This is a brief report on how I used the funds that I was awarded in spring 2024 to attend the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network meeting/Colloquium on the Conservation of Southeastern Mammals, which was held February 14-16 in Hilton Head, SC. SBDN is a great regional meeting that largely attracts state and federal agency biologists, environmental consultants, as well as students and their advisors from southeastern universities. While predominantly bat-focused on the first day, along with plenary talks, working group meetings, the SBDN business meeting, and a poster session, the second day is a mixture of bat and terrestrial mammal talks. It’s worth noting that this is a very student friendly meeting, as all student talks are un-opposed and are evaluated with prizes for best talk and poster at the end; I really appreciate this as a way to bring students into society meetings. At this meeting, I was able to give a talk about my current research project, “Investigating the species status of Sherman’s short-tailed shrew (Blarina shermani): preliminary insights”, which has been on-going and I had new data to present since I last presented this project as a poster last year at the American Society of Mammalogists meeting. This topic fits perfectly within the focus of conservation of southeastern mammals, since it deals with whether this species even exists and thus worthy of its state protected status here in Florida. During this meeting, I was also able to attend the Spotted Skunk Working Group meeting, which happened on the first day. This group meets yearly to discuss current research and information on this species of conservation concern. Since the Florida Museum works closely with FWC to deposit all spotted skunk specimens, this was a great opportunity to speak up at the end, along with a few other museum professionals attending from MS and NC, about the importance of museums to help track this species (as well as provide future research opportunities using the specimens as well as their frozen tissues, parasites, etc.) and to encourage everyone to make an effort to place any spotted skunk carcasses they come across into a museum collection, either in their own state or to reach out to an interested collection. A few others and I are trying to bring more awareness about the importance of collections to this meeting and I think this has been a great start. Many thanks to the Natural History Travel Awards committee for assisting me in attending this meeting!
Verity Mathis is a Collection Manager of Mammalogy at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
The CMSS 2024 Spring Travel Awards are supported by the FLMNH Department of Natural History, including funds from the Hoyt and Marta Whipple Biodiversity Fund and the Mary Ross Endowment. If you would like to help support these funds for future CMSS travel awards, please go to:
Hoyt and Marta Whipple Biodiversity Fund
Mary Ross Endowment