Chapter Meetings
Unless otherwise noted, chapter meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at the Duck Club in Irvine.
6:45 PM: Doors open for food, fellowship, sales table
7:00 – 7:30 PM: Interest Centers
7:30 PM: Lights out, program begins!
March 17—Wild and Beautiful—A Natural History of Orange County’s Open Spaces, Presentation and Book Signing
Speaker: Dr. Allan Schoenherr
We may live in the smallest county in southern California, but whatever corner we live in, we can quickly escape to stunning beaches, shady oak woodlands, habitat rich scrublands, even evergreen forests. Few could capture the breadth of it, from bug to flower and from rock to the broad landscapes, better than does ecologist and Laguna Beach resident Dr. Allan Schoenherr in his new book titled Wild and Beautiful—A Natural History of Orange County’s Open Spaces. An exciting blend of excellent photography and informative material, it takes a close look at our county’s plants, animals, and landscapes. But, as Pat Brennan of the OC Register recently reported, “This book isn’t just another catalog of plants and animals. It’s packed with facts and stunning photos of wild land, habitat and species, as well as full-color maps. There are sections on climate, weather, seasons, wildfire, geology, earthquakes and the subtle intricacies of the tidal zones.”
Dr. Schoenherr, a retired Professor of Ecology at Fullerton College has taught a variety of ecology classes at U.C.I., and California State University at Fullerton. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Southern California, and his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. An accomplished nature photographer and author, he has written two previous books The Natural History of California and The Natural History of the Islands of California.
Don’t miss this opportunity! We will have books on hand for you to purchase and Dr. Schoenherr has offered to sign before and after the presentation.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Southern California Botanists grant program for Desert Studies in honor of Alan Romspert.
April 21—A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California
Speaker: Laura Cunningham
Combining the skill of an accomplished artist with a passion for landscapes and training as a naturalist, Laura Cunningham has spent more than two decades scouting native plants in parking lots, observing grizzly bears, poring over historical accounts, paleontology findings, and archeological data to bring to life an all-but-forgotten world—California as it was before European contact.
Traveling with paint box in hand, she tracked the remaining vestiges of semi-pristine landscape like a detective, seeking clues that revealed the California of past centuries. In her studio, Cunningham created paintings of vast landscapes and wildlife from the raw data she had collected, her own observations in the wild, and her knowledge of ecological laws and processes that reveal a California unknown to us now. Through A State of Change, readers are given the pure pleasure of wandering through these wondrous and seemingly exotic scenes of Old California and understanding the possibilities for both change and conservation in our present-day landscape. A State of Change is as vital as it is visionary.
Laura Cunningham, an artist and naturalist, studied paleontology and biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and has worked at various field biology jobs for the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other organizations. Simultaneously, she has been studying and painting California’s historic and living wildlife, flora, and unique landscapes. She lives with her husband and pet iguanas on a ranch next to Death Valley National Park, where she co-founded the group Basin and Range Watch to explore the historical ecology of the desert ecosystems of California and Nevada, and to protect them. Laura’s Book, “A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California” will be on hand to purchase and she will be signing books before and after the presentation.
