EVENT: 16 October – Wolf Talk with David Moskowitz

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Al Bergstein

PORT TOWNSEND – Join the JLT Natural History Society and Western Wildlife Outreach on Thursday, October 16, for an entertaining evening of “Wolf Talk” with David Moskowitz, well-known wildlife tracker and author of Wolves in the Land of Salmon. Moskowitz will share stories, images, and video clips from the recent OR7 Expedition, which retraced the wanderings of a young male gray wolf, who traversed more than 1,200 miles through Oregon and into California.

OR-12_Wenaha_male_wolf_odfwThe wolf dubbed OR7 was captured and outfitted with a GPS collar in 2011 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, to follow his journey via satellite signals across multiple mountain ranges, a vast desert, and past numerous towns and cities along the way. OR7 made international news as he wandered to California, becoming the first wolf to be documented there in 90 years. In the spring of 2014 Moskowitz, along with a filmmaker and other stalwart participants, launched an expedition to follow the approximate path of OR7 on foot and by bicycle. The adventurous mission led the team to fresh insights on what it means to share the landscape with large carnivores in the contemporary world.

David will be joined by local carnivore experts, Lorna and Darrell Smith, of the non-profit Western Wildlife Outreach (WWO), who will discuss Washington’s recovering gray wolf population. WWO is a Port Townsend based organization dedicated to providing accurate, science-based information on bears, wolves, and cougars. The organization aims to promote wildlife-safe communities, at the same time striving to restore and maintain healthy populations of these iconic animals, whose roots in the Pacific Northwest extend to millions of years ago.

David Moskowitz is a professional wildlife tracker, photographer, and outdoor educator. He has contributed his technical expertise to a wide variety of wildlife studies, employing tracking and other non-invasive methods to study wildlife ecology and promote conservation. Moscowitz helped establish the Cascade Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project, whose participants search for and observe rare and sensitive wildlife in the Cascades and other Northwest wildlands.

The Natural History Society is an offshoot organization of the Jefferson Land Trust. It was founded in 2012 to foster active exploration, appreciation, understanding, and conservation of the diverse natural environments of the Olympic Peninsula and beyond.

The “Wolf Talk” program will take place at 7:00 pm, Thursday, October 16, at the Cotton Building, 607 Water Street, Port Townsend. This event is free and open to the public. A $5 donation will help defray the costs and support future programs.

For additional information contact:
Noreen Parks
360 379-4007
HYPERLINK “mailto:noreen.parks@gmail.com” noreen.parks@gmail.com

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MANGROVES, The Vanishing Rainforests of the Sea – Lecture

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Al Bergstein

On Friday, Jan 24, 7-9pm Alfredo Quarto, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Mangrove Action Project will be giving a talk at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. His presentation will take viewers on a journey through the verdant mangrove forests of the tropics and sub-tropics, from Latin America to SE Asia, from S. Asia to Africa.

Mangrove forests are one of the most bio-diverse and productive wetland ecosystems on Earth, they act as the “life support system” for countless marine, land and plant species.

Mangroves are also an important line of defense against climate change, as they sequester and store more carbon than any other plant species. Their rich resources have also supported the livelihoods of indigenous coastal populations for centuries.

Initial images of healthy mangrove forests are followed by visual realities of their destruction. Nearly 15 million hectares of coastal mangrove areas have been cleared to make way for various human enterprises. This presentation will elaborate on these related issues, offering some relevant perspectives into possible solutions which we can all help implement on our own initiative.

Alfredo Quarto resides in Port Angeles but has over 35 years experience working on international environmental and social justice issues. He is a veteran campaigner and has spoken on mangrove conservation issues at the UN, international meetings and workshops, the American Museum of Natural History and many educational institutions. Quimper Unitarian is located at: 2333 San Juan Avenue in Port Townsend.

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