2026 Meeting
Sun, May 17
|The Pinelands Of New Jersey
The Pinelands Of New Jersey Hosted by the Pinelands Alliance at the Bishop Farmstead https://pinelandsalliance.org/
Time & Location
May 17, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT – May 20, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT
The Pinelands Of New Jersey, 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton Township, NJ 08088, USA
About the event
Tentative Program:
The meeting will include opportunities for networking, social mixers, a banquet and awards, lots of exciting talks and posters as well as field trips on water and land in the pine barrens of New Jersey. Full program will be posted soon.
Location:
The Bishop Farmstead of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance
17 Pemberton Road, Southampton, NJ 08088
Getting There:
The Bishop Farmstead is easily accessed by both the Newark (EWR: approximately 1hr drive and 63 miles) and Philadelphia (PHL: approximately 50 min drive and 35 miles) airports. Accommodation at the Research Institute and local hotels are all within 15-30 minutes of the meeting location. There is no shuttle service provided between the airports and the Pinelands Research Institute or the hotels. We have opened a google sheet (Click here) for coordination and shared transportation to and from the airports.
Getting Around:
Shuttle service will be available from the Pinelands Research Institute cabins, the Holly Motel and to the Bishop Farmstead where the meeting and meals will take place for a fee of $50 for the week. For those choosing to stay in Air BnB or hotels, shared rental cars are recommended. Shuttle service ($50) can be added by clicking HERE.
Planning for Posters: We recommend portrait style of approximately 30-36”x48”. Not less than 28” wide. Posters will be hung from the rafters of an old barn. Push pins will be provided to attach the posters to the rafters.
Planning for Talks: Please plan a 15-minute talk time. We recommend 12 minutes to speak and 3 minutes for question and transition.
Abstracts are now being accepted! Please click the link below. For our international delegates, please submit ASAP.
Awards Information
The Soil Ecology Society (SES) invites nominations for four awards recognizing excellence in research, service, mentorship, and scholarship in soil ecology. Awards will be presented at the 2026 meeting in Southampton Township, NJ.
1. Career Achievement Award - honors a long-term member of SES who has made enduring and outstanding contributions to scientific advancement, student mentoring, and service in the field of soil ecology. Prior participation in SES is required.
2. Early Career Research Award - recognizes an early career soil ecologist within five years of earning their PhD. The nominee should already be making outstanding research contributions and show exceptional promise for continued impact in the field of soil ecology. Prior participation in SES may be considered but is not required.
3. Service Award - recognizes a soil ecologist who has demonstrated outstanding community outreach and sustained service to SES and the broader scientific community. High-impact contributions may include teaching, public outreach, policy engagement, and the application of soil ecology concepts to ecosystem management. Prior participation in SES may be considered but is not required.
4. Outstanding Student-Authored Paper Award - recognizes an exceptional peer-reviewed article written by a student author or based on research conducted while the nominee was a student. Prior participation in SES may be considered but is not required.
Requirements:
Work must have been conducted while the nominee was a student (PhD, Master’s, or undergraduate).
The publication date may be after graduation, but the paper must have been published within three years prior to the current meeting.
The nomination packet must include a PDF of the paper in lieu of a CV and a nomination letter explaining the timing of the work and its ecological significance.
Nominations:
Nominations must be received by March 13, 2026 and include
A letter of nomination
Two additional letters of recommendation (in addition to the nomination letter)
One of the following, depending on the award:
Career Achievement Award: A curriculum vitae of at most four pages showing a sustained, high-impact contribution to soil ecology.
Early Career Research Award: A four-page CV demonstrating research excellence, high-impact publications, grant success, and recognition by the broader community.
Service Award: A four-page CV demonstrating a sustained commitment to impactful teaching, outreach, and service to SES, the scientific community, and the public.
Outstanding Student-Authored Paper Award: The paper itself (PDF) in lieu of a CV.
All materials must be submitted as one combined PDF.
Submitting Nominations:
Submit nomination packets and questions to SES Secretary Steven McBride (smcbride@radford.edu).
Please place the name of the award in all email correspondence.
We look forward to receiving your nominations and to celebrating excellence in soil ecology at the 2026 SES meeting.
