Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Amphibian and Reptile Groups of UK (ARG UK), are delighted to announce the 2018 Herpetofauna Workers’ Meeting, which is to be held at the Hilton Hotel in Northampton on 3rd-4th February 2018.

Running annually for over 28 years, this popular two-day event occupies the centre stage of the herpetological calendar. Once again, we offer a full and varied programme of presentations and workshops with plenty of opportunities to network. The meeting attracts a diverse audience representing: conservation organisations, ecological consultants, statutory bodies, land managers, academic institutions and students, and enthusiastic volunteers.

In 2018, we’ll be hearing from a mix of expert speakers with academic researchers, ARG volunteers, environmental NGOs including: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, the Freshwater Habitats’ Trust, ARG UK, the Bat Conservation Trust, the Institute of Zoology, and other renowned experts from across the conservation spectrum. The meeting will cover a range of topics including: snake fungal disease, pond restoration on the Mendips, palmate newts in Devon, managing landscapes for reptiles in coniferous plantations, the impact of agricultural intensification on our amphibians, plus a chance to hear the final results from some of the big national monitoring programmes you’ve participated in, including:  The Freshwater Habitat Trust’s PondNet programme, the latest from Make the Adder Count, and an update from the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS). We will also re-visit the latest findings on eDNA, and Andrew Buxton has kindly agreed to come back and tell us about the findings of last year’s workshop in the light of his most recent research. We will also be hearing about the latest news on great crested newt licensing changes, with some exciting new projects coming on-line early next year, and of course from our local volunteer group about the amphibians and reptiles of Northamptonshire.

We are also pleased to announce a strong workshop programme, and topics will include: conserving adders in woodland areas which will be led by the new ‘Back from the Brink’ project team in Rockingham Forest; finding out more about combating wildlife crime, helping ARC to develop a Rapid Site Assessment or natterjacks, creating and monitoring SUDs schemes that benefit our native amphibians, and exploring 'what are the ingredients for a successful ARG?'. As ever, something for everyone!

Registrations open on Monday 6th November. This extremely popular conference fills up quickly so please do register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!