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For immediate release October 9, 2008

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION HOSTS 35TH ANNUAL NATURAL AREAS CONFERENCE OCT. 14-17

Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will host the 35th Annual Natural Areas Conference in Nashville Oct. 14-17, in partnership with the Natural Areas Association and the National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils.  The four-day conference, titled “Natural Areas Revival in Music City:  Tuning Into a Changing Climate and Biological Invasion,” will be held downtown at The Doubletree Hotel. 

The conference will focus on ecological management themes with an emphasis on invasive exotic species issues and the effects of climate change.  The gathering also will serve as the NAEPPC’s inaugural conference, bringing its invasive species expertise to share with conference attendees. 

Presenters from across the country will be featured, with topics ranging from global conservation issues to early detection of invasive species to ecological restoration.  Other sessions will include biocontrol of invasives, forest health, weed risk assessment, karst ecosystem management, urban natural areas, and rare element conservation, among others. 

A special plenary session will be offered free to the public from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. on October 14 at the War Memorial Auditorium.  Coupled with a presentation on Tennessee’s natural history, national experts will speak on the threats that global climate change and biological invasion pose to our natural areas.

“The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Natural Areas Division is proud to serve as host of this outstanding and important conference,” said Reggie Reeves, director for the Division of State Natural Areas.  “This a great opportunity to learn more about best practices from experts across the United States and how we can do our part in protecting and preserving our natural areas.”

In addition to the various roundtable discussions and workshops, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one of 24 unique field trips on Oct. 16, lead by numerous experts and educators. 

Please visit https://naturalareas.org/08conference/ for additional details about the conference, or contact TDEC at (615) 532-0436 or [email protected].  For questions about the Natural Areas Association, please contact Deb Kraus at (541) 317-0199 or visit https://naturalareas.org/contact.aspx

Free tickets for the Oct. 14 plenary session are available by contacting (615) 532-0431, and will be available the day of the event at the War Memorial Auditorium, at TPAC box offices and at Ticketmaster outlets. For more information about this special session, please visit https://naturalareas.org/08conference/plenary.html.

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For more information contact:

Meg Lockhart
Office (615) 253-1916

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