Deschutes Land Trust announces Nature Nights
Presentation series brings experts in to talk about nature
Bend, OR—The Deschutes Land Trust announced today its winter Nature Nights series. From salmon and steelhead to lichen to cougars, the Land Trust is offering free, monthly presentations on nature-related topics given by experts in their field. Presentations include:
January 27: Salmon in the Deschutes
7:00-8:30 pm, The Tower Theatre in Bend
Large, ocean-going salmon historically returned annually to the Deschutes River and many of its tributaries. Today salmon and steelhead are coming back to their home waters after an absence of nearly 50 years. Join retired fisheries biologist Don Ratliff for an illustrated overview of salmon and steelhead in the Deschutes River basin. Learn about their historic and present distributions, their life histories, and how they fit into the extremely diverse river system that is the Deschutes River. This presentation is free, but you must get your ticket online.
February 24: Lichens—The extreme fungi
7:00-8:30 pm, The Tower Theatre in Bend
Have you ever wondered what the neon tufts growing on our local junipers are? Then, join us for an illuminating evening about lichens! That neon green is actually a lichen: a fungus growing together with an alga to make a specialized growth form. Lichenologist Daphne Stone will take us on a tour of lichens: what they are, how they survive in diverse and often extreme habitats, and how they are different from other fungi. Then we will take a tour of interesting lichens around the Pacific Northwest, including lush lichens in coastal Oregon, lichens that fix nitrogen from the air in the Cascades, brilliant crustose lichens on rocks in dry areas, and delicate soil crust lichens that protect the deserts of eastern Oregon. This presentation is free and tickets sales open one month prior to the event.
March 30: Cougar Conservation in the 21st Century
7:00-8:30 pm, The Tower Theatre in Bend
Our relationship with predators, particularly large predators, is driven by a fascination and curiosity that is primal. Cougars are one such species where human/predator interactions seem dramatic, but are nonetheless extremely rare. Join biologist Rick Hopkins to learn more about cougars and the conservation efforts needed to provide both habitat and connectivity for the species. Rick will explore the biology and ecology of cougars, the history of predator management and conservation including myths that are often perpetuated, and suggest a framework for modernizing predator management that promotes conservation. This presentation is free and ticket sales open one month prior to the event.
Many thanks to the Old Mill District for their support of Nature Nights. Nature Nights are free, but a ticket is required. Please register online: deschuteslandtrust.org
The Deschutes Land Trust conserves land for wildlife, scenic views, and local communities. As Central Oregon’s only nationally accredited and locally-based land trust, the Deschutes Land Trust has protected more than 8,750 acres since 1995. For more information on the Deschutes Land Trust, contact us at (541) 330-0017 or visit www.deschuteslandtrust.org.
Deschutes Land Trust, Lands in trust protected forever