Raincoast Field School @ home
2020-03-31 11:00 - 11:30 (America/Vancouver) | Online, Canada
Our first Raincoast Field School @ home will be delivered through Facebook Live. On Tuesday March 31 at 11 am, go to the Raincoast Education Society Facebook page to view the live lesson.
The topic will be “Trees and Forests”, taught by Raincoast Field School instructor Taylor.⁠ This lesson will be suitable for families with children in grades K to 3.

Raincoast Field School @ home is an interactive online program delivered by Raincoast Field School instructors, educators and scientists. The program is being created to provide our local students (and beyond!) nature-based programming during COVID-19 related school closures.
Weekly ecology lessons are offered at 11 am PDT on Tuesday and Thursday, and can be joined from a computer, smartphone or tablet. Tuesday’s lesson will be best suited for families with children in Grades K-3 and Thursday’s for families with children in Grades 4-7. Links to supplementary materials and recorded videos will be posted on the @ home page after the lesson.

Registration is free. By providing your email address when you register we will be able to send you reminders, links and keep you up to date on future offerings. You can join the lesson from your home computer, smartphone or tablet.

Weekly themes:
March 31 and April 2 – Trees and Forests
April 7 and April 9 – Whale Migration

Raincoast Field School @ home
2020-04-02 11:00 - 11:30 | Online, Canada
Raincoast Field School @ home is an interactive online program delivered by Raincoast Field School instructors, educators and scientists. The program is being created to provide our local students (and beyond!) nature-based programming during COVID-19 related school closures.
Weekly ecology lessons are offered at 11 am PDT on Tuesday and Thursday, and can be joined from a computer, smartphone or tablet. Tuesday’s lesson will be best suited for families with children in Grades K-3 and Thursday’s for families with children in Grades 4-7. Links to supplementary materials and recorded videos will be posted on the @ home page after the lesson.

Our second Raincoast Field School @ home will be offered via Zoom Meetings. On Thursday April 2 at 11 am go to the zoom meeting, info below.

Topic: Raincoast Field School @ home (April 2)Time: Apr 2, 2020 11:00 AM Vancouver
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/965863152?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 965 863 152Password: [REDACTED]

Registration is free. By providing your email address when you register we will be able to send you reminders, links and keep you up to date on future offerings. You can join the lesson from your home computer, smartphone or tablet.

Weekly themes:
March 31 and April 2 – Trees and Forests
April 7 and April 9 – Whale Migration

Raincoast Field School @ home
2020-04-07 11:00 - 11:30 | Online, Canada
Raincoast Field School @ home is an interactive online program delivered by Raincoast Field School instructors, educators and scientists. The program is being created to provide our local students (and beyond!) nature-based programming during COVID-19 related school closures.
Weekly ecology lessons are offered at 11 am PDT on Tuesday and Thursday, and can be joined from a computer, smartphone or tablet. Lessons will be best suited for families with children in Grades K-7. Links to supplementary materials and recorded videos will be posted on the Raincoast Field School @ home page after the lesson.

Register for email updates and links to the live lessons.

Registration is free. By providing your email address when you register we will be able to send you reminders, links and keep you up to date on future offerings. You can join the lesson from your home computer, smartphone or tablet.

Terrestrial Ecology – Ambassador Program Session
2020-05-11 17:00 - 20:00 | Online, Canada
This three-hour session, taught by Barb Beasley, focuses on coastal terrestrial ecosystems. From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, this course will explore the interactions that occur in our local terrestrial ecosystems and the many species that inhabit them.
The sessions will alternate their regional focus between Ucluelet and Tofino on a weekly rotation (regional focus noted alongside dates listed below).
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Zoom Meeting (Register to receive the meeting link, allow a few minutes for the link to arrive in your inbox).
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: May 11 Ucluelet, May 18 Tofino, May 25 Ucluelet, June 1 Tofino, June 8 Ucluelet, June 15 Tofino

The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.
Photo: Two Corvids, April Bencze, Capturing the Coast 2018

Terrestrial Ecology – Ambassador Program Session
2020-06-15 09:30 - 12:30 | Online, Canada
This three-hour session, taught by Barb Beasley, focuses on coastal terrestrial ecosystems. From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, this course will explore the interactions that occur in our local terrestrial ecosystems and the many species that inhabit them.
The sessions will alternate their regional focus between Ucluelet and Tofino on a weekly rotation (regional focus noted alongside dates listed below).
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Zoom Meeting (Register to receive the meeting link, allow a few minutes for the link to arrive in your inbox).
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 pm
Dates: June 15 Tofino

The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.
Photo: Two Corvids, April Bencze, Capturing the Coast 2018

Support Raincoast Field School
2020-09-01 - 2020-09-30 | Online, Canada
Please help us keep the Raincoast Field School program running through 2020 and beyond; make a donation during our matching campaign this September!

