Showing posts with label Presentations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presentations. Show all posts

MCAS - APR 30 - Special Zoom Community Program - Birding by Ear

MCAS - APR 30 - Zoom Community Program - Birding by Ear

Program: Birding By Ear: An Introduction to Learning Bird Calls and Songs

When: Thursday, April 30th 7pm-8pm

Presenter: Jessica Griffiths


Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 925 0130 3510; Passcode: 658851

You can also find the link in the MCAS Events Calendar


To support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Community Programs, please consider becoming a member of MCAS.


All MCAS Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.


Description

Most birders focus on learning to identify birds by what they look like. But many birds are more often heard than seen!  Learning bird songs and calls will make you a better birder and enrich your birding experience. Jessica Griffiths will provide some basic "auditory field marks", then review some helpful tips, tricks and mnemonic devices for identifying birds by sound, as well as reviewing songs and calls of the most common birds in this area. 

This is a special MCAS Community Program being offered in celebration of Birdability’s Blind Birder Bird-a-thon 2026, May 3-4. More details can be found on the Birdability website: https://www.birdability.org/blind-birdathon


Bio: 

Jessica Griffiths has worked as a wildlife biologist for 25 years, with a focus on birds and monarch butterflies. She moved to San Luis Obispo in 2010 and earned her Masters in Biology at Cal Poly University. She now works as a wildlife biologist for Colorado State University's Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Every year she leads several birding field trips around SLO County for Morro Coast Audubon Society focused on helping people learn bird vocalizations.


If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Community Programs Chair commprograms@morrocoastaudubon.org


MCAS Virtual Community Program - MAY 15 - Offshore Wind Along the Central Coast

Offshore Wind Turbines [photo courtesy of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)]

MCAS Virtual Community Program

Title:               Offshore Wind Along the Central Coast

Presenter:      Linda Krop, Environmental Defense Center

Date:               Monday, May 15th, 2023, 7:00 pm

ZOOM info below.

Description: Linda Krop will talk about the multi-year process for development of wind energy projects offshore the Central Coast. She will discuss the state and federal planning processes, as well as the leases that were recently sold in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area. She will provide an overview of potential impacts as well as opportunities to avoid or minimize such impacts. She will also talk about the relationship between the offshore wind leases and the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Finally, she will provide information about next steps in the local wind energy development process and ways that the public can engage.


Bio
: Ms. Krop is Chief Counsel at the Environmental Defense Center (EDC), where she has worked as an attorney since 1989 and served as Chief Counsel since 1999. Ms. Krop specializes in oil and energy issues, as well as cases that protect open space and natural resources. She was the lead counsel in the successful efforts to prevent development of the Hearst and Fiscalini Ranches, and to defeat Phillips’ proposal to transport oil by rail to its Nipomo refinery. In addition to working at EDC, Ms. Krop teaches Environmental Law at UC Santa Barbara.

If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Programs Chair: wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast.

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: 4788123169

 

VIDEO now available - Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica - MCAS Community Program

 


Title:               Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica

Presenter:    Jean Pennycook

Date:              Monday, MAY 1st, 2023, 7:00 pm

VIDEO

Description: In this program, Jean will share what it's like to live and work in a penguin colony and what her research team has learned about the Adélie Penguin. Her team monitors the population of these amazing birds as they respond to changes in their environment.

Bio: Jean Pennycook is an educator and researcher who studies Adélie Penguins in Antarctica and educates others about what her science team is learning about the penguins. Jean has been traveling to McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica for 20 years. In the last 17, she has worked with the Adélie Penguin research team on Ross Island where 3 colonies of penguins build their nests and raise their chicks from November through January each year.

MCAS Virtual Community Program - NEW DATE! - MAY 1st - Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica

Adélie Penguins with Jean Pennycook [photo courtesy of Jean Pennycook]

NEW DATE!  

DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS during the APRIL 17th Community Program, the presenter, Jean Pennycook, will again be giving the program below. THANK YOU Jean!

MCAS Virtual Community Program

Title:               Living and Working in a Penguin Colony in Antarctica

Presenter:    Jean Pennycook

Date:              Monday, MAY 1st, 2023, 7:00 pm

Zoom info below

Description: In this program, Jean will share what it's like to live and work in a penguin colony and what her research team has learned about the Adélie Penguin. Her team monitors the population of these amazing birds as they respond to changes in their environment.

Bio: Jean Pennycook is an educator and researcher who studies Adélie Penguins in Antarctica and educates others about what her science team is learning about the penguins. Jean has been traveling to McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica for 20 years. In the last 17, she has worked with the Adélie Penguin research team on Ross Island where 3 colonies of penguins build their nests and raise their chicks from November through January each year.

All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

No signup/registration required to attend.

Questions? Email Wendy McKeown, Programs Chair, at wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast.

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: 4788123169

Video of MAR 20th Community Program - A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care

Orphaned Western Kingbirds [photo courtesy of PWC]

Now available for viewing on MCAS YouTube Channel

Title: A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care
Presenter: Claudia Duckworth, Pacific Wildlife Care Volunteer

Date: Monday, March 20, 2023, 7:00 pm


Description:

Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) is San Luis Obispo County’s only licensed rehabilitation center that cares for injured birds, mammals, and reptiles. PWC also maintains a wildlife hotline that the public can call to report distressed wildlife–injured, sick, orphaned–and to receive information about local wildlife. In this presentation, longtime PWC volunteer Claudia Duckworth will show us what is happening behind the scenes at the rehab center, and will explain how the animals received by the center are treated, cared for, and rehabilitated.

Bio

Claudia Duckworth has been a volunteer with PWC for about 30 years and has served in multiple capacities including answering the phone hotline, working in rescue/transport, participating in the “baby bird” program, and serving on the Board. She currently volunteers at the center and is a leader of the creance team (creance is used as a method of pre-release conditioning for raptors). Claudia also houses and does programs with Corax, the PWC Education Common Raven.

MCAS Virtual Community Program - Mar 20 - A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care

Orphaned Western Kingbirds [photo courtesy of PWC]

MCAS Virtual Community Program

Title: A Virtual Tour of Pacific Wildlife Care

Presenter: Claudia Duckworth, Pacific Wildlife Care Volunteer

Date: Monday, March 20, 2023, 7:00 pm

Zoom info below.

Description:Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) is San Luis Obispo County’s only licensed rehabilitation center that cares for injured birds, mammals, and reptiles. PWC also maintains a wildlife hotline that the public can call to report distressed wildlife–injured, sick, orphaned–and to receive information about local wildlife. In this presentation, longtime PWC volunteer Claudia Duckworth will show us what is happening behind the scenes at the rehab center, and will explain how the animals received by the center are treated, cared for, and rehabilitated.
Long-billed Curlew
[photo courtesy of PWC]
 
Bio: Claudia Duckworth has been a volunteer with PWC for about 30 years and has served in multiple capacities including answering the phone hotline, working in rescue/transport, participating in the “baby bird” program, and serving on the Board. She currently volunteers at the center and is a leader of the creance team (creance is used as a method of pre-release conditioning for raptors). Claudia also houses and does programs with Corax, the PWC Education Common Raven.
  Claudia & Corax
[photo courtesy of PWC]


All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.

If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Programs Chair: wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org

Zoom Info

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID:227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

            +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: 4788123169

Video of FEB 20th Community Program - Observing and Conserving the Seabirds that Rely on California’s Central Coast

 

Brandt's Cormorant [photo by Dan Robinette]

MCAS Virtual Community Program

TOPIC:                 Observing and Conserving the Seabirds that Rely on California’s Central Coast

PRESENTOR:    Dan Robinette, Point Blue Conservation Science

DATE:                  February 20th, 2023, 7:00 pm

View video of program on MCAS's YouTube Channel.

Seabirds are a highly visible and charismatic feature of central California’s coast. They have adapted to ocean life by living long and providing increased parental care to offspring compared to other birds. These characteristics make them both a source of fascination to recreationists as well as a great research tool for studying changes in the ocean. In fact, seabirds can be easily included in both scientific monitoring and volunteer-based community science programs. Unfortunately, life on the California coast can come at a cost for seabirds. As the number of humans visiting the coast increases, so does the list of threats to seabirds. This Community Program will introduce the many seabird species that are dependent on central California’s coastal habitats, discuss the threats they face, and highlight some of the conservation victories giving these birds hope. It will also demonstrate some of the ways that seabirds can be used as indicators of change in our oceans and thereby guide the management of our ocean resources. 

Dan Robinette is the Coastal Program Leader for Point Blue Conservation Science. He earned his B.S. in Marine Biology and M.S. in Biology from California State University, Long Beach. He has studied marine bird response to environmental change for over 20 years. He currently leads research and monitoring programs along the California coast with much of his work focused on developing marine birds as indicators of ecosystem processes and condition. His research projects include investigating the diet and foraging habits of coastally breeding seabirds, marine bird use of coastal and nearshore habitats inside and outside of marine protected areas (MPAs), the impacts of human disturbance on coastal habitat use by marine birds, and the impacts of dune restoration on shorebird populations.

MCAS Virtual Community Program - FEB 20th - Observing and Conserving the Seabirds that Rely on California’s Central Coast

Brandt's Cormorant [Photo by Dan Robinette]

MCAS Virtual Community Program

TOPIC:          Observing and Conserving the Seabirds that Rely on California’s Central Coast

PRESENTOR:    Dan Robinette, Point Blue Conservation Science

DATE:            February 20th, 2023, 7:00 pm

Zoom info below.

Seabirds are a highly visible and charismatic feature of central California’s coast. They have adapted to ocean life by living long and providing increased parental care to offspring compared to other birds. These characteristics make them both a source of fascination to recreationists as well as a great research tool for studying changes in the ocean. In fact, seabirds can be easily included in both scientific monitoring and volunteer-based community science programs. Unfortunately, life on the California coast can come at a cost for seabirds. As the number of humans visiting the coast increases, so does the list of threats to seabirds. This Community Program will introduce the many seabird species that are dependent on central California’s coastal habitats, discuss the threats they face, and highlight some of the conservation victories giving these birds hope. It will also demonstrate some of the ways that seabirds can be used as indicators of change in our oceans and thereby guide the management of our ocean resources. 

Dan Robinette is the Coastal Program Leader for Point Blue Conservation Science. He earned his B.S. in Marine Biology and M.S. in Biology from California State University, Long Beach. He has studied marine bird response to environmental change for over 20 years. He currently leads research and monitoring programs along the California coast with much of his work focused on developing marine birds as indicators of ecosystem processes and condition. His research projects include investigating the diet and foraging habits of coastally breeding seabirds, marine bird use of coastal and nearshore habitats inside and outside of marine protected areas (MPAs), the impacts of human disturbance on coastal habitat use by marine birds, and the impacts of dune restoration on shorebird populations.

All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. As always, all ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.

If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Programs Chair, wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org.

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose); Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: 4788123169

Video of DEC 19th Community Program - MCAS Awards & MB CBC Compilation


Dec 19th Community Program - MCAS Awards and Morro Bay CBC Compilation

This community program began with MCAS award announcements for the Libbie Agran Scholarship and Volunteer of the Year.

Then Jay Carroll led the Morro Bay CBC Compilation. The compilation is the culmination of the annual MB Christmas Bird Count that was held on Dec 17th

Jay went thru the species seen and added interesting information about certain species, rarities, and other birdy information to make the compilation interesting as well as suspenseful. Watch the video to see how many species were seen on the 17th, and what maybe's might still show up in the "Week Count."

See Results of previous MB Christmas Bird Counts. 2022 results will be added after the first of the year (it's a LOT of work to create the report that goes to National Audubon).

Enjoy!


Video of NOV 21st Community Program - Madagascar-Africa's Ghost Island

Photo of the village of Antanambao, Madagascar (by Sunni Toone)

View on MCAS YouTube Channel.

[This was an engaging program by a seasoned presenter. Don't miss it!]

Description:

The story covers 5 years of travel through northeastern Madagascar starting with a biological transect that led to living and working in the small village of Antanambao. There I met Emilien, a toddler of about 18 months. For a few years we were inseparable and during that time, he taught me more about conservation than I had absorbed from years of schooling and decades of work. Through this presentation I hope to share the revelation he brought to me and present a more cohesive plan for saving our own future on this beautiful planet.

Bio:

Bill Toone is an internationally recognized conservation biologist. He helped to develop some of the techniques that led to the highly publicized and groundbreaking recovery of the California condor. This work created an international reputation that led to in-situ conservation work in 30 countries over the last 4 decades. He has led biological transects and expeditions through the rainforests of Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Cameroon, and many other remote areas – most of these in collaboration with his wife Sunni.

Bill has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, worked on wildlife films with Olivia Newton-John, was featured in the PBS documentary The Real Jurassic Park, and appeared on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood. Bill is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, author of On the Wings of the Condor, and founder of ECOLIFE Conservation, a unique conservation/humanitarian non-profit organization.

Bill and his wife Sunni live in Escondido, California where they enjoy gardening, woodworking and their pets.

MCAS Virtual Community Program - DEC 19th - Morro Bay CBC Compilation

 


WHAT:    Morro Bay CBC Compilation 

DATE:    Monday, December 19th

TIME:     7:00pm - 8:30pm


This community program will begin with MCAS business that will include award announcements for the Libbie Agran Scholarship and Volunteer of the Year.

 

Next will be the Morro Bay CBC Compilation led by Jay Carroll. The compilation is the culmination of the annual MB Christmas Bird Count held on Dec 17th. A count of all species seen will be tabulated. Total number of species in count years 2010-2021 have ranged from 175 to 204, with anywhere from 81 to 142 participants. What will the counts be this year?

 

Previous MCAS CBC results 

 

All MCAS Community Programs are free and open to the public. As always, all ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.

For questions, email Wendy McKeown, MCAS Programs Chair, wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org.

ZOOM Info:

Morro Coast Audubon Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

There is no need to pre-register. Simply sign in on the correct date and time.

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link below:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, you can use your phone to dial in:

            +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

 

MCAS Virtual Community Program - NOV 21st - Madagascar - Africa’s Ghost Island

Village of Antanambao - Photo by Sunni Black

MCAS Virtual Community Program

Title:              Madagascar - Africa’s Ghost Island

Presenter:    Bill Toone, founder of the ECOLIFE Conservation

Date/Time:    November 21, 2022, at 7:00 pm

ZOOM info below.

Description:

The story covers 5 years of travel through northeastern Madagascar starting with a biological transect that led to living and working in the small village of Antanambao. There I met Emilien, a toddler of about 18 months. For a few years we were inseparable and during that time, he taught me more about conservation than I had absorbed from years of schooling and decades of work. Through this presentation I hope to share the revelation he brought to me and present a more cohesive plan for saving our own future on this beautiful planet.

Bio:

Bill Toone is an internationally recognized conservation biologist. He helped to develop some of the techniques that led to the highly publicized and groundbreaking recovery of the California condor. This work created an international reputation that led to in-situ conservation work in 30 countries over the last 4 decades. He has led biological transects and expeditions through the rainforests of Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Cameroon, and many other remote areas – most of these in collaboration with his wife Sunni.

Bill has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, worked on wildlife films with Olivia Newton-John, was featured in the PBS documentary The Real Jurassic Park, and appeared on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood. Bill is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, author of On the Wings of the Condor, and founder of ECOLIFE Conservation, a unique conservation/humanitarian non-profit organization.

Bill and his wife Sunni live in Escondido, California where they enjoy gardening, woodworking and their pets.

All MCAS Community Programs are free and open to the public. As always, all ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.

For questions, email Wendy McKeown, MCAS Programs Chair, wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org.

ZOOM Info:

Morro Coast Audubon Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

There is no need to pre-register. Simply sign in on the correct date and time.

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link below:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, you can use your phone to dial in:

            +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

 

Video of OCT 17th Community Program - Gardening for Birds with Native Plants

Presenter Peggy Burhenn

Gardening for Birds with Native Plants


Just in case you missed the program on Monday night, October 17th, you can view it at your leisure on the MCAS YouTube Channel.

ENJOY!

MCAS Virtual Community Program – OCT 17th – Planting Native Plants to Attract and Support Birds

 

Photos courtesy of Peggy Burden

Title:               Planting Native Plants to Attract and Support Birds

Date:              October 17, 2022

Time:              7:00-8:30 pm

Presenter:     Peggy Burhenn, Master Gardener

Zoom info below.  No signup/registration required to attend.

Description:

Would you like to learn how to attract birds to your yard using native plants? Is there a specific bird you would like to attract? Discover the connection between birds and native plants and which native plants would be best for your yard to attract birds. Learn what birds need from our landscapes and how we can best provide those needs. Peggy will also describe the best time to plant native plants for the greatest success and how to maintain these plants to support birds in your area.

Peggy Burhenn is a Master Gardener and a certified California Naturalist. As a Master Gardener, she oversees the native plant garden in the Garden of the Seven Sisters in SLO and works on the Arroyo Grande Master Gardener Helpline. She is a member of the California Native Plant Society and the Audubon Society. Her interests in gardening are to grow food plants for people and to support nature. To these ends, she focuses on growing vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, and native plants. Her home includes houses for bats, birds, owls, and mason bees. She volunteers regularly at Cal Poly’s Robert F. Hoover Herbarium, and as a docent for California State Parks, focusing her time at the Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove and leading native plant walks. She is also a regular volunteer at the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. As a citizen scientist she has banded birds, collected spiders, counted butterflies and birds, and regularly posts her finds on iNaturalist and eBird.

All MCAS Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Join Zoom Meeting - easiest way is to click the link below:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you are asked for this:

Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone to dial in:

            +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

 

Contact: Wendy McKeown email: wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org 

VIDEO of SEPT 19th Community Program - The Bats of San Luis Obispo County

 

Photo courtesy of Bill Haas

Just in case you missed the program on Monday night, Sept. 19th, you can view it at your leisure on the MCAS YouTube Channel.


ENJOY!

MCAS Virtual Community Program - SEPT 19th - The Bats of San Luis Obispo County

 

Bill Haas and friends

Virtual MCAS Community Program

Title:            The Bats of San Luis Obispo County

Date:            Monday, September 19th, 2022

Time:           7:00-8:30 PM

Presenter:   Bill Haas, Director, Central Coast Bat Survey

ZOOM info at bottom… No signup/registration required to attend.

Program Description

California’s Central Coast hosts 19 species of bats. All are insectivorous. All are beneficial to local agriculture as agents of pest control - millions of dollars’ worth of benefit! None carry (and thus cannot transmit) the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Very few are hosts to the rabies virus. We have no vampire bats on the Central Coast, California, or anywhere in the USA. Our bats live in cottonwood trees, in caves, and in crevices; they roost in bridges, belfries, and barns; they sequester under roof tiles, in attics, and the walls of old wooden structures. Some literally hang out in wind-sheltered porticos -- especially stucco-walled entryways – where they dismember, devour, and digest their prey leaving homeowners the forensic evidence to solve the mystery of their nighttime mischief. And sorry, they don’t really eat a lot of mosquitos, but they do feast on a potpourri of scrumptious, mouth-watering exo-skeletonized fare that includes Mayflies, moths, and midges. Want to learn more? Bring your questions and a healthy appetite for learning even more about our Central Coast bats.

Presenter Bio

Like many Audubon members, Bill started his natural history adventure casually watching birds. His journey, though, started at 4 years of age, when he identified his first and still one of his favorite birds, the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Later that year, he was attacked by a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) while visiting a small neighborhood pond and was subsequently bombarded by a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) while looking at his first found nest in the company of Mr. (actually, Dr.) Swift, a scientist at the American Museum of Natural History who lived down the street in a big green house surrounded by “woods.'' A couple of years and a few degrees later, he joined the Peace Corps, was sent to Belize, Central America, and began a teaching career that also included the development of a new science curriculum for a nation just achieving its independence. After developing the country’s first field ecology course for the Belize College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology (BELCAST), armed with mist nets, field glasses, an enthusiastic group of 12 students, and access to the Mountain Pine Ridge, he was left with a puzzle: what to do at night with enthusiastic students, a bunch of mist nets, and no nighttime plans. The rest, including this program, is history.

All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. As always, all ages are welcome.

For more information, contact Wendy, MCAS Programs Chair, at wendy@morrocoastaudubon.org.

Join Zoom Meeting – easiest way is to click the link:

https://zoom.us/j/2272485901?pwd=MzlSaVlpdDQ2bTJkcUFTSkFEdGQ5UT09

In case you need this: Meeting ID: 227 248 5901; Passcode: morrocoast

Or, if you don’t have a camera or microphone on your device, use your phone:

To dial in:

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

+1 669 444 9171 US

VIDEO of MAY 23rd Community Program now available for viewing

Amargosa River - photo by Moed Gerveni

VIDEOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZonqa0jblk 

Title: The Amargosa River: Life in the Valley of Death

Presenter: with Moed Gerveni

Description: Often described as the "Crown Jewel of the Mojave,” the Amargosa River tributary is an oasis of life. With the second highest biodiversity rating in North America, it plays a vital role in the survival of over 100 species of special conservation concern, many of which are endemic. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in this extremely important habitat, including the endangered Least Bell's Vireo, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. Local grassroots efforts once saved Amargosa from degradation and development, but now there is an uphill battle against invasive plants, cowbird expansion, recreation, droughts induced by climate change, and most importantly, a sensitive topic for western communities: excessive water pumping from the nearby Pahrump and Las Vegas communities.