Facilitated by Dr. Chris Tracy, Director of the UCR Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, each free presentation is designed to examine the world in new and surprising ways. 

Lecture topics will be announced soon! Mark your calendars now!

6 p.m. Dec. 13 — Dr. Chris Tracy 

Sand beneath their toes:  How the Coachella fringe-toed lizard helped us understand behavior of the desert plated lizard of Namibia.

6 p.m. Jan. 10 — Dr. Lesley DeFalco and Dr. Todd Esque  

Drs. Lesley DeFalco and Todd Esque will present on the challenges of re-vegetating degraded Mojave Desert shrublands. They will share how this old problem requires a novel perspective to repair habitats that support diverse wildlife and plant communities.

6 p.m. Feb. 14 *New date: Mar. 28*— Dr. Hollis Woodard  

Our deserts are home to some of the most biodiverse and unusual bee communities on Earth. Many of these species are uniquely specialized to their desert surroundings, but they are also imperiled by warming temperatures and other global changes.

6 p.m. Mar. 14 — Dr. Robert Fisher  

In 2014, Dr. Robert Fisher helped develop a Golden Eagle research program. His team has since captured 49 eagles in southern California and generated new data critical for species management. He will offer new data, including risk factors to eagle survivorship.

6 p.m. Apr. 11 — Dr. Christopher Clark  

Dr. Christopher Clark will describe ongoing research on Costa's Hummingbird courtship displays, including the sounds they make with their wings and tail-feathers, and how they learn their songs.