Speakers

Featuring Ivan Phillipsen
Thursday, March 17  — 7 p.m. via Zoom

Conservation of the world’s bird and wildlife diversity has become a topic of enormous importance in the 21st century. Ecotourism is among the many approaches for channeling resources into conservation efforts. Some of the benefits of ecotourism are direct, local, and based on economics. Others are more indirect and cultural. This presentation will explore some ways that we can help protect the natural world by experiencing it through travel.

About Our Speaker

Ivan is a dedicated naturalist with a background in scientific research. He holds a M.S. in Biology from Cal State San Bernardino and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Oregon State University. As Co-owner of Wild Latitudes, Ivan has been able to apply his knowledge in crafting and leading ecotours around the world.  Ivan takes a holistic approach when teaching about the natural world.

View via Zoomlink:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84160665910?pwd=MFhTL2w5N2N0Q21STGNIOXVzckVSQT09

Passcode: 393857

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Featuring H. Anu Kramer
Thursday, February 17  — 7 p.m. via Zoom

Wildfires swept through California again in the summer of 2021. While forest thinning and controlled burns may help reduce the risk of future fires, laws that protect old-forest species that are associated with dense canopies and big, old trees often slow the pace and scale of these treatments. However, these species are simultaneously threatened by high-severity fires as well, leading to a lose-lose scenario. The California spotted owl is one such old-forest species, yet like other Sierra Nevada natives, it evolved under a frequent lower-severity fire regime, begging the question: “How do different kinds of fire influence the California spotted owl?” We examined owl behavior in a high-severity mega-fire, as well as in fire-restored National Parks and found consistent preferences regarding fire severity and patch size that inform future forest and fire management throughout the region and influence the future of these owls as well as human communities and the Sierra Nevada ecosystem as a whole.

About Our Speaker

Anu Kramer received her PhD in 2016 from the University of California – Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, where she specialized in fire ecology, GIS, and remote sensing. She has been a Researcher with the Peery Lab at the University of Wisconsin – Madison since 2018, where she works primarily with California spotted owls, applying her knowledge of fire, GIS, and remote sensing.

Zoom Recording Here …

Featuring Noreen Weeden and Eddie Bartley
Thursday, January 20  — 7 p.m. via Zoom

You can have a beautiful native plant garden that attracts amazing birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Learn about the benefits of local, native plants and some of the wonderful birds that are drawn to this place and to these plants. Noreen Weeden and Eddie Bartley will discuss what migrating and resident birds need and how to provide what the birds are seeking.  Learn which native plants attract which bird species and why they are attracted to them. This presentation will cover what to think about in designing your backyard and when to plant.

About Our Speakers

Eddie Bartley and Noreen Weeden are both active volunteers with the Golden Gate Bird Alliance, California Native Plant Society (CNPS), and the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. Eddie is President of the Yerba Buena chapter of CNPS and the Farallon Islands Foundation. He is an avian researcher and instructor for the California Academy of Sciences and Golden Gate Bird Alliance. Noreen Weeden was formerly Volunteer Director with Golden Gate Bird Alliance and is currently project managing a habitat restoration project. She is on the board of Yerba Buena CNPS.

View recording of event at the link below:

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What are the latest findings on climate change and California birds? Mike Lynes from Audubon California will discuss climate threats to our state's birds, and how the organization is working with chapters, allies, and decision-makers to implement climate-smart, nature-based policies.

In the evergreen forest of the Pacific Northwest, two species of wood warbler that hybridize are on the brink of forming a new species. By leveraging genomic sequencing, field behavior experiments, and climate and color pigment analyses, we have uncovered the evolutionary genetic basis of speciation in these very precious wood warbler species.