Meals and Dining:
This meeting is being held in a rural location. Outside dining options are limited. Therefore, all meals will be provided with the registration cost. Specifically, on Monday, a light breakfast, lunch and casual dinner will be included, on Tuesday a light breakfast, lunch and our Awards Banquet Dinner will be provided, and on Wednesday, a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Meals will be catered and vegetarian, gluten free and kosher or halal options will be available. The banquet dinner on Tuesday is catered by a creative chef that prioritizes sustainability using locally sourced produce with thoughtful preparations. When you register, please list the days you plan to eat with the meeting and your dietary requests.
Housing and Accommodation:
Budget
Pinetree Center of the Pinelands Research Institute, 110 Butterworth Bogs Rd, Tabernacle, NJ.
$30 / night.
Shared cabin space with bunks, shared bathrooms and small kitchens
Shuttle service to and from meeting available for small fee ($50 for the week) OR 12 miles from the meeting (book on the "cabins, shuttle & field trips" button).
For cyclists, the road is shouldered highway.
Hill Top Motel, 126 Rt 68, Wrightstown, NJ, Ph:609-723-8333
No negotiated rate. Approx $75/night
11 miles from the meeting
Holly Motel, 1775 US-206, Southampton Township, NJ 08088. Ph: 6098592229
Call for best room rates. No negotiated rate, approximately $80/night.
The shuttle service will stop at this motel.
For cyclists, the road is shouldered highway.
Approximately 3 miles to the meeting.
Somewhat Nicer Stays
Holiday Inn Express in Burlington - Mt. Holly, 18 Western Dr., Westhampton, NJ. Ph: 609-702-5800
Negotiated group rate before April 17, 2026, $109/night (20 rooms held)
11 miles from meeting
Hawthorn Extended Stay Mount Laurel/Moorestown, 3320-24 NJ38, Mnt Laurel Township, NJ Ph:856-548-8448
Negotiated group rate is pending. For now, approximately $125/night.
10 miles from meeting
Hampton Inn and Suites Mount Laurel/Moorestown, 2020 Briggs Road, Mnt. Laurel township, NJ Ph:856-733-0020
10 miles from meeting
Negotiated group rate before April 17, 2026, $137/night (20 rooms held)
Field Trips
All field trips will get you out into the woods to experience the pine barrens up close. None of the trips are technical or challenging. Bring your binoculars or even a loop to ID native plants and insects. However, it is spring in the woods of the northeast. We strongly recommend insect repellent and caution with exposure to ticks.
Monday: The Pine Barrens Discovery Tour $35. Book this field trip here.
All participants will board a bus for a short ride to the Rancocas Cranberry Preserve. There, they will have the option to hike and/or paddle an abandoned cranberry bog that is now returning to natural pine barrens ecosystem. Hiking trails wander among wetlands and abandoned cranberry bog dike roads. The natural plant community is establishing including young Atlantic White Cedar, Sweetgum and carnivorous plants. Wildlife is abundant. The reservoir of the abandoned bogs is now a lake that is easy to paddle and enjoy different habitats from a boat. Visitors are likely to see numerous bird species including bald eagles as well as beaver dams. Wear comfortable walking clothes and come prepared to paddle if you choose. Insect repellent and sunscreen are recommended.
Tuesday: Field Trip Choice: 1. Paddle the Mullica River $60 Book the paddle trip here. or 2. Hike the Mullica River Trail $45. Book theZ hike trip here.
All participants will be bused to either the kayak launch or the hiking trail head. The Mullica River was recently designated a Wild and Scenic River by the National Park Service. The river is a slow easy paddle through various pine barrens habitats. The river is narrow, slow and far removed from urban or human habitation. Paddlers will get to see many species of birds and plants as well as beaver dams. The hike is a comfortable walk on sand roads (approximately 2 miles). The hike will begin at the Cotton Mill Ruins and will explore numerous different habitat types along the Mullica including an Atlantic White Cedar Swamp. This walk will be a treat for botanists. Look for: Pyxie, Bog Violet, Lady Slippers and many other local springtime wildflowers.
Abstracts are no longer being accepted.
