"The Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Gastropods" will be the centerpiece symposium at the 68th meeting of the American Malacological Society August 3 - 7, 2002, in Charleston, South Carolina.  Symposium participants will include S. Ahlstedt, J. Alderman, A. Bogan, K. Brown, M. Glaubrecht, R. Guralnick, P. D. Johnson, S. G. Johnson, E. Jokinen, C. Lydeard, R. McMahon, T. Stewart, F. G. Thompson, J. Todd, and A. Wethington.  In addition, Amy Wethington has organized a special satellite session entitled, "Pulmonate Gastropods in the Laboratory" which will focus on the importance of this group as experimental models.

The FMCS Committee on the Status and Distribution of Gastropods will meet Sunday evening August 4.  Our agenda will focus on a review of the national strategy for freshwater gastropod conservation, as well as plans for our still-nascent FWGNA project.

The five-day meeting is being hosted by the College of Charleston's Lightsey Conference Center, in the heart of one of the most beautiful cities in America.  A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westin Francis Marion Hotel adjacent to the Lightsey Center, and dormitory housing is available at a very modest rate.

On-line registration and a call for papers are available on the conference web site:
AMS2002.htm

Or if you prefer more conventional registration methods, I'll be happy to send you a packet of materials via good old-fashioned snail mail.

See you-all in Charleston!
Rob