ZION CANYON FIELD INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES CENTENNIAL LECTURE SERIES

THE FERN AND J.L. CRAWFORD LECTURE SERIES

Zion Canyon Field Institute's fourth season of the Fern and J. L. Crawford Lecture Series will emphasize the natural and cultural history of deserts.
The lecture series is offered free to the public and all lectures are scheduled for 7:30 pm at the Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard, in Springdale.
Lectures currently scheduled for the year include:

NOVEMBER 5, 2010

North American Deserts: Why is Utah Such an Unusual Biological Region?

Is Zion part of the Mojave, Great Basin, or Painted Desert? And why are there deserts at all? Explore the origins, causes, and distinctive biogeography of the world's deserts with special focus on North American desert regions.

Roger Luckenbach, Ph.D. combines over forty years of research, academics, and adventure travel in the American Southwest with a passion for sharing his knowledge.
Formerly a faculty member of the University of California Santa Cruz and Utah Valley University, Dr. Luckenbach was also research zoologist for the Smithsonian, adn underwater film maker and expedition leader for National Geographic-Linblad Expeditions among others.

DECEMBER 4, 2010

The Gila Monster in Utah: A Case for Biodiversity

After stints as a zookeeper and a furniture maker, Daniel Beck earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in biology from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona. His research on Gila Monsters, rattlesnakes, and other desert reptiles spans nearly three decades, and has taken him throughout the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and tropical dry forests of Mexico and Guatemala. His book, Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards, was released in paperback last summer by the University of California Press.

Complete Schedule of ZCFI Workshops and Seminars