Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

Presents our 21st Annual Lecture Series

THE DELICATE BALANCE OF NATURE 2012

WEDNESDAY evenings from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK

Visitor Center at MM 102.5 Oceanside Overseas Highway. Park gate opens at 7 p.m.

Admission is free. Seating is limited. Bring a cushion for your added seating comfort.

For more information call the Visitor Center at 451-9570.

January 4 FROM RAIL TO TRAIL: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY

Monica Woll, Trail Specialist with the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, will cover the history of the railroad construction, the old road and ferry system, and the big day when Henry Flagler rode the first train into Key West.

January 11 THE FUTURE OF ELKHORN CORAL IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

Hear about the life history of Elkhorn coral and recent changes in its population. Dana Williams, Associate Scientist with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science, also tells how that information can guide conservation efforts.

January 18 NATIVE ORCHIDS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS

Roger Hammer, author and award-winning naturalist and photographer, will speak on this alluring wildflower, of which Florida has more native species than any other state.

January 25 CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON: BREEDING AND WINTERING THREATS TO MIGRATORY INSULAR POPULATIONS

Learn about our keystone species, the White-crowned Pigeon, responsible for the diversity of the tropical hardwood hammock in the Florida Keys. Ken Meyer, Executive Director of the Avian Research and Conservation Institute, also will describe conservation efforts.

February 1 CLIMATOLOGY AND TROPICAL CYCLONE IMPACTS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS

Jon Rizzo, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Key West, will discuss rvices of NWS’s Keys’ office, climatology and weather patterns, and hurricane history.

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February 8 EDIBLE WILD PLANTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Learn about native and naturalized (not directly planted) plants from your “backyard” that you can eat from Miami-Dade Fruit & Spice Park Manager Chris Rollins.

February 15 SEX, DRUGS, AND SEA SLIME: THE OCEANS’ ODDEST CREATURES AND WHY THEY MATTER

Dr. Ellen Prager, nationally-recognized marine scientist and author, will present entertaining stories from her new book about some of the sea’s most fascinating inhabitants and their connections to society, including our food supply, economy, jobs, biomedical research and biotechnology. Copies of her book will also be available for book signing.

February 22 PLANTS, POLLINATORS, AND PROTECTORS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Plants cleverly recruit other living things to help them reproduce and Florida International University Professor of Biology Suzanne Koptur will tell us about some strategies used.

February 29 WE HARDLY KNEW YE: THE DECLINE OF ATLANTIC SAWFISHES (BATOIDEA: PRISTIDAE)

George Burgess, Curator of the National Sawfish Encounter Database with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, will discuss the decline of the Atlantic sawfishes and their ranges and what we can learn about the importance of fisheries conservation management, even of low-sized species’ populations.

March 7 SPEAKING FOR REEFS: PLEASE TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Join Sanctuary Science Interpreter Nancy Diersing for an overview of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the science describing effects of trash and land-based pollution to our marine habitats and things you can do to improve conditions.

March 14 BIRDS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS

Florida Park Service Keys Biologist Janice Duquesnel will present, with photos, about eighty-six of the common and not-so-common bird species found in the Florida Keys.

March 21 MISSILES IN THE GLADES: HOW EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK WAS SQUEEZED BETWEEN COLD WAR SUPERPOWERS

Learn how the River of Grass was caught up in the Cuban Missile Crisis from Everglades National Park Ranger Ryan Meyer.

March 28 FLORIDA KEYS BLEACHWATCH

Cory Walter, Staff Biologist for Mote Marine Laboratory Tropical Field Station on Summerland Key, will explain the biology of coral bleaching as well as how to report it