In Search of Meadowlarks
Presented by Dr. John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington
January 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Meeting held by Zoom. Register below to receive Zoom information
OPAS will address a few updates, with the presentation to follow.
We love to look at nature, but let’s be honest, our love is conditional. Roofs, walls, central air conditioning, LazyBoy recliners, and heated steering wheels all work to keep the inconveniences of nature at a comfortable distance. Everywhere we go, we bend, plow and pave nature to our will. Soon after we arrive, most of the plants and animals are nowhere to be found.
John Marzluff (L) and Matthias Loretto (R) netting and GPS-tagging ravens in Yellowstone
Seems like everywhere we look, wildlife is on the retreat from the whirlwind of civilization and the activities that support us, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Many ranchers and farmers adjust their actions to reduce their impacts on wildlife. John Marzluff of the University of Washington has birded and talked with farmers from Nebraska to California to Costa Rica to find out why some birds “flee the plow” while others evolve to live among the crops we need for our existence. You’ll learn about vineyards that welcome barn owls to help control rodents, farmers that fallow land each year to benefit songbirds, rotational grazing, and how one rancher traded cows for tourists.
Western Meadowlark
Photo: Mick Thompson/Eastside Audubon
Dr. Marzluff has authored five books and over 140 scientific papers on various aspects of bird behavior and wildlife management, and is James W. Ridgeway Professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington. His research has focused primarily on the social behavior and ecology of ravens, crows and jays.
He currently teaches courses in Ornithology, Governance and Conservation of Rare Species, Field Research In Yellowstone, and Natural and Cultural History of Costa Rica.
Register for the Virtual Meeting and Program: "In Search of Meadowlarks" by clicking on the button below. Scroll down in your confirmation email from Eventbrite to the "Additional information" for Zoom instructions. You will also receive a reminder one day before the event that will again provide the Zoom instructions.