Connecticut River Lecture Series Fall 2023 Descriptions
Thursday, October 5; 5:00 p.m.
Lyme Art Association
Birding in Connecticut
Frank Gallo
Frank Gallo has spent a lifetime wandering the parks and trails of Connecticut in search of birds. Author and seasoned ornithologist, he has mentored thousands of aspiring birders and shared his tips as to how and where to find particular species. In this lecture, he will share some of those tips with our audience and you will be able to plan your Winter and Spring outings.
Thursday, October, 26; 5:00 p.m.
Old Lyme Town Hall
All About Bats
Laura Cisneros, Ph.D
What better time than the Halloween Season to have a speaker address a most important member of the mammal family, the bat? Fact has been overcome by fiction when speaking of this species. Associated with blood drawing Dracula and even having a light opera named after it, bats are oft feared, much maligned, and definitely misunderstood. The only flying mammal, most are insectivores devouring mosquitos and other pests, and act as pollinators supporting tropical forests. Depending on what part of the world in which you live, the bat is either associated with its protective attributes or darkness and evil. In this lecture Dr. Laura Cisneros imparts more about this important animal and its contributions to maintain the health wellbeing of all.
Thursday, November 2; 5:00 p.m.
Essex Meadows
Quetzals: The Icons of the Cloud Forest
Alan F. Poole, Ph.D
Our final lecture of the season takes us into the splendid highland cloud forests of Central America to learn about one of the legendary birds of
those habitats: the dazzling Resplendent Quetzal. Alan Poole, known to many of us locally for his research and writing on Ospreys, has spent portions of the past decade in Costa Rica, where quetzals reign supreme. Alan’s lecture will lead us through the evolution and history of these colorful birds, especially their role in Aztec and Mayan cultures, and will spotlight how quetzal tourism today is helping to make a difference in the conservation of cloud forest habitats. Join us for a tour of warmer climates, fruit-filled forests, and one of our planet’s most spectacular birds
