Iguana Conference set for March 17-24

The Utila Iguana Field Station, a joint project of the Senckenberg Nature Research Society and the Frankfurt Zoological Society will be hosting the annual conference of the International Iguana Society in March 2003.

International experts on reptile husbandry and species conservation will be taking part in the conference. In addition to formal presentations on reptile conservation, conference participants will be evaluating the work of the Utila Conservation Project and learning more about the diverse natural habitat of the small island of Utila on several field trips

The International Iguana Society conference will take place on the Island of Utila off the Caribbean north coast of Honduras from March 17 to 24 2003.

Since 1994, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society have worked jointly to preserve the endangered lizard Ctenosaura bakeri, the Utila Spiny-tailed Iguana. Several other organizations, e.g. Honduran NGOs, have provided support for the project. More than 200 volunteers have also assisted with work in the field. In addition to the preservation of the Utila Iguana and its critical mangrove habitat, other core goals of the project include sustainable development of the island of Utila (a popular destination for divers), as well as the creation of environmental awareness among the local inhabitants by providing information and environmental education.

The Utila Iguana has become emblematic for the conservation of the important mangrove habitat; the ecological significance and endangered status of which are often underestimated compared to rainforest and coral reefs.

Since 1998, the Iguana Station, built by the Zoological Society, has provided a home base for environmental education efforts, iguana breeding and ecological research. Most of the work has been done with the help of volunteers, who spend from 4 to 12 weeks at the Station.

For more information? Ask: project director, Dipl. Biol. Sven Zörner e-mail: Szoerner@utila-iguana.de Tel.: +49 (0) 162 91 37 354, Ringstr. 40 D-65468 Trebur, Germany or AJ Gutman, e-mail: ctenosaura@cyclura.com, Tel.: 860 236 8203, International Iguana Society, Inc., 133 Steele Road, West Hartford, CT 06119, U.S.A

Internet: http://www.iguanasociety.org/ http://www.ZGF.de