Raincoast Field School directly engages over 500 students through up to 200 field trips per year. It’s the kind of program you won’t find anywhere else! Raincoast Field School is entirely funded by the RES, offered to every single student in every single class (K-7) at no cost to their parents, their teachers, or the school. We are only able to run this program with the generous support of our donors – local businesses and individuals who care about what we do and support us in our mission year after year. We are reaching out to ask for your support to help us ensure Field School remains a key component of the educational experience children in our community can count on. Please help us ensure this program continues in 2020 and beyond!

Wandering Words: Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
2020-12-09 15:00 - 16:30
Wandering Words: Outdoor Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
Given the most recent Provincial Covid announcement, our event has officially become a Zoom Event. Please RSVP to register to the zoom event, you will be emailed a zoom meeting link.
Join us to learn about the local language and world view. Explore sounds and enjoy a glimpse into the significance of the official language of this place, the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ / Tla-o-qui-aht language of Nuu-chah-nulth.
Gisele Martin will lead a mobile Nuu-chah-nulth language practice session.
This event is the first in a series of three this year & lead by Gisele. Gisele Maria Martin is a citizen of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She is a Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks guardian, Nuu-chah-nulth language & culture activist and artist.
wandering words no rsvp link

Wandering Words: Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
2021-01-13 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Event
Wandering Words: Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
Given the Provincial Covid announcement in November, this will be a Zoom Event.
Join us to learn about the local language and world view. Explore sounds and enjoy a glimpse into the significance of the official language of this place, the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ / Tla-o-qui-aht language of Nuu-chah-nulth.
Gisele Martin will lead a Nuu-chah-nulth language practice session.
This event is the second in a series of three & lead by Gisele. Gisele Maria Martin is a citizen of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She is a Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks guardian, Nuu-chah-nulth language & culture activist and artist.
RSVP for the third in the Wandering Words Series here.
Jan 2021 language poster_qr

Magnificent Mollusk Speaker Series 1 of 5
2021-01-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
Sea Garden Poster_Jan_26_noQR

Magnificent Mollusk Speaker Series 2 of 5
2021-02-09 18:30 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
Ian Riddick Poster no QR_final

Wandering Words: Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
2021-02-10 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Event
Wandering Words: Nuu-chah-nulth Language Exploration
Given the Provincial Covid announcement in November, this will be a Zoom Event.
Join us to learn about the local language and world view. Explore sounds and enjoy a glimpse into the significance of the official language of this place, the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ / Tla-o-qui-aht language of Nuu-chah-nulth.
Gisele Martin will lead a mobile Nuu-chah-nulth language practice session.
This event is the third in a series of three & lead by Gisele. Gisele Maria Martin is a citizen of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She is a Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks guardian, Nuu-chah-nulth language & culture activist and artist.
February 2021 language poster

Magnificent Mollusk Speaker Series 3 of 5
2021-02-23 18:30 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
Mei Lin Neo poster_no qr_final

Magnificent Mollusk Speaker Series 4 of 5
2021-03-09 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom Event
J.P. Hastey_poster_no_qr

Magnificent Mollusk Speaker Series 5 of 5
2021-03-23 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
Melanie Bishop_no_qr_poster

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino – Ambassador Program Session
2021-04-27 17:00 - 20:00 | Online, Canada
This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom Meeting (Register to receive the meeting link, allow a few minutes for the link to arrive in your inbox).
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25, June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22, June 29

The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Nuu-chah-nulth Lands & Waters – Ambassador Program Session
2021-04-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Online, Canada
This three-hour session is an introduction to Nuu-chah-nulth homelands, culture, and language. Learn about local history, cross cultural understanding, Nuu-chah-nulth language, and cultural world view. Explore the ancient and continued interconnections between the local landscape, the ocean and First Nations culture.
The sessions will alternate their regional focus between Ucluelet and Tofino on a weekly rotation (regional focus noted alongside dates listed below).
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Zoom Meeting (Register to receive the meeting link, allow a few minutes for the link to arrive in your inbox).
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Dates: April 28, May 5, May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16

The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.
Photo by Gisele Maria Martin.

Terrestrial Ecology – Ambassador Program Session
2021-05-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Online, Canada
This three-hour session, taught by Barb Beasley, focuses on coastal terrestrial ecosystems. From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, this course will explore the interactions that occur in our local terrestrial ecosystems and the many species that inhabit them.
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Zoom Meeting (Register to receive the meeting link, allow a few minutes for the link to arrive in your inbox).
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Dates: May 13, May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17

The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.
Photo: Two Corvids, April Bencze, Capturing the Coast 2018

Giants of the Deep: Mola mola
2021-11-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
My giant buddies: ocean sunfish and the joy of studying them.

