Tonight, June 8, 2016 - 7:00 PM at the Cold Spring Harbor Library and Environmental Center
Aye-Ayes, Fossas and Fanalokas, Oh My! The Unique Wildlife of Madagascar with James Herrera As a follow up to James’ 2014 program about community conservation in Madagascar, tonight we will be learning more about the wildlife of Madagascar! For example, did you know that the aye-aye, a bizarre looking creature (lemur actually!) with a long, twig like middle finger, is considered bad luck to the local people? Most people think of lemurs when they think of Madagascar (tonight we will learn just how many species of lemurs there really are!), but have you ever heard of a fossa? What about a tenrec, fanaloka or flying fox? The island of Madagascar is home to a diverse array of life, more than 90% of which is endemic - only found on Madagascar. The myriad ecosystems and long isolation of the island make it an unparalleled living laboratory to study ecology and evolution. The multitude of co-existing species interact to form complex ecosystems; for example, many tree species depend on the endemic primates- lemurs - to disperse their seeds, and the endemic carnivores - such as the fossa - depend on lemurs as their main food source. These links in the trophic chain are critical to proper ecosystem functioning, and high biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient to disturbances, such as future climate change and habitat loss. James will discuss some of the species of wildlife that call Madagascar home and how they are connected to each other in this amazing petri dish of biodiversity. James Herrera is a postdoctoral research fellow and Gerstner Scholar at the American Museum of Natural History studying primate diversity and evolution. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Stony Brook University, NY (2015) after conducting field research in Madagascar to study the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of lemurs, the endemic primates. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Miami, FL (2009) in Anthropology. Originally from Long Island, James has also enjoyed exploring the biodiversity of New York and plans to tie his research interests in Madagascar with local conservation issues in New York. Please visit our website for more information about the organization and to check out our upcoming programs, field trips and volunteer events. Best Regards, Stella MillerPresidentHuntington-Oyster Bay Audubon "Conservation is sometimes perceived as stopping everything cold, as holding whooping cranes in higher esteem than people. It is up to science to spread the understanding that the choice is not between wild places or people, it is between a rich or an impoverished existence for Man." Thomas Lovejoy -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
