The Honey Bee and Varroa Mite - Evolution in Action
by Randy Oliver – The Thoughtful Beekeeper
Randy Oliver is a commercial beekeeper from Grass Valley, and a bee researcher and writer. His focus is on digesting scientific research from various fields and applying it to practical beekeeping. His articles cover managing the Varroa mite without chemicals, bee nutrition, and the pollination of California's agricultural crops. His presentation will discuss the natural history of one of the world’s most important insects and current concerns for its welfare. Randy has a Master's Degree in biological sciences, and corresponds with bee researchers and beekeepers worldwide. His website is at www.randyoliver.com
Costa Rica Natural History
by Dick Hilton and Shawna Martinez
Costa Rica, a tiny Central American country situated between Nicaragua and Panama is only 51,000 square miles, about the size of Virginia, but it hosts a diversity of species that is unrivaled in the North America. Some say it houses nearly a third of all the Earth's species! It boasts 878 species of birds (57 are hummingbirds), at least 228 species of mammals (mostly bats), 1250 species of butterflies, over 10,000 plants, and more than 400,000 species of insects. This incredible land of dry savanna, steaming jungles, subalpine shrublands, and misty cloud forests has managed to set aside nearly one-fourth of its land in national parks and private reserves. Costa Rica's incredible biological diversity is attributed to its varied climate and topography that derives from old and active volcanoes forming the backbone down the middle of this country.
Join Sierra College geologist Dick Hilton and botanist Shawna Martinez as they show photographs and discuss the incredible wonders of this renowned country
Friday, Nov. 16, 7:30 pmCarnivorous Plants: An Insect's Nightmare
by Dr. Barry Rice
Not all plants are benign! More than 600 species around the world kill for their sustenance, and approximately a dozen of these murderers live in the western states of the USA. Dr. Barry Rice has been studying (and growing) these carnivorous plants for more than 20 years, and has travelled widely through the USA to see them. Let him lead you on a tour of the plants that eat meat, and learn how they are actually spectacular and beautiful. You can find out how they capture and digest animals, where you can see them (if you dare!), and even how to grow them. Plants will be on hand for viewing.
Dr. Rice is the Director of Conservation for the International Carnivorous Plant Society, and is also a Research Associate for the Center for Biodiversity at the University of California. His new book, "Growing Carnivorous Plants", was published in 2006 by Timber Press. His carnivorous plant web site is http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html. Dr. Rice is employed by The Nature Conservancy, and works as an invasive species scientist. Dr. Rice will have copies of his book for sale and autographing.
Friday, Dec 7, 7:30 pmHigh Rock Canyon & Charmstone
Paul Goldsmith, A.S.C.
Award-winning cinematographer Paul Goldsmith joined Sierra College's field studies program to film and produce an original production he named High Rock Canyon. Featuring paleontologists Dick Hilton and George Bromm, Volcanologist Brian Hausback and many others, Goldsmith documents one of many such earth science trips venturing into northwest Nevada in search of clues to Earth's past. Weaving scenes of this unique desert region with the methods of paleontology used to explore and explain, Goldsmith deftly creates a documentary of this tedious but fruitful effort under the leadership of museum director, Dick Hilton. A Miocene mammal, the Chalicothere (pebble-beast), related to horses and tapirs, is one of a host of ancient mammals that capture their attention.
Goldsmith's awards for his work as a photographic director include productions for television, National Geographic, and film. This evening he will also screen Charmstone, an inquiry into a ubiquitous but mysterious American Indian stone artifact.
Related Websites
For recordings of lectures about the Sierra Nevada, visit the Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum, Enter, and then click on the link, "Sierracasts". (The site is in Flash, but there is a text only version available.)
For more information on the Sierra Nevada, visit Saving the Sierra website. They have radio broadcasts, a storybooth and a blog with recollections about the Sierra.