Session Topic Areas 

The conference will include the following topics. Call for Presentations is now open.

• Land Management in Light of Climate Change
• Collaborative Approaches to Conservation
• Native Plant Materials in Natural Areas Management
• Pollinators in Natural Areas Management
• Migration Corridors and Assisted Migration
• Private Land Conservation
• Karst Conservation
• Fire Ecology
• Genetic Diversity & Biodiversity
• Invasive Species
• Restoration Ecology
• Working Landscapes Conservation
• Urban and Wildland Interface Issues
• Endangered Species Conservation
• Monitoring Species Populations and Natural Areas
• Maximizing Data and Technology to Inform Natural Areas Management  
• The Role of Focal Species in Conservation Planning
• Communicating the Importance of our Work
• The Role of Humanities in Conservation

Venue / Reserve Rooms 

Most conference events will take place in the Indiana Memorial Union complex on the IU campus, which includes the historic Biddle Hotel. 

We have a block of discounted rooms available for attendees at the Biddle, where all guest rooms were newly renovated in 2017. Registration for the conference does not include accommodations: rooms must be reserved by calling 800-209-8145 or 812-855-2536  BEFORE SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 and mentioning the Natural Areas Conference, or by going online and using the code NATURALAREAS18.

Prices for rooms will range from $134 to $174, depending on room type. A limited number of rooms are available at the government rate for those who qualify. Please inquire at time of reservation. Parking for hotel guests is free. Get additional information about the Biddle Hotel. 

We also have a block of rooms reserved at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott. Rates here are $132 a night if you identify yourself as part of the Natural Areas Conference. Parking is free. Reserve your room by calling 812-335-8000 or 1-800-228-9290. Deadline is October 8, 2018.

NOTE: Accommodations for attendees on THURSDAY, October 25th are very limited at the Biddle. We recommend that those staying over Thursday evening who cannot reserve at the Biddle take advantage of our room block at the Courtyard by Marriott. 

Plenary Speakers 

Opening Plenary
Professor Scott Russell Sanders, award-winning author of A Conservationist Manifesto and Stone Country: Then & Now, will be our keynote speaker.   Dr. Heather Reynolds of Indiana University will also appear as an opening plenary speaker. A plant ecologist, Heather heads the Reynolds Laboratory, which studies plant-environment interactions with a focus on native species, and restoration in the face of climate change. Indiana Department of Natural Resources plant ecologist Mike Homoya will present on the natural features of Indiana. Mike is the author of Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide. We will also have Arthur Pearson, author of a biography of NAA co-founder George Fell, speaking at the NAA Awards Banquet. Find out more details.

We'll be posting details on our Closing Plenary speakers as soon as we have them confirmed. 

Field Workshops 

Field Workshops demonstrate land management strategies through case studies and on-the-ground observation, and are a critical part of conference programming. Field Workshops are currently being planned for a wide range of Indiana natural areas, and a full list of those offered will be available as soon as they are confirmed. Check back often!