Special activities

5K RUN AND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT- WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2003

The annual 5-K run and volleyball will both be held May 28, 2002 at 5:30 pm at the University of Georgia's Lake Herrick trails and beach. The entry fee is $20 for each event, and includes a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments, shuttle, and event equipment.

For the 5 K run, runners must complete the 5-K Run Form on the NABS 2003 Registration Form. On the form indicate your age bracket and whether you are part of a team. Each team must have at least 3 age brackets represented and one female to qualify. Teams should be named and indicated on the entry form, although team entrants do not need to be confirmed until the day of the race. There is no extra team charge. Each runner's time will be recorded and awards will be presented at the Thursday mixer. Runner's can expect high temperatures and humidity for the race. Efforts will be made to include shaded trails in the course. The Lake Herrick facility has out-door showers to cool off.

For volleyball, participants must complete the Volleyball Tournament Form on the NABS 2003 Registration Form. You can either form a team (5-6 members) or simply submit your registration and be assigned to a team by organizers. Team captains must fill out team member information of the registration form. Awards for the top two teams will be presented courtside after the tourney. The format of the tourney (single or double elimination) will depend on the number of teams. If inclement weather is likely, indoor facilities will be used.

FIELD TRIPS

1. Fly Fishing Day Trip - Sunday June 1, 2003

Fly-Fish the Chattooga River

Come join a couple of fellow benthologists for a full day of fly-fishing on the Chattooga River in north Georgia. We'll drive to a scenic spot located near the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area (about 2.5 hours from Athens). A short, but steep hike will put us into one of the most beautiful spots to fish for trout in Georgia. Trout in this stream average 8''- 12'' and can get (on rare occasion) up to 18''. You must provide your own fishing gear, flies, waders, daypack, etc. We will stop and purchase fishing licenses and lunch on the way up. If the fishing is slow, there's always the benthos, right? See ya there. . . . . .

Contact person: Wyatt Cross, e-mail: cross@sparc.ecology.uga.edu
Cost: $15 plus license and food.
Limited to the first 10 registrants

2. Savannah River Ecology Lab Day Trip - Sunday June 1, 2003

In the 1950's at the height of the Cold War, the Atomic Energy Commission, now the Department of Energy, acquired 200,000 acres of land to establish the Savannah River Site (SRS). Today the site serves important long-term functions for national defense along with ecological research. Most of the site is forested with assorted aquatic and wetland habitats. The largest stream system on the SRS is Upper Three Runs Creek (UTRC) a blackwater, shifting sand stream. Over 650 species of aquatic insects have been collected from UTRC, including 93 species of caddisflies, making it one of the most, if not the most, biodiverse streams in the world.

This trip will visit several stations along UTRC from first to fifth order. In addition we will visit streams that are recovering from past thermal pollution, Carolina bay wetlands and the Savannah River Swamp. The trip will include a visit to the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. The SRS is a restricted site and ONLY United States citizens can obtain visitor badges. Current political events could affect access to the site without notice. All interested participants must submit a badge request to J. Vaun McArthur (mcarthur@srel.edu) two (2) weeks prior to the meeting.

Organizer: J. McArthur
Cost: $15 plus food
Limited to the first 20 registrants

3. Coweeta Hydrologic Lab Day Trip - Sunday June 1, 2003

So you think you've seen it all. Don't be the last on your block to have seen the splendor and breathtaking beauty of the Coweeta. Get out your LTER checklists! Collect them all! Day trip will include tour of the facilities including our recently renovated dorm and wetlab. We will visit Coweeta sites of note and renown including Upper Ball Creek, Cold Springs, WS 53, 54 (site of Rosemond et al. nutrient addition), famous Wallace litter exclusion site, and others. Come to collect beasts, hike, or just to enjoy a little benthic history, Appalachian style!

Organizer: Sally Entrekin
Cost: $15 plus food
Limited to the first 20 registrants

4. Ichauway Ecological Reserve - Saturday May 31 to Monday June 2, 2003

Ichauway is the 29,000-acre outdoor laboratory of the J.W. Jones Ecological Research Center in Southwest Georgia. The reserve is a remnant tract of Longleaf Pine Forest, which once covered the southeastern Coastal Plain but has been largely lost to development. Participants will have an opportunity to see the forest, visit southern deepwater swamps, black-water streams and limesink depressional wetlands. The forest is biologically diverse with more than 1200 species of vascular plants, 280 vertebrate species and an unknown number of invertebrates. There will be opportunities to sample the aquatic invertebrate fauna. Participants will stay on-site in dormitories and the registration fee includes transportation, lodging, and meals.

Organizer: Steve Golladay
Cost: $120
Limited to the first 20 registrants

5. Great Smoky Mountains NP All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project

It has been suggested that NABS members might be interested in touring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ATBI project, either just before or just after the meeting. Anyone interested in leading this trip should contact Darold Batzer (dbatzer@bugs.ent.uga.edu).

6. Guest trips

Mid-week day trips to nearby antebellum homes in Madison, Tallullah Gorge State Park (where the movie Deliverance was filmed), and/or Atlanta will be organized if sufficient demand exists. If interested contact Darold Batzer (dbatzer@bugs.ent.uga.edu).

BANQUET - FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2003

The annual banquet will be held at Charlie Williams's Pinecrest Lodge, a fun local tradition with large grounds with funky historic buildings and aquatic habitats. The menu will highlight traditional southern foods. Ample complementary beer and wine will be provided. Entertainment will include Blue Grass style music and the students will unveil the First Annual NABS Field Day (practice up on your 3-legged racing skills).

BUSINESS LUNCH - WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2003

Our business lunch will be a buffet style meal catered by the Conference Facility. On the registration form you will be asked to indicate whether you would prefer vegetarian fare.