2008 Fall Field Meet
Randall County
This year's field meet will be held Friday, 5 September, through Sunday, 7 September. The location is the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/buffalo.html and http://library.fws.gov/Refuges/buffalo_lake.pdf) in Randall County in the Texas Panhandle. The Refuge has over 4,000 acres of short grass prairie, one of the most endangered habitats in the state of Texas. The total area is almost twice that, and bird-watching is a common activity. This should be a great time to visit the Refuge: after the summer’s worst heat, and before the herps have started digging in for the winter. One of the reasons we chose this site will be evident when you check out their web site: there is no herp list on it! The folks at the Refuge would love to have us provide one... There has been surprisingly little herpetological sampling at the Refuge, so there is a good chance of finding new and cool things when walking the many trails. To help with this, we will be able to camp at the Refuge overnight. Basic facilities will be available, although no open charcoal fires are allowed. Herping will be allowed via special permit from the Refuge management, but collecting within the Refuge will not be allowed. Folks who would like to stay at a hotel will need to make reservations in Hereford (about 20 miles away) or Canyon (about 11 miles away). The nearest town, Umbarger (about 3 miles), offers food and gasoline.