What Is Local? Genetics and Plant Selection In the Urban Context
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
American Museum of Natural History
Linder Theater
8:15 am - 4:00 pm
Registration: $25

What is native? What is local?
Ask five people and you will likely get five different answers. Yet the health and long-term survival of native plant populations depends on the preservation of the gene-based adaptations plants have made to their local environment. Urban ecosystems with increased fragmentation, altered environmental parameters, and introduced plant material further complicate their genetics and their survival.

This symposium will address the genetic basis for protecting local plant populations--with a focus on making informed choices in selecting source material for urban restoration.

This event is directed toward public officials, agency managers, and project planners in both the private and public sector--all those with responsibilities for restoration, management, and creation of natural areas. Interested and concerned non-practitioners are also welcome.

Speakers:
Gerry Moore, Director, Department of Science, Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Susan Mazer, University of California, Santa Barbara
Arlee Montalvo, University of California, Riverside
Julie Etterson, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Steven Handel, Center for Urban Restoration Ecology, Rutgers University
Edward Toth, Greenbelt Native Plant Center, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation

Sponsors:
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Cook College
American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation
Metro Forest Council
Greenbelt Conservancy

For details, go HERE

VIETNAM: A NATURAL HISTORY
An Authors Lecture
May 23, 2006 at 7 p.m.
American Museum of Natural History
Kaufmann Theater (77th Street Entrance)

A country uncommonly rich in plants, animals, and natural habitats, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shelters a significant portion of the world's biological diversity, including rare and unique organisms and an unusual mixture of tropical and temperate species. "Vietnam: A Natural History" is the first comprehensive account of Vietnam's natural history written in English. Illustrated with maps, photographs, and thirty-five original watercolor paintings, the book offers a complete tour of the country's plants and animals, along with a full discussion of the factors shaping their evolution and distribution.

Please join the authors of "Vietnam: A Natural History"--Eleanor J. Sterling, Director of the Museum's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, and Biodiversity Scientists Martha M. Hurley and Le Duc Minh--for a discuss of their new book. They will explore Vietnam's evolutionary past and relationships between humans and the environment, and review the most recent scientific research and species discovered, touching on current threats to and attempts at conserving Vietnam's complex and fragile natural history.

Tickets $15 ($12 for Museum members).

Please call 212-769-5200 or click here http://cbc.amnh.org/center/features/events/index.html to purchase tickets.