The East Texas Herpetological Society is gearing up for our annual spring field meet/camping trip. This year we will team up with the Austin Herpetological Society and the DFW Herpetological Society to visit the Big Thicket National Preserve near Kountze, Texas. We have a camping area secured about a mile from the Big Thicket National Preserve visitors center in the Indian Springs Camp Park. Please take a moment to view the entire area map to locate the visitors center. Most of our activities will center around this general location.

There are several diferent ways to reach the town of Kounzte, below will give you a general idea where the nearest city is from our camping location.

KOUNTZE, TX ON A MAP

MORE SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS TO OUR CAMPING AREA FROM KOUNTZE

Within the campsite we will have access to 4 cabins, one dining hall, and shower facilitys for the entire weekend. There will not be enough room for everyone to sleep in a cabin but there is plenty of room to throw up a tent or unroll a sleeping bag in the dining hall. Based on previous numbers we will set aside two cabins for the ETHS and two for the AHS and DFW herp society. If you are camping impaired there is a SUPER 8 very close in the town of Kountze.

GROUND RULES FOR THE TRIP AND OTHER INFORMATION

No collecting of any wildlife (we have permission to detain herps for a day or so for photograghs and observations, but they must be released back where they were found) no habitat destruction (ripping logs apart or altering habitat in any way) leave everything cleaner than you found it (clean up after you, your pets, and your children)

ITEMS TO BRING

herping equipment (dipnets, minnow traps, pearch traps, GPS, etc..)
camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, bug spray, cooking equipment, etc.)
some snack foods for early in the day on saturday (depending on how long your stay will be)

There will be a dinner meal provided by the herp club on Saturday and a breakfast meal on Sunday morning for the entire group free of charge for herp club members.

COST FOR PARTICIPANTS

We will need to charge a small fee to secure the camp grounds

$10 a person or $20 per family for the entire weekend

ALso, you need to be a member in good standing with one of the herp societys to come along on the trip. YOU CAN ALWAYS SIGN UP during the event.

IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND, PLEASE EMAIL ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS SO WE CAN PREPARE A LIST AND GAUGE THE NUMBER OF ATTENDIES (MAKE NOTE OF CAMP TRIP IN YOUR TITLE)

ROBERT EDWARDS

TIM COLE

MARK PYLE

Looking forward to a large group and great weekend of herping, just remember to keep everything clean and have fun!

ETHS, AHS, AND THE DFWHS