Dear Colleagues, During spring break in 2013 I will be teaching a citizen science course in cooperation with the Desert Institute and the Joshua Tree National Park Association. We will spend three days learning about desert natural history and the pollination biology of Joshua trees, while contributing to a long-term ecological research project. The program costs $210. If you have students, friends, or relatives interested in natural history, I hope you'll pass this announcement along to them. You might also wish to consider enrolling in the course yourself.
The course description is at the end of this message. You can learn more about the course and reserve space here: http://www.joshuatree.org/desert-institute/field-classes/citizen-science-pollination-biology-of-joshua-trees/ Christopher Irwin Smith Assistant Professor Department of Biology Willamette University Salem, OR 97301 ph: 503-370-6181 fax: 503-375-5425 Google Calendar Lab Website: http://www.willamette.edu/~csmith/ChrisSmith.htm > Citizen Science: Pollination Biology of Joshua Trees > > Date/Time: > Friday, March 22, 7 pm – 9 pm, > > Saturday, March 23, 9 am – 4 pm, > > Sunday, March 24, 9 am – 4 pm, > > Monday, March 25, 9 am – 7PM. > > Meet at: Windmill Ridge Inn, Alamo, NV > Fee: $200 members $210 non members + food and lodging > Instructor: Chris Smith, Ph.D. Assistant Professor & Researcher at > Willamette University > Hike Level: Moderate > Joshua trees are the most unique and recognizable plants of the Mojave > Desert, but the most amazing thing about them may be their unusual > pollination biology. Joshua trees are pollinated exclusively by two species > of yucca moths – tiny grey moths that carry pollen to the trees in their > mouths. The moths in turn reproduce by laying their eggs inside the Joshua > tree flowers. Thus, both the moths and the Joshua trees each rely entirely on > the other for reproduction. Understanding how this remarkable system > originated represents an evolutionary puzzle. The answer might be found a > lonely valley in central Nevada, where the eastern and western subspecies of > Joshua tree meet, along with their respective yucca moth pollinators. This > unusual site creates a ‘natural laboratory’ for studying how the moths and > Joshua trees are each evolving and adapting to each other. During a three-day > citizen science program, participants in this course will contribute to > ongoing scientific research on the pollination of this most famous Mojave > Desert species. > > If you are a member of JTNPA/PINE you will get a $10 discount off every > Desert Institute class. If you are not a member you can become one here. > > Please take the time to review our General Class Information and Fitness > Levels before registering. >
