by
Sue Leahy, Board Member at Large and Outreach Committee Chair
Susan Orr, Program Committee Chair
Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter is pleased to present our annual Winter Speakers’ Series. We will, as you might expect, be virtual and we have a great line-up again this winter to get you warmed up for spring!
Due to space limitations, only active St. Louis and St. Charles Chapter members will be allowed access to the Zoom presentation. Attendance, along with the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers, is a perk of membership. If you haven’t had an opportunity to join yet, this might be a great time to do so! Visit our Join Us page to find out more information and sign up.
Members will receive a separate e-mail with the Zoom details.
“Good Vibrations: the little known world of insect vibrational communication”
Dr. Kasey Fowler-Finn, St. Louis University
Wednesday, January 13 – 7 pm
Insects use song to communicate for many reasons. Parenting, mating, and warning predators away are just a few. However, most songs cannot be heard by the human ear because they travel as vibrations through plant stems and leaves. During this talk, you will hear some of these beautiful vibrational songs learn about some of the stories you can learn by tapping into this little known type of insect communication.
Kasey is an evolutionary biologist who studies communication and behavior in insects and arachnids. A major goal of her research is to understand how insects and arachnids are affected by, and adapt to, changes in the environment. She is currently an Associate Professor at Saint Louis University. She received her PhD in 2009 from the University of Nebraska and her BA in 2004 from Cornell University. Visit the Fowler-Finn Lab webpage to learn more about the exciting studies going on at SLU.
“Why Our Gardens Are Vital to the Conservation of Our Native Birds”
Margy Terpstra
Wednesday, February 10 – 7 pm
Margy is an avid birder, nature photographer and lifelong gardener with a degree in Horticulture. She is a member of Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter, the St. Louis Audubon Society and MoNEP, the Missouri Nature and Environmental Photographers organization. Since 1996, Margy and her husband Dan have worked together to remove invasive plants, restore their half-acre property in Kirkwood with beautiful Missouri natives and add water features, all for the benefit of birds and wildlife. “Shady Oaks Sanctuary” is the name of their Bring Conservation Home Platinum certified conservation garden. In his newest book, Nature’s Best Hope, Doug Tallamy commends them as most effective role models. Visit the Terpstras’ website Hummer Haven Unlimited to see more of Margy’s photography and read about the many visitors to their property.
“Plants, Pollinators & People: A Love Story”
Dr. Kyra Krakos, Maryville University
Wednesday, March 10 – 7 pm
This talk will give an update on a study at Shaw Nature Reserve pollination networks that is in its 8th year. Shaw Nature Reserve presents a unique opportunity to look at pollination over a larger timescale because of its history and records.
Kyra is an Associate Professor of Biology and Program Director for the Sustainability Program at Maryville University, and a Research Associate at Missouri Botanical Garden. Her lab focuses on the need to understand the dynamics of the natural world in a changing environment.
