November 13, 7:30–9:00 p.m. The native plant movement is changing the way we see our relationship to nature. By growing natives we can turn our yards into habitat for birds and butterflies. Lynne Abels will speak on how to create a beautiful garden of varied plant communities, and how to plan gardens that require less maintenance than lawns. She and her brother, Paul Abels, … [Read more...] about Evening Program: Native Plants in our Yards: How to create gardens that restore ourselves and the natural world
Evening Program—Tall tales—Insights from 2 decades of coast redwood canopy research
Wednesday, October 9, 7:30–9:00 p.m. Marie Antoine is a tree-climbing botanist and research associate in the Department of Forestry, Fire, and Rangeland Management at Cal Poly Humboldt. She works alongside her husband, Professor Steve Sillett, in studying the world’s tallest trees. What lessons can these trees teach us? Join Marie for a look back at some recent research … [Read more...] about Evening Program—Tall tales—Insights from 2 decades of coast redwood canopy research
Evening Program—Floral Scents of Western Sessile Trillium
Wednesday, September 11, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.Organic chemistry professor Kjirsten Wayman will tell us how the floral scents of western sessile-flowered Trillium differ by species, and how floral scent can help to distinguish among visually similar members of this group. These plants have sweet, fruity, or spicy-smelling flowers and occur in California, Oregon, and Washington. … [Read more...] about Evening Program—Floral Scents of Western Sessile Trillium
Evening Program: Wildflowers on the Trail
May 8, Wednesday. 7:30 pm. "Wildflowers on the Trail". Energetic explorer, botanist, photographer, and speaker Dana York will lead a virtual botanical adventure through the PCT’s ecoregions in California. As co-author with Jim André of two field guides to the vascular plants along this part of the trail (Timber Press), he has many stunning photographs to share as he weaves a … [Read more...] about Evening Program: Wildflowers on the Trail
From Bees to Hummingbirds: Convergent Evolution in Penstemon Flowers
April 10, Wednesday. 7:30 pm “From Bees to Hummingbirds: Convergent Evolution in Penstemon Flowers.” Among penstemons, hummingbird pollination has evolved from bee pollination over a dozen times. Retired ecology and evolution professor Paul Wilson will discuss these two pollination syndromes involving color, nectar rewards, and dispensing of pollen, and he will explore the rate … [Read more...] about From Bees to Hummingbirds: Convergent Evolution in Penstemon Flowers