Lourdes Rodriguez Schettino speaking at the 2009 Anolis symposium
Symposia on anole biology have been held three times in the last 25 years. First, in 1989 as part of the ASIH meetings in San Francisco, then in 1999 in conjunction with the herpetology meetings at Penn State, and most recently as a stand-alone meeting at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard in 2009. These meetings have been a great success–the MCZ meeting was attended by more than 125 people (take a photographic trip down Memory Lane).
The time has come to think about the next Anolis Symposium. The meeting organizers have settled on 2016 in Miami. We’re considering a number of great venues there, so it should be a fun, anole-filled event, easily accessible for anole researchers from all over.
The question is: when should the symposium be held? In January, right after the holidays? February, in the heart of winter? August, right after the Ecological Society of America meeting in Fort Lauderdale? October, like the last meeting?
We’re going to try to pick the date that works best for most potential attendees, so please comment below and let us know which dates are good or bad, and why.
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Liam Revell
I would love to attend, but I vote for between Christmas & New Year’s or February. I have my own selfish reasons for avoiding January, but I’d also like to point out that immediately after the holidays (i.e., early January) would most likely conflict with the SICB meetings. – Liam
cybokat
How about adding a Doodle poll link?
I’d prefer January, since it’s the only date not conflicting with the semester…
Thomas Sanger
SICB often has a good turnout of anole biologists so I will second what Liam said regarding potential conflicts with a January anole meeting. I suggest the first few weeks of June or the middle of August to comprise with commitments during the academic semester and a packed summer of meetings and field work. Granted, I am not teaching so I am really just trying to be accommodating to those that do. My real concerns are the conflict in January and in the middle of summer.
Renoir Auguste
Later in the year sounds good (August or October).
Carlos
I agree that conflicting with SICB would be really unfortunate, since it is such a great meeting for students and the number Anolis talks seem to be really picking up the last few years. Then it becomes a matter of avoiding the other big summer meetings (Evolution, Ichs/Herps, Dev Bio, etc.), so maybe mid-August?
James Stroud
Woohoo!
I would advise a placement earlier in the year. The climate is much nicer and all lizards and still observable! January would be a perfect time. I would strongly advise against anything in the Summer (i.e. August) because, as anyone that has visited then knows, it’s not the nicest place to be!
Amber Wright
I vote for August after the ecology meetings. January could be okay depending on when classes start (generally second week in Jan for us).
Martha Muñoz
I second the concerns mentioned above regarding overlap with SICB, which will be held in Portland, Oregan, likely from January 3-7 (dates are not finalized, but that would be consistent with previous years). My preference is for a summer conference (June-August). I’m now working on Australian herps and will likely be in the field during January, as it will be summer here.