They idle about at the ocean surface like lazy orbs, occasionally waving at the world without haste. They look like strange dinosaur fish from the deep, yet they are ultra-modern by evolutionary design. It is of course the strangely shaped ocean sunfish, Mola mola, an iconic member of the West Coast marine megafauna. But did you know a second sunfish species occurs here, too? A brand new species, Mola tecta, only discovered in 2017?
This talk explores some of the latest findings in sunfish research before taking you on a journey to New Zealand to retrace the steps that led to the discovery of Mola tecta, and how citizen science is now providing important insights into its occurrence in the NE Pacific.
About Marianne Nyegaard: After diving with sunfish on a holiday in Indonesia, Marianne become so captivated with these strange fish that she quit her job and embarked on a PhD to study them. What was meant to be a tropical diving project, however, soon became an exercise in detangling the complicated taxonomy of Mola – an adventure that took her back in time over 5 centuries through early European ichthyology, and all the way into modern day genetics. With the help of many, this journey culminated in the discovery of a previously undescribed sunfish species from New Zealand waters – Mola tecta – that continues to fascinate as it pops up in unexpected places, most recently off British Columbia and Alaska. Marianne recently co-founded the New Zealand Ocean Sunfish Research Trust, using citizen science sunfish projects to promote ocean awareness and conservation.

Jellyfish: Friend or Foe?
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Jellyfish have been in the oceans for 600 million years – they are one of the oldest animal lineages that are still around today. Unfortunately, jellyfish are often seen as pests because of the negative interactions that they have with people. In fact, jellyfish are integral for healthy ecosystems, but they don’t get much credit for it. This session will explore some of the key roles that jellyfish play in the ocean and balance the narrative that is typically associated with these stinging beauties.

Jessica Schaub is currently a PhD Student in Oceanography at the University of British Columbia. Despite growing up in rural, northern Alberta, Jessica has been drawn to ocean sciences from a young age. In her final months of high school before moving to Vancouver to pursue her degree, Jessica watched a documentary that reported a jellyfish crisis that was unfolding among Japanese fishers. This documentary illuminated the huge knowledge gaps that surrounded jellyfish and pointed to a clear social impact that could be resolved by filling these knowledge gaps. Her interests quickly narrowed, and her entire post-secondary education has been a pursuit of the elusive and enigmatic world of jellyfish ecology. Jessica has been fortunate to conduct research along the BC coast from Calvert Island to Vancouver. Her research has included aerial mapping of jellyfish blooms with drones, figuring out their diets, investigating their microbiomes, and husbandry in aquaria. Jessica is looking forward to her PhD, where she intends to evaluate claims that jellyfish can be considered keystone species.

Giants of the Deep: Basking Sharks
2022-01-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Photo: Basking Shark / Chris Train
Not that long ago, Basking Sharks, the second largest fish in the world were a common occurrence along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The last time this species was regularly observed on the BC coast was in Clayoquot Sound in the early 1990s. In this presentation Scott will explain the biology, shameful history, current research, and future recovery of the basking shark in Canada’s Pacific waters.
About Scott Wallace: Scott is a lifelong biologist, most happy when wearing gumboots and being with people in the outdoors. He has recently become a partner and owner-operator of a new lodge in Bamfield, Outer Shores Lodge. Before pivoting to Outer Shores Lodge, Scott worked as a marine ecologist at the David Suzuki Foundation for 15 years in the capacity of Senior Research Scientist. He is an educator, author, activist, naturalist, and fisheries researcher whose career has focused on marine conservation. Scott holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia and has taught several university and college level courses on the marine and coastal ecology of British Columbia. Scott currently teaches courses with North Island College’s Adventure Guiding program , UBC’s Haida Gwaii Institute, and is a fisheries advisor to the Council of the Haida Nation. In 2006 Scott wrote a book about basking sharks in Canada’s Pacific waters.

Rorquals: The Largest Whales on Earth
2022-02-17 20:00 - 21:30 | Zoom Event
Rorquals –
what a beautiful word, it rolls around your mouth
before unfurling on your tongue.
Rorquals –
what beautiful creatures, the ethereal giants of the deep.

