2025 Annual Meeting Golden, CO

15-19 June 2025

The annual meeting of the American Arachnology Society will be held at the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, Colorado, USA 15-19 June 2025. The meeting host is Dr. Paula Cushing, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

About Golden

Golden – “Where the West Lives!” – is a former gold rush town located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The town quickly became an important supply stop for miners seeking their fortune in the gold and silver mining camps high up in the mountains. It became the capital of the Colorado Territory in 1872. In 1876, when Colorado became a state, Golden vied with Denver for the honor of becoming the new state’s capital city but it lost, much to the chagrin of its business owners. Golden is just a 15-minute drive to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is now home to many restaurants, boutique stores, bars, and galleries/museums.

Pre-meeting Linyphidae ID

There will be a pre-meeting Linyphiidae identification workshop on Saturday, June 14th, in the arachnology lab at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Those interested in attending this workshop should plan to arrive June 13th. All other attendees should plan to arrive June 15th.

Meeting overview

Attendees will be welcomed at an evening social Sunday, June 15th on the Colorado School of Mines campus. That same evening, there will be an early-career/student social at a local venue. The oral and poster sessions will be held June 16th to 18th. There will be a post-conference field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday, June 19th.

Getting there

By air fly into Denver International Airport (DIA). You can catch a RTD A Line light rail train to Union Station

By train arrive in Denver's Union Station

By car Golden is about a half-hour drive (15 mi/24 km) from Denver via US-6 W.

From Union Station you can either take an Uber to the School of Mines Campus (it will be cheaper than from DIA: about $25 from Union Station vs around $65 from the airport). Or you can take the RTD W Line train to Jefferson County Government Center in Golden, where there are free shuttles to take you to Campus. Alternatively, you can take the RTD G Line train from Union Station to Wheat Ridge/War, Rd where the organizing committee will arrange for pickup to the meeting venue. NOTE: If you plan to take the RTD G Line and wish to be picked up at the Wheat Ridge/Ward Station, you will need to send us your arrival details.
See schedules for all RTD lines. The G Line train is on Track #7 at Union Station – very close to where the A Line lets you off. The W Line train is on Track #11 or #12 (you can walk over to that track underground at Wewatta Pavilion all the way over and up, following signs to the W Line).
Information about transportation in and around Denver can be found here. For flight updates visit flydenver.com.

Housing

Accommodation for most attendees will be in a new dormitory on the School of Mines campus, a minute or two walk from the meeting venue, and will include breakfast. Additional accommodation will be available at Table Mountain Inn and the Golden Hotel in town (also short walks from the meeting site). Several bed & breakfasts are available in the city of Golden. More information about accommodations and meeting details will be posted soon. We expect attendance to be high at this meeting. It is strongly recommended that attendees planning to stay in one of the hotels or bed & breakfasts in town make their reservations early next year.

Registration

Registration will be between $400-$500 USD for non-student attendees and $200-$250 USD for students. Accompanying adults who plan on attending the socials or the pre-organized daily trips will pay $50-$75 USD. Local Colorado Arachnophiles who are interested in attending just some of the sessions will be charged a walk-up registration rate (TBD – but you must be part of Paula Cushing’s “arachnophile” list). Accompanying children age 12-18 attending the socials or daily organized events will cost $20-$30 USD; children under 12 will attend for free. Early registration will open in late April.

Scientific program

Marshal Hedin, Eileen Hebets, and Damian Elias are the program organizers for the meeting. They are soliciting ideas for symposia and plenary speakers. Please contact mhedin@~@sdsu.edu with ideas for symposia topics.

Presentation guidelines, grants and awards

Please consult these guidelines for giving an excellent research presentation. Also note that AAS provides travel support to enable student members to attend the meeting and present the results of their research projects.

Colorado tips for travelers

Colorado is called the “Mile High City” for a reason – Denver and Golden start out at an elevation of 5,280 ft (1,609 m). It is a state full of natural beauty and wonder. However, it is high and dry. It is highly recommended that visitors (particularly those not used to being at elevation) adhere to the following tips:

• Stay hydrated – drinking plenty of water is the best way to help your body adjust to higher elevations and to our very dry climate.
• Reduce your caffeine intake (except when you really need to stay awake during sessions!).
• In Colorado’s rarified air, golf balls go 10% farther ... and so do cocktails. Alcoholic drinks pack more of a wallop than at sea level.
• Eat foods high in potassium like bananas, avocados, fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, granola.
• Watch your physical activity – if you normally run 10 miles a day at home, you might reduce this here.
• We are closer to the sun – we really are! Use sunscreen, bring a hat, and wear sunglasses.
• Altitude sickness is real. If you follow the previous tips, you should be fine; but if you start feeling off, let one of the meeting hosts or volunteers know.