2009 SYMPOSIUM
Desert Tortoise Council
34th Annual Symposium
February 19-22, 2009
Casa Blanca Resort & Casino, Mesquite, Nevada
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Photo Contest
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Register Before January 14 to Get Early Bird Rates!
In case you were wondering, we have been assured
by our Casa Blanca service representative that the
casino is looking forward to our event. The owner,
Mr. Black, owns four casinos in Mesquite. He is
cutting costs by temporarily closing the Oasis,
which has made the regional media. The Casa Blanca
is to stay open. |
We are excited to bring the Symposium to a new venue
this year, the Casa Blanca
Resort and Casino in Mesquite, Nevada. Initially we
planned to hold the meeting in St. George, but the board
decided to move it to Mesquite to secure lower hotel room
rates within the government per diem limits.
Field Trips. Our Mesquite location provides easy
access to tortoise habitat. Thursday's field trips to the
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and the Woodbury-Hardy plot on
the Beaver Dam Slope will be just a short van drive away.
We hope you will join us as local biologists and reserve
managers lead trips into the northern-most corner of
desert tortoise habitat. It will be a great chance to
stretch you legs before the classroom portion of the
program begins on Friday. Field trips start at 1:00 PM
SHARP on Thursday. You will be picked up and dropped off
at the Casa Blanca. You can expect to be back to Mesquite
by approximately 7 PM.
You must sign-up for field trips with your
registration, as space is limited and they are on a
first-come, first-served basis. See the registration form
for more details.
Hotel Registration. To reserve your room at the
Casa Blanca,
call 1-877-438-2929. You must be at least 21 years of age
and have a major credit card. Be sure to mention you are
with “The Desert Tortoise Council,” or group #17904. Room
rates per night for Weds-Thurs. is $49.98 and Fri-Sat is
$64.98, subject to 9% room tax. Requests for rooms after
January 19 will be accepted on a space-available basis but
the special group rate will not be available.
Symposium Registration. DTC is now set up to
process registrations
online using Paypal. Please take advantage of
earlybird Symposium
registration rates. If your registration is
postmarked, or processed online, after January 14, rates
are higher.
Transportation. Mesquite is approximately 1 hour
north of Las Vegas and 35 minutes south of St. George on
Interstate 15. If flying into Las Vegas, you can rent a
car or contact Mesquite Bus Company at 888-855-4287.
Though Mesquite Bus Co has suspended daily shuttles due
to the economy, they have agreed, to provide charter
airport transportation for our group. They can offer an
afternoon (~ 2 PM) and evening shuttle pickup (~7 PM)
Thursday at McCarran Airport, and return shuttles Sunday
(~ noonish and ~ 4 PM) Please make reservations by Friday,
February 6. Cost will be approximately $50.00 round-trip
per person.
Mesquite is only one
hour north of Las Vegas on I-15. For those flying
into Vegas, a reliable and convenient door-to-door shuttle
provides round-trip service between the airport and the
Casa Blanca for $75.00. (mesquitebusco.com
or 1-888-855-4 bus phone reservations). Of course, rental
cars are also available.
Day time temperatures in late February can easily reach
the mid 60's, while nights may dip to the mid 30's. It may
not be warm enough to jump in the Casa Blanca's famous
waterfall and pool, but it is perfect for getting
outdoors. The Casa Blanca makes it easy to get out for
fresh air and fun. For an alternative lunch break, grab
some friends for a game of sand volleyball in the court
located by the pool. Doors in the convention area open to
the large outdoor space.
Symposium Index
| Call for Papers
| Registration |
Photo Contest
|