Including the two largest animal species on planet Earth, rorquals are a group of baleen whale species which are characterised by deep ventral grooves that extend from the chin, down the throat to the belly and expand like a bellows to allow the whale to gulp-feed. Most of the rorqual species were hunted during the commercial hunting era, pushing their population numbers to the brink of extinction and leaving many still in dire need of conservation efforts. British Columbia is an important habitat for some of these rorquals, including an unusual occurrence of the predominantly oceanic fin whale in coastal BC. In this presentation, Éadin will focus on the rorquals of BC – taking you through some key aspects of their biology, culture, anthropogenic threats and finally touching on the ongoing research carried out by herself and the rest of the team at BC Whales.
About Éadin N. O’Mahony: Éadin, pronounced ‘Aid-een’, is an Irish-German marine biologist, coastguard rescue officer and novice potter. When she was a small child, her family moved from the urban jungle of Berlin to the wild Atlantic coast of southern Ireland, where her love of the sea was nurtured. During her undergraduate degree in conservation biology, Éadin had the opportunity to work with the North Coast Cetacean Society, or “BC Whales” – this becoming her very first visit to British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. It didn’t take long for her to get hooked, recognising the integral part whales play in ecosystem health and human conservation efforts. Éadin continued to work with BC Whales for her Masters (by Research), collecting whale blow with drones as a source of DNA for population genetics research. She has just embarked on her PhD journey, together with BC Whales and the University of St Andrews’ Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU). Her PhD aims to bring together new and non-invasive genetic sampling techniques, aiming to develop a coastwide biomonitoring network that investigates biodiversity levels in relation to Marine Protected Areas. She is passionate about bringing people and nature together, and dreams of this project bringing together knowledge, biomonitoring tools, data and a care for the sea, to help local communities lead on the protection of their seascapes. Her winters are spent in Scotland, her summers in BC, and she is at her best when out in the elements, in, on or under the sea.

Giant Squid: #5 of the Giants of the Deep Speaker Series
2022-03-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
What is a giant squid? Many different species have been referred to by this name, from the “calamar gigante” that Danna studied in Mexico and California to other species alternately known as warty squid, clubhook squid, and colossal squid. Danna will give a tour of the unique features and record-holders of each species, with plenty of attention to the one most strongly associated with the name “giant”: Architeuthis dux. She’ll also present her research on Humboldt squid, a smaller but still formidable cousin, and discuss the crucial roles all of these “monsters” play at the center of oceanic food webs.
About Danna Staaf: Danna is a marine biologist and author with special expertise in cephalopods. After falling in love with octopuses at age ten, she kept two of these amazing animals in a home aquarium, learned to scuba dive, and eventually earned a PhD in Humboldt squid reproduction and development (or “squid sex and babies”) from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. Now a freelance science communicator, she wrote Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods (previously titled Squid Empire, and named one of the best science books of 2017 by NPR). Her next book, The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology, is coming out in October. She also created the science outreach program Squids4Kids, and visits schools at every grade level, as well as venues from museums and libraries to tech companies.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-05-10 17:00 - 20:00 | https://raincoasteducation.org/calendar-event/small-town-big-picture-tofino-west-coast-ambassador-program-may-10/
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-05-24 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-06-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-06-21 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-06-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-07-05 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24, June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Best of both worlds: Moth antenna on a smelling drone
2023-02-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Nature has developed amazing chemical sensors which greatly surpass man-made sensors in sensitivity and speed. A male Manduca sexta hawkmoth can sense the female’s pheromone in concentrations as small as 1 in 10^17 molecules of air! To learn more about and mimic the way moths locate food and mates, I equipped a small palm-sized drone, dubbed “the Smellicopter”, with a live moth antenna to smell odors. This autonomous drone flies in a way inspired by how moths seek out the source of an odor, and is able to do so even while flying around obstacles. Join me and learn about the amazing smelling ability of moths and the Smellicopter!
About our speaker: Dr.Melanie Anderson is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington under Professor Tom Daniel in the Biology Department and is funded in part by her Fellowship through the UW CoMotion Startup Incubator. She received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2021. Her research focuses on biohybrid robotic systems, especially those that fuse multisensory input towards fully autonomous operation. She has received the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (2018-21), the UW Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Dissertation Award (2022), her Fellowship through the UW CoMotion Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Program (2022-23), and has recently been selected for a Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023-2026). Her most notable academic achievement is the creation of the Smellicopter, a biohybrid palm-sized drone which uses a live moth antenna as a chemical sensor to autonomously seek out the source of a chemical odor. The Smellicopter has been featured in news articles and film segments such as UW News, IEEE Spectrum, WIRED, and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Melanie Anderson currently is working towards exploring commercialization of her biohybrid technologies which, in the future, she hopes can be used in scenarios such as detecting pests and disease in agriculture, locating bombs/drugs in law enforcement or the armed forces, or even quickly locating survivors in disaster scenarios with search-and-rescue services.

The Magical World of Bats
2023-03-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Event
Life At Night, Speakers Series 2023

The Magical World of Bats
Like bats or not, you will after hearing and seeing for yourself what Dr. Tuttle has learned about these mysterious but magical animals. As you’ll see bats come in an amazing variety, as cute as any panda or as strange as any dinosaur, ranging from giant flying foxes with up to six-foot wingspans to tiny bumblebee bats