the South-central United States was held at Guntersville State Park in northern Alabama on 20-21 February 1992. The meeting was sponsored by the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science at Auburn University. A pre-meeting social during the evening of the 20th was well attended. Forty-eight participants attended the meeting on the 21st. J. F Pritchett (Head, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science) extended the official welcome. The Plenary Session was a paper entitled "Problems in the Conservation of Small Mammals: Beach Mice as an Example" presented by N. R. Holler. A panel discussion on "Problems and Prospects for Conservation of Mammals in the South-central United States" followed. Members of the panel included M. L. Kennedy (Chair), R. K. Chesser, N. R. Holler, R. Jordan, V R. McDaniel, and M. C. Wooten. The remainder of the formal program included one poster and 12 paper presentations. This was another very successful meeting. The interaction of individuals from different institutions and agencies was very high. It was decided that the third meeting would be in Arkansas (to be hosted by G. A. Heidt, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and V R. McDaniel, Arkansas State University). A very successful field trip (led by T. L. Best) to Blowing Wind Cave followed the meeting.

On 25-26 February 1993, the Third Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the South-central United States was held at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, Mountain View, Arkansas. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Department of Biology at the University of Arkansas Little Rock and Department of Biological Sciences at Arkansas State University. Despite snowy weather, the pre-meeting social on the evening of the 25th was well patronized. Forty-three participants attended the meeting on the 26th. Technical sessions were chaired by T. L. Best, J. Laerm, C. R. Tumlison, and J. P Nelson. Twenty papers were presented. At the conclusion of the paper sessions, a roundtable discussion was held among all participants regarding conservation issues of concern. Future direction and plans for the Colloquium also were discussed. A field trip to Blanchard Springs Caverns was cancelled due to bad weather. Participants believed that the meeting had been very successful and decided that the fourth meeting would be held in Georgia (to be hosted by J. Laerm and B. Chapman).

The Fourth Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States was held on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens on 25-26 February 1994. Hosts arranged an outstanding reception for participants on the evening of the 25th at the Museum of Natural History. Food was bountiful, beverages copious, atmosphere biological, and interaction among participants excellent. On the morning of the 26th, J. Laerm extended an official welcome to the group. Three technical sessions followed (chaired by J. Laerm, B. Chapman, and M. L. Kennedy). Nineteen oral and two poster presentations were presented. A roundtable discussion included remarks relating to a number of conservation issues. A decision was made to publish a journal issue that would contain selected papers presented at the Fourth Colloquium, as well as papers solicited from other researchers in the southeastern United States. About 80 Participants attended the meeting. M. J. Harvey invited the group to meet in Tennessee in 1995.

On 24-25 February 1995, the Fifth Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States was held at the Executive Inn in Cookeville, Tennessee. The meeting was sponsored by the Department of Biology at Tennessee Tech University. Following the informal reception on the 24th, M. J. Harvey extended an official welcome on the morning of the 25th. Three paper sessions (chaired by B. Cushing, J. P Nelson, and M. J. Lacki, respectively) followed. Seventeen papers and two posters were presented. The first paper entitled "Conservation Mammalogy in and Around Tennessee" by M. J. Harvey got the day off to an excellent start. The day ended with a discussion session relating to conservation of mammals in the southeastern United States; business relating to the journal issue and the next annual meeting were discussed. This was another highly successful meeting. M. J. Lacki invited the group to hold the Sixth Colloquium in Kentucky.

Since the 1995 meeting in Cookeville, the Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States has held four additional meetings. Locations and hosts were as follows: 1996 (sixth meeting)-Kentucky Leadership Center, Somerset, Kentucky (M. J. Lacki, University of Kentucky); 1997 (seventh meeting)-YMCA' Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina (M. K. Clark, North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science); 1998 (eighth meeting)-Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs, Arkansas (D. A. Saugey, Ouachita National Forest, United States Forest Service); 1999 (ninth meeting)-Holiday Inn, Wytheville, Virginia (R. Reynolds, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries). The ninth meeting was sponsored by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Ferrum College, Westvaco, George Washington and Jefferson national forests, and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage.

Beginning in 1996, the Colloquium has met jointly with the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network. Format of the meeting has included a day focused on topics relating to bats and another on conservation of mammals in the region. This joint meeting seemed natural because many individuals associated with the Colloquium also were interested in bats occurring in the southeastern United States. In 1999, an ad hoc Allegheny Woodrat Recovery Team met concurrently with the Colloquium and the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network.

The Colloquium and the field of conservation suffered a great loss in 1997 with the death of Dr. Joshua Laerm (University of Georgia). The 1998 meeting in Hot Springs was special in that it was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Laerm. The meeting was outstanding in all regards.

An assessment of the Colloquium after 9 years would seem to indicate that the goals of the early organizers are being met. Each meeting has been somewhat larger than the previous one in attendance, and communications among individuals working in the Southeast have been improved, especially among academic institutions and state and federal agencies. An annual newsletter prepared by J. P Nelson at Bethel College contributed in the most positive manner toward promoting exchange of information during the first 5 years of the Colloquium. Most encouraging has been the discussions among participants of the Colloquium relating to mammalian conservation on a regional scale in addition to state levels. Individuals that have participated in the meetings and shared information with others in the region are to be commended. Because of the many concerns relating to conservation of mammals in the region, meetings like the Colloquium will play a major role in identifying problems and fostering solutions. Overall, the future of the Colloquium appears to be very bright. Planning for the 10th annual meeting (to be held in Alabama and hosted by T. L. Best, Auburn University) is in progress, and it promises to be another outstanding meeting. All individuals with an interest in mammalian conservation in the southeastern United States are invited to attend the annual meeting and participate in all parts of the program.

ADDENDUM

On 25-26 February 2000, the Tenth Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States was held in conjunction with the Fifth Annual meeting of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network at Guntersville State Park, Alabama. The meeting was hosted by T. L. Best of Auburn University and included two poster and 21 oral presentations as well as a panel discussion focused on conservation issues facing mammals in the southeastern United States and the future role of the Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States. Panel members included M. L. Kennedy (organizer), B. R. Chapman, T. H. Henry, D. L. Krusac, R. Reynolds, and M. C. Wooten. Keith Hudson, bat biologist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources led a post-meeting field trip to Blowing Wind Cave and Cathedral Caverns. Moderators for paper sessions were B. McCollum, M. C. Wooten, M. Mitchell, and J. A. Lewis. Participants (ca. 125) voiced a highly successful meeting.

The Eleventh Annual Meeting on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States was held at the Fogelman Executive Center on the Campus of The University of Memphis on 23-24 February 2001. The meeting was a joint meeting with the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network and hosted by M. L. Kennedy. A social on the night of the 23rd provided an opportunity for seeing old friends and discussing an array of topics. On the 24th, there were 35 oral and three poster presentations. Concurrent sessions were used for the first time due to the large number of papers. Moderators for paper sessions included T. L. Best, G. D. Heidt, D. A. Saugey, R. S. Sikes, W. D. Webster, and J. D. Wilhide. The best student paper award went to J. L. Hunt of Auburn University. This was another highly successful meeting. Approximately 130 individuals attended. S. C. Loeb invited the group to meet at Clemson University in 2002, and D. A. Miller extended an invitation to meet in Mississippi in 2003.

The 7th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network and the 12th Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals of the Southeastern United States were held at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina on February 21-22, 2002. The meetings were hosted by Susan Loeb, USDA Forest Service-Southern Research Station & Clemson University, Bently Wigley, NCASI, and Mary Bunch, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Over 130 students, scientists, and managers from universities, state and federal agencies, and private industry across the South attended the 1 _ day meetings. The SBDN meeting featured a workshop on the red bat, Lasiurus borealis, a common but little understood tree-roosting bat that inhabits a variety of forest types in the South. A special session was held Thursday evening on two ³competing² acoustic sampling methods for bats (frequency division vs. time expansion). This session generated much lively discussion about the current and future state of bat research, inventory, and monitoring on public and private lands. Twenty-two presentations were given during the Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals of the Southeastern United States. Papers covered a wide variety of topics including methodology, habitat selection, landscape ecology, toxicology, management, and disturbance of small mammals, bats, and several meso-carnivores . The best student paper was awarded to Jennifer Menzel for her presentation entitled ³The foraging range and summer habitat use of Indiana bats in Illinois (Myotis sodalis)².

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States was held on February 21, 2003 at the Tully Auditorium in Thompson Hall on the campus of Mississippi State University. The meeting was a joint meeting with the 8th Annuall Meeting of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network (SBDN), held at the same location on February 20, 2003. The meetings were hosted by Darren A. Miller and Bruce D. Leopold. A social at the Holiday Inn Express in Starkville, MS on the night of the 20th provided an opportunity for visiting with colleagues and for interactions among students and professionals. At the SBDN meeting, there was a panel discussion on Development and Analysis of Habitat Data for Forest Bats. This included presentations on what information is needed from habitat selection studies of bats (Dan Taylor, BCI), The need for scientific rigor in habitat studies (Mike Lacki, University of Kentucky, presented by Darren Miller), design considerations for radiotelemetry studies (Wes Burger, Mississippi State University), and using euclidean distances in habitat studies of bats (Mike Conner, Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, presented by Darren Miller). On the 21st there were 32 oral and 7 poster presentations. Concurrent sessions were used for the oral presentations. A Program was given to each attendee which included abstracts from the posters and presentations. The best student paper award went to Karen E. Francl of The University of Georgia.

The Ninth Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network and Fourteenth Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States were held at Unicoi State Park near Helen, Georgia on February 12th and 13th, 2004. Steven Castleberry and Mike Mengak of the Warnell School of Forest Resources at the University of Georgia were the local hosts for these annual events. There were about 120 professionals and students in attendance. Topics at Thursday¹s SBDN meeting included discussions of past and upcoming bat blitzes across the Southeast, bat mortality from wild turbines, and rabies considerations for bat researchers. Friday¹s Mammal Colloquium consisted of 30 oral and 10 poster presentations on a variety of topics relating to mammal ecology and conservation. The best student presentation award was given to Jason Jennings of the University of Memphis for his presentation entitled ŒPredation on Artificial Nests of Northern Bobwhites by Mammalian Mesopredators at Varying Distances from Habitat EdgeŒ. Jason received a plaque and a $100 cash prize. At the conclusion, John Nelson of Bethel College invited everyone to the 2005 meetings to be held February 17th and 18th at Paris Landing State Park in Paris Landing, Tennessee.