Thirty-Second Annual Meeting

Wednesday June 25th to
Monday June 30th
2008

The University of California at Berkeley

Hosted by:

Rosemary Gillespie & Charles Griswold

PLEASE REGISTER BY TUESDAY JUNE 10
AND SUBMIT ABSTRACTS BY SATURDAY JUNE 7

Contents for this Page

Updated May 9, 2008

GENERAL OVERVIEW This year’s AAS meeting will be held beside the campus of the University of California at Berkeley, founded in 1868. The UC Berkeley campus is home to a series of Natural History Museums, dating back to the early history of the institution: The Essig Museum of Entomology, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the UC and Jepson Herbaria, the UC Museum of Paleontology, the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and the UC Botanic Gardens. The city of Berkeley lies at the base of the Berkeley Hills, which rise steeply behind the campus (up to 535 m), and is traversed by the Hayward Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault to the west. The city is well known for its vibrancy and liberalism, being the home of the 1960’s Free Speech Movement. The city of San Francisco is well connected to Berkeley, and provides a rich array of cultural offerings. The California Academy of Sciences, currently closed as it moves to its new facilities, is scheduled to open later this year in Golden Gate Park. The new building, designed by renown architect Renzo Piano, includes a huge, undulating, and functional, living roof, which will slope over interior exhibitions and read as hills against the natural landscape. It will house an aquarium, planetarium, and exhibition spaces.

Oral and poster sessions will be based in the Foothill Residence Halls (see below) in the Northside hills of Berkeley, located directly across the street from campus.

Weather: Berkeley has a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and wet winters as is typical in the Mediterranean region, but with a cool modification in summer due to upwelling ocean currents along the California coast. Accordingly, summer typically brings night and morning fog, which can be chilly, followed by sunny, warm days.

HOUSING AND MEALS ON CAMPUS The Foothill Residence Halls offers suite style housing featuring single and double occupancy suites, as well as laundry facilities and lounges. The residence hall has the look and feel of a ski resort and provides a peaceful setting for meetings. All rooms are carpeted and furnished. Ethernet network connections are provided in every room allowing access to the internet and campus resources and free basic Cable TV. In-room telephone lines are also provided. The dining center for breakfast and lunch is in the same complex. Foothill has its own executive chef; menus include traditional favorites, ethnic specialties, vegetarian and vegan selections.

Address: UC Foothill Residence Hall
2700 Hearst Avenue (and Highland Place)
Berkeley, CA  94720
Ph:  (510) 642-1676

Check-In: June 25th 2008 after 3:00 p.m. at the Stern Hall Front Desk which is located next to Foothill (there will be signs directing you to Stern Hall). Stem Hall is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 

Check-Out: June 30th 2008 before Noon

Package Rate (room, breakfast, lunch): $290.00 per person/double occupancy;  $420.00 per person/single occupancy. Dormitory-style room with a shared bath on the same floor (package price covers 5 nights accommodation and includes breakfast and lunch (not dinner); no refunds for late arrivals or early departure.)  For those not staying in the dorm, there is the option of the “commuter package” (lunch on 26, 27, 28th) for $31.50 per person.

Meals at Foothill: Breakfast Served: 7:15–9:30 a.m. and Lunch Served: 11a.m.-1.30 p.m.

Parking: Please see the note about parking given below.

NEARBY ACCOMODATIONS: If you would prefer not to stay in dorm rooms, there are several hotels nearby; however, these tend to be expensive, with a limited number of small rooms.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (more information later)

Wednesday, June 25th

Registration and Check-in

Informal Mixer

 

Thursday, June 26th

Oral & Poster Sessions

Friday, June 27th

Oral Sessions

Casual Arachnid Evening

Saturday, June 28th

Oral Sessions

Business Meeting

Evening Banquet & Student Awards, Auction (Life Science Building)

Sunday, June 29th: 

Field Trips  

 

FIELD TRIP AND OTHER OUTINGS We plan to offer a collecting trip to a local reserve and a "fun" trip to Napa for wine tasting.

Tilden Park Collecting Trip: Tilden Park is a local favorite that offers access to hiking trails in a mixture of habitat types including oak- woodland and redwood forest. The park is situated high in the Berkeley Hills, provides excellent views of the Bay Area, and features a botanical garden devoted to California endemics. Participants will be loaned basic collecting equipment and allowed to collect arachnids in specific areas of the park. Transportation will be provided. Those with the dorm/meal package will be able to pick up a meal free of charge before leaving for the field trip. All others need to make some other arrangement for lunch.

Napa Valley Winery Tour: The Napa Valley is one of the most famous wine regions in the world, and offers visitors access to more than 300 tasting rooms. We will be visiting 4 wineries on this trip, including St. Supéry, V. Sattui, Beaulieu Vineyards, and Rombauer all of which have won awards in recent years and are Napa favorites. Transportation will be provided, but please bring $5 per winery as they typically charge a small tasting fee. Those with the dorm/meal package will be able to pick up a meal free of charge before leaving for the field trip. All others need to make some other arrangement for lunch.

San Francisco: An alternative “self-guided” option is to visit the sights of San Francisco:

  • Pier 39 Tourist central: shops, sea lions, wax museums, Aquarium of the Bay http://www.pier39.com/  Public transit access: BART to Embarcadero Stn., Muni #10 or F line. 
  • Alcatraz- Audio or live tours explaining the history of the many notorious inmates and how a lucky few escaped. www.alcatrazcruises.com  Public transit access: same as Pier 39 (ferries leave from nearby piers). 
  • Chinatown- Largest Chinatown outside of Asia. Interesting shops- not for those with a  weak stomach. You will see many interesting shops selling food you never knew existed (let alone eaten). Also check out the shrines, gardens and even fortune cookie factory http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/  Public transit access: BART to Powell St Stn. Muni #45 or 30. 
  • Architecture Walking Tours- Tour of unique downtown buildings  www.architecturesf.com  Public transit access: BART to downtown SF. 
  • SF MoMA- Great temporary exhibits and permanent collection including O’Keefe, Pollock, Warhol and Matisse http://www.sfmoma.org/  Public transit access: BART to Montgomery St stn. 
  • Golden Gate Bridge- Walk across this iconic bridge or stay on solid ground and take pictures http://goldengatebridge.org/  Public transit access: BART to downtown SF, Golden Gate Transit #10, 60, 70 or 80 or Muni #28. 
  • Golden Gate Park- This park has it all: Conservancy of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Old people playing Bocce ball, Disc Gold course, Botanical Garden, Windmills, Bison, DeYoung Art Museum, Drum circles and Roller Disco on Sundays. Public transit access: BART to Civic Center Stn. Muni #5.

OTHER MEETING EVENTS AND MEETING T-SHIRTS

Special Events

  • There will be a mixer the first night.
  • An informal social event and poster display the second night.
  • The conference banquet will be held in the Valley Life Sciences Building courtyard, adjacent to the Berkeley Natural History Museums (Essig Museum of Entomology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC and Jepson Herbaria, UC  Museum of Paleontology) on the UC Berkeley campus.

Auction Items/Reprints Be sure to comb-your-closets for items suitable to be placed  on the block at the annual Vince Roth Memorial Auction.  All sorts of arachnological books, clothing, and paraphernalia may be offered. You can either mail items to Rosemary Gillespie at the address below, or bring them with you. If you plan to bring items, please let me know in advance so we can begin to put together a list.

Reprints Bring your extra reprints to the meeting to exchange with colleagues. A room will be available during the meeting where reprints will be available for exchange.

Casual Night with Arachnids The traditional informal presentations will be held on Friday evening (27 June) from 7 -9 pm.
Those who wish to be considered for inclusion in the list of presenters must contact Jerry Rovner .Please see the instructions before contacting Jerry. Commercial videos will be allotted more time and will be shown after the presentations.)

Jerry will inform each individual as to whether her or his submitted presentation will be included in the schedule.

AAAFF Talks for the Arachnological Association for the Absorption of Federal Funds (AAAFF) can take place during the Casual Night with Arachnids. Let Jerry Rovner (see Casual Night, above) know if you have a presentation.

T-shirts: T-shirts with the meeting logo (shown above) will be available for purchase at $15 each. Order with registration to insure you get one. Adult sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL available.

TRAVEL Berkeley is easy to reach by your choice of transportation - highway, rail, or air. 

Flights: There are two large airports that serve Berkeley:

  • San Francisco International airport (SFO) which is 25 miles from the UC Berkeley campus, and
  • Oakland International airport (OAK) which is 15 miles away.

From the airport there are two easy options for reaching the Berkeley campus: (1) the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train that takes you to downtown Berkeley; and (2) the Bayporter Shuttle, a door-to-door van service.

  • BART Info: SFO airport:  http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/index.jsp. From SFO Airport to the Downtown Berkeley Station.
    • Take the Air Train inside the airport which has a stop at the BART station. One-way ticket from SFO to Downtown Berkeley is around $5.65 and the machine takes either cash or credit cards.
    • When you arrive at the Downtown Berkeley BART station, walk up the stairs, you will be on the corner of Center and Shattuck where taxis are always available.
    • Take a Taxi (~$10.00) to the Foothill Residence Halls located at 2700 Hearst and Highlands Place. 
    • There will be signs directing you to the Stern Hall Front Desk for check-in.
  • BART Info: OAK airport:  http://www.flyoakland.com/index2.cfm. BART from the Oakland airport to the Downtown Berkeley Station. 
    • Since BART does not stop inside the Oakland Airport you need to take the AirBART Shuttle, which is located in front of either Terminal 1 or 2 (Southwest Airlines), to the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART Station. Fares for AirBART are $3.00, payable in cash (EXACT FARE ONLY).
    • The AirBART shuttle trip takes 15 to 30 minutes depending upon traffic.
    • A one-way ticket from the Oakland Airport to Downtown Berkeley is around $2.10 and the machine takes either cash or credit cards.
    • When you arrive at the Downtown Berkeley BART station, walk up the stairs, you will be on the corner of Center and Shattuck where taxis (~$10.00) are always available. 

Please read the instructions posted on the BART website for detailed instructions, train schedule, and transfer point to the Downtown Berkeley Station: http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/airport.asp

Airport Shuttle: Airport Shuttles are readily available at both airports. The cost of a one-way fare is about $29. At both SFO and OAK there are designated courtyards where the shuttle stops, see http://www.bayporter.com/i.htm for maps.

At SFO

  • When you have your baggage and are ready for Ground Transportation at SFO, go to the Courtyards listed on the web site.
  • The Bayporter Express shuttle will board passengers within 30 minutes upon arrival from 6am to 10pm daily.
  • Reservation is recommended; call BayPorter Dispatcher at 1-877-467-1800 (Bay Area Toll Free) for airport pick ups.

For OAK:

  • When you have your baggage and are ready for Ground Transportation, call the BayPorter Dispatcher at 1-877-467-1800 (Bay Area Toll Free) for airport pick up.
  • Then go to the Door to Door Reservation Shuttle Stops
      • at OAK Terminal #1 (All Major Airlines Except Southwest Airline),
        • go out from the baggage door, cross the street to the last island. Look for a bus shelter #4B indicating "Door to Door Reservations."
        • Be sure to inform the Curb Coordinator that you have reservation with BayPorter Express.
      • at OAK Terminal #2 (Southwest Airlines),
        • go out from the baggage door, cross the street to the last island . Look for a bus shelter #4G indicating "Door to Door Reservations".
        • Be sure to inform the Curb Coordinator that you have reservation with BayPorter Express.

Taxi Services: Yellow Airport Taxi Service (510) 845-3333. Airport Express Taxi Service (510) 486-0222. Cost of a one-way fare to UC Berkeley will be around $70.

Automobiles:  (please see parking note below)
From San Francisco airport:

  • get on US-101 N  via the ramp on the left toward San Francisco.
  • After 12 miles, keep right to take I-80 E via exit 433B toward Bay Bridge/ Oakland/ Seventh St/ US-101 N.
  • Exit after 11 miles, merging onto University Ave toward Berkeley.
  • After 2.1 miles turn left on to Shattuck Avenue, and then after 0.1 miles turn right on to Hearst Avenue.
  • After 0.7 miles you will arrive at Foothill (2700 Hearst Ave Berkeley, CA 94720-2293).

MapQuest Map for SFO to meeting

Coming from Oakland airport:

  • start on Airport Drive towards Alan Shepard Way (0.2 miles);
  • turn right on Alan Shepard Way and
  • immediately right on John Glenn Drive (0.3 miles).
  • Turn left on Airport Drive (0.7 miles) and stay straight to go on to 98th Avenue (0.4 miles).
  • Turn left on to Airport Access Road (0.2 miles), then
  • right on to Hegenberger Rd (0.8 miles).
  • Merge onto I-880 N toward downtown Oakland (6.4 miles),
  • then keep right to take I-980 toward CA-24/ Walnut Creek (1.5 miles).
  • Keep left to take CA-24 E toward Berkeley/ Walnut Creek (1.7 miles) and then
  • take the Claremont Avenue exit (0.2 miles).
  • Turn slight left on to College Avenue (1.3 miles) then
  • right on to Durant Avenue (0.1 miles).
  • Then take a left on to Piedmont Avenue (0.3 miles).
  • Piedmont Avenue becomes Gayley Road (0.3 miles)
  • end at 2700 Hearst Ave Berkeley, CA 94720-2293

MapQuest Map for OAK to meeting

 

A Note About Parking:
Parking is not easy anywhere close to the UC Berkeley campus, and use of public transportation is highly recommended.
Street parking around the Berkeley campus is limited. The City of Berkeley requires a permit to park on city streets. Vehicles without permits are subject to two-hour parking restrictions between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

Parking permits should be purchased prior to the meeting; they are offered as a package for the entire meeting for $65. These permits are available with the on-line of "paper" registration.
Individuals may also purchase daily permits from dispensing machines in the lots, though the price for these permits varies based upon the amount of time you will be parking.

 

Local Host Contact Information
Rosemary G. Gillespie Charles E. Griswold
University of California Berkeley Department of Entomology
Division of Insect Biology, 137 Mulford Hall California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street
Berkeley, CA 94720-3114 San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
VOICE: (510) 642-3445 VOICE: (415) 379-5312
FAX: (510) 642-7428  
E-mail: gillespie@berkeley.edu E-mail: cgriswold@calacademy.org
 
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