Minnesota Natural History Lecture Series

What:
Interested in learning more about Minnesota's natural world? Join us each month during the school year for a lecture and discussion on a variety of natural history topics. Lectures will take place indoors. All ages are welcome to all of our lectures, however we have designated some lectures as kid-friendly when the topics and presentation styles are more suitable for kids. Lectures that are designated as teacher-friendly indicate that there will be classroom resources available for teachers at the lecture.

When:
The 3^rd Tuesday of each month from September—May
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Where:
Meet at the pendulum in the New Science Center at Saint John's.
Directions

Cost:
Free for Arboretum Members
Free for Students of all ages
$5 for Nonmembers/Nonstudents

See the lecture schedule below for more details.

Fall 2009 Lecture Schedule:

September 15
Fossils of Minnesota: Organisms Older than the Speaker
Larry Davis, CSB/SJU Professor of Geology
*kid/teacher-friendly
For several years my wife said to me, "Why don't you take me to the Bahamas?" One Saturday I said, "Let's go to the Bahamas." I drove her to Spring Grove, Minnesota where we parked in the center of an old limestone quarry. I told her to imagine we'd gone back in time about 460 million years and were drifting along in a warm, shallow sea teeming with life! Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. Join us for an evening discussing and exploration of Minnesota fossils. Find out where you can go to look for fossils and how to identify them when you find them.

October 20
Alternative Energy in Minnesota
Derek Larson, CSB/SJU Professor of Environmental Studies
*teacher-friendly
What are the prospects for alternative/renewable energy in Minnesota? Can homeowners, businesses, or entire communities be supported by sun, wind, biomass, or geothermal energy? Is the path to a more sustainable energy future clear? Let's explore some of the options for alternative energy, consider the cost and other barriers, and offer some ideas on how individual consumers (and even the entire state) can make intelligent investments in renewables.

November 17
Emerald Ash Borer
Val Cervenka, DNR Central Office in St. Paul
*teacher-friendly
Define an invasive species. What is the Emerald Ash Borer? This talk will focus on this little insect, recently discovered in Minnesota: where is it from; how did it get here; why should we care? Learn to diagnose the symptoms of an infected tree and what to do if you find this insect near you.

December 15
Water Quality Trends Along the Sauk River
Adam Hjelm, Public Outreach Coordinator, Sauk River Watershed District
*teacher-friendly
The Sauk River Watershed District has been monitoring watershed lakes and streams since 1995, and in that time we have seen many changes - good and bad. Join us for an overview and discussion on trends in water quality in the past decades. We'll also look at the future of water quality and what we can do for our lakes and streams.

Save the Dates for Upcoming Lectures in 2010:

January 19th
February 16th
March 16th
April 20th
May 18th

Previous Lecture Topics:

Revealing Minnesota's Geological Past Minnesota Geological Survey
Larry Davis, CSB/SJU Professor of Geology
Minnesota at a Glance Complete list of Larry's geology resources

Common Edible Wild Plants of Minnesota
Stephen Saupe, CSB/SJU Professor of Biology

Lichens of the North Woods Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
Joe Walewski, Naturalist, Wolf Ridge Envr. Learning Center Buy Joe's Book Here!

Dragonflies of Minnesota
Cassie Herbst, Arboretum Envr. Education Fellow

The Papermaking Wasps of Saint John's
Jim Poff, CSB/SJU professor of biology

10th Annual Arboretum Owl Hoot
Sarah Gainey, Arboretum environmental education coordinator

Data Mining in Mud: Exploring the Vegetation History of the Collegeville Region
Gordon Brown, CSB/SJU professor of biology

The Voices of Minnesota Frogs
Frank Ziegler (SJU '03)

Bird Migration in Minnesota
Bob Russell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service