Our Mission:
To educate the general public about these frequently misunderstood animals, promote conservation of all wildlife, especially reptiles and amphibians, and to encourage cooperation between amateur and professional herpetologists toward a broader and deeper knowledge of this fascinating field.
Next Speaker :
2017-09-27
Lee Walston : Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians on Federal Lands click for more/less infoThe federal government owns or administers approximately 640 million acres of land in the United States, and many of these areas contain a significant amount of ecologically important habitat for reptile and amphibian species. In the face of increased urbanization, energy development, and climate change, it is becoming more important for federal agencies to prioritize species conservation in their missions. This presentation will provide an overview of amphibian and reptile conservation on federal lands, with some examples of the work by Argonne National Laboratory. Examples include studies of Blanding's Turtle and Eastern Hognose Snake spatial ecology for the U.S. Air Force and assessment of solar energy impacts on the Desert Tortoise for the Bureau of Land Management.
Lee Walston is an ecologist at Argonne National Laboratory where he has worked for over 10 years to evaluate ecological issues associated with renewable energy development. He completed his B.S. degree in zoology from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale and a Master's degree in biology from Eastern Illinois University. Over the years, Lee has published several journal articles on reptile and amphibian conservation. He is a native of central Illinois, spending most of his childhood chasing blue racers and figuring out the difference between fox snakes and prairie kingsnakes. He and his family currently reside in Chicago's western suburbs. He rarely passes up an opportunity to go herping.
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