Grass Valley, Calif. September 8, 2017 – Get ready for surprises at the Science Speaker Series on the Sierra College Nevada County Campus. The presentation is free and open to the public, featuring an expert in the field. Doors open at 6:00pm for a meet-and-greet reception with free refreshments.

Mixed intensity fires and native beetles create some of the most productive and critical habitats for California birds and wildlife; this habitat is comparable or even better than late-succession or old-growth forest. Large, dense patches of standing dead trees are preferred by a host of plants, insects, mammals and birds, including many threatened and endangered species, such as spotted owls and pacific fishers. Explore the unique beauty of this extremely important habitat, and find out why so many wildlife species benefit from conditions created by beetles and fire.

About the Presenter

Christy Sherr is a retired National and State Park Ranger, currently working as a field biologist and Education Coordinator for the John Muir Project of the Earth Island Institute. She is a past president of the Sierra Foothills Audubon Chapter and watched her eleven-year-old daughter became a birder in a burned forest.
christysherr@johnmuirproject.org
www.johnmuirproject.org

Location and Parking

The Nevada County Campus is located at 250 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Talks are in the Multipurpose Center Building N-12.

Parking is $3, and you can purchase permits at the kiosk machine at the main entrance to the campus.

For more information, contact the series coordinator, Jason Giuliani,
at 
jgiuliani@sierracollege.edu.

Sierra Science Series Fall 2017 Schedule

September 12: The Surprising Benefits of Beetles and Wildfires
Christy Sherr, retired National and State Park Ranger, is a field biologist and education coordinator for the John Muir Project at the Earth Island Institute.

October 10: Sediment and Mercury Loads from Creeks to Reservoirs
Carrie Monohan, Ph.D. in Forest Resources and Hydrology, is the science director at The Sierra Fund where she designs and directs the Ecosystem Resiliency Program.

November 14: Sierra Conifers and the Mega-Drought: How do Trees Survive?
Jeff Lauder, a Ph.D. Candidate at UC Merced, researches how trees resist and recover from intense drought and bark beetle outbreaks.

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to meet the needs of our community, serving 3200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley and Truckee. With over 120 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is Northern California’s top community college for transfers to four-year universities and offers career/technical training and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu.