20th Biennial SRARNZ Conference 2026

Updates (27 Dec 2025):

Plenary speakers, Presentation guidelines, Programme draft, Activities/ social events (including conference dinner), Carpooling

Venue: Whitianga Community Services Trust, 2 Cook Drive, Coromandel
Date: 28th–30th January 2026

Deadlines*:

Abstract Submission   31 Oct 2025
Registration (FULL in-person attendance) – extended7 Dec 2025
Registration (DAY in-person attendance)21 Jan 2026
Registration (ONLINE attendance) 21 Jan 2026

This is an SRARNZ members-only conference. For application for membership, please fill out the form and submit it to srarnz.treasurer@gmail.com.
*Late fee for conference registration: $50

Registration costs

Registration typeCost (incl. GST)
FULL (in-person attendance)NZ$380
CONCESSION – student/ unwaged1 (in-person attendance)NZ$250
DAY rate (in-person attendance)NZ$150
ONLINE attendanceNZ$150

For in-person attendance, the registration cost includes all meals during the conference. Conference dinner information here.

Late registration will incur a cost: $50

Online registration here

Payments can be made by direct bank transfer to:
Account name: SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN NZ
Account number: 02-0500-0398481-003

If you require an alternate payment, please contact srarnz.treasurer@gmail.com

Programme draft

Draft programme outlined below.

Plenary speakers

We have two plenary speakers for this conference:

About the speaker:
Sara Smerdon is the Conservation Advocate for Mahakirau, leading predator control, biodiversity monitoring, and collaborative research to protect taonga species. With boots firmly on the ground, deep reverence for the natural world, and a creative lens, she weaves field experience and science into stories that remind us: conservation is both a practice and a way of seeing.
Sara will be presenting on the work that has been done at the Mahakirau Sanctuary.

About the speaker:
James Reardon is a herpetologist and invasive-predator ecologist with the Department of Conservation. His work spans threatened lizard recovery, species translocation, toxicant research and the design and delivery of long-term management programmes. James leads a national research initiative investigating the ecological impacts of invasive mice on native fauna and developing strategies to mitigate those pressures. He is also involved in eradication science and practice, serving on the Island Eradication Advisory Group and contributing to multiple herpetofaunal eradication efforts in Aotearoa and internationally. Looking ahead, James intends to broaden his ecological work into more explicitly interdisciplinary and wide boundary framing aimed at confronting the accelerating biodiversity crisis and supporting emergency-level applied conservation responses.
James will be presenting on invasive herpetofauna.

Presentation guidelines

Oral presentation

Full Research talks are 12 mins long, with 3 mins allocated for a question-and-answer session.
Speed talks are 5 minutes long, with no time allocated for questions.

All speakers have been notified of the date and time of their talk – please contact srarnz.conference@gmail.com if you are a speaker and have not heard from us. Please save your presentation as “session_number-surname-2026.pptx” and bring a copy of the file to the conference on the day to be uploaded. Presentations can be uploaded on the morning of your talk, before the first session starts for the day, or during lunch.

Poster presentation

Please prepare your poster at A0 size (841 mm × 1189 mm), and bring it on the first day. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference. The poster session will be on Thursday, 29th Jan 2026, from 12:30-13:30 hrs (during lunch time).

Conference activities / social events

Also, refer to the programme draft for timing and dates.

Informal Welcome (27th Jan 2026)

The registration desk will open the day before the conference starts. Please join us for an informal welcome with some nibbles and drinks, and to meet or catch up with everyone. Time: 17:00-18:30 hrs.

SRARNZ Council meeting – Mitigation/ Compensation Fund proposal (28th Jan 2026)

This meeting is for Council Members and Officers to continue the discussion on the proposed herpetofauna mitigation/ compensation fund. Time: 17:15-18:30 hrs. This time will be free time for other SRARNZ conference participants.

SRARNZ Special General Meeting (29th Feb 2026)

This meeting is open to all SRARNZ members to discuss and approve the revised SRARNZ Constitution under the new Incorporated Societies Act. Time: 17:00-18:00 hrs. Online Teams meeting available – if you are a SRARNZ member and have not been notified, please contact srarnz.secretary@gmail.com.

Informal meeting – herpetofauna mitigation (29th Jan 2026)

This is an informal meeting to catch up and share updates for those involved in reptile and amphibian mitigation and compensation projects or activities. 17:00-18:00 hrs.

Student social/ dinner (28th Jan 2026)

A gathering for students to meet, exchange ideas, and simply socialise and have fun! Please contact Diana Methner (diana.methner@vuw.ac.nz) for more information. Time: 19:00 hrs onwards

Conference dinner (29th Jan 2026)

On-site. Time: 19:00-23:00 hrs. Cost: $40. Note: No invoices will be issued for dinner costs. But a hard-copy receipt can be written on request at the registration desk.

Payments can be made by direct bank transfer to:
Account name: SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN NZ
Account number: 02-0500-0398481-003
Please state your last name and “Dinner” in the reference.

Fieldtrip: RAFFLE Mahakirau Sanctuary (28th Jan 2026)

Raffle tickets available at registration desk (Tues and Wed) for a chance to go on a guided spotlighting at Mahakirau Sanctuary! Five winners will be guided by Sara Smerdon on Wednesday night from 21:00 hrs. Please bring $5 in cash to the registration desk (no change available on-site) to enter the draw for the visit. Tickets will be drawn on Wed afternoon (28th Jan 2026). All proceeds will go to the Mahakirau Sanctuary.

Fieldtrip: Driving Creek (20th Feb 2026)

Driving Creek is approximately 1.5 km drive from Whitianga. We have arranged a guided visit on Friday afternoon (3pm) until night. The visit includes a conservation tour in the wildlife sanctuary, zipline (max 10 persons, c.2.5 hrs) and railway tour (max 30 persons, c. 1.5 hrs), as well as opportunities for guided nightspotting on-site. No entry fee, but koha is appreciated. Dinner will be organised as a group.

Abstract submissions

Abstract submissions are now closed.

Abstracts for the following presentation types:

  • Regular talk (12 mins + 3 min questions)
  • Speed talk (5 mins, no questions)
  • Poster

Please submit your abstract using the following template (DOCX, 83KB) to prepare your abstract to srarnz.conference@gmail.com by the 31st October 2025.

For further questions and information on the mitigation symposium, please contact Diana Methner (diana.methner@vuw.ac.nz).

How to get there

Airplane

Bus/ Shuttle

Car/ Taxi

Parking

Parking is available around the venue.

Carpooling/ group transport

Please email srarnz.conference@gmail.com to be added to the email list so you can contact others and organise carpooling/ group transport.

Places to stay

Camping ground (including caravans, cabins, studios):

Apartments/ Motels:

Online accommodation searches:

SRARNZ Conference Awards

There is travel subsidy available for students presenting at the conference. They have to be paid-up member of SRARNZ to be eligible. See SRARNZ Conference Awards for more information.

  1. This rate applies to students (either currently engaged in undergraduate or postgraduate study, or recently completed [thesis submission <12 months ago]), who are unwaged or otherwise unable to pay the full registration cost. ↩︎