|
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
PRESENTS
THE DOWNTOWN LECTURE SERIES
SAN FRANCISCO (January 1999) — This winter, the DOWNTOWN
LECTURE SERIES will focus on the rich biodiversity of the San Francisco
Bay Area. From the intertidal invertebrates to the soaring birds of prey,
the lectures allow members of the downtown community to explore and celebrate
the diversity of life in the Bay Area with research scientists in an engaging
and informative format.
The Academy of Sciences makes these lectures easily available to the
after-work crowd by offering the lecture series, held on Friday evenings
at San Francisco State University’s Downtown Center located at 425 Market
Street (at Freemont). Lectures begin promptly at 5:45 p.m. Individual
lectures are $12 for the general public/$10 for members of the Academy
of Sciences or $55 for a series of five lectures for the general public/$45
for a series of five lectures for members of the Academy of Sciences.
These classes are an extension of the existing adult and family education
program that offers classes throughout the year at the California Academy
of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. For more information and registration,
please call the adult education office at (415) 750-7097.
Winter Lecture Schedule
Friday, February 19
Biodiversity of the Farallon Islands
Join Ed Ueber, manager of the Gulf of the Farallones and co-manager
of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, to get an insider’s view
on this magical place in our own back yard. The Farallones are home to
the richest breeding seabird colony in the continental United States and
support thirty-three species of marine mammals.
Friday, February 26
When Raptors Don’t Read the Rules - Fifteen Years of Counting, Banding,
and Tracking Birds of Prey at the Golden Gate
Each autumn, tens of thousands of birds of prey representing nineteen
species fly past the Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation
Area, comprising the largest known raptor migration bottleneck in the
western United States. Allen Fish of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
will discuss this phenomenon that baffles scientists, forcing them to
create new hypotheses about why autumn raptors migrate in California.
Friday, March 5
Biodiversity and Human Impact on Intertidal Life
Learn more about the biology and ecology of local rocky intertidal organisms
living along this ribbon between the land and sea from Bob Breen. Discuss
why this shallow water web of life hangs in delicate balance due to human
impacts, and look at resource management strategies developed to conserve
these precious ecosystems.
Friday, March 12
Sharks of San Francisco Bay
Renowned shark expert Dr. John McCosker will talk about the rich and abundant
shark populations that ply the waters of the Bay Area. Learn shark facts,
shark lore and mythology, and a guaranteed means of avoiding shark attacks!
Friday, March 19
Invasive Species and San Francisco Bay
Jan Thompson of the United States Geological Survey will discuss the history
of introduced species in the San Francisco Bay and the economic and ecosystem
effects of these introductions. She will also give a case history of one
species recently introduced into the Bay. Learn how one species is capable
of changing an entire food web and the ways in which contaminants flow
through the ecosystem.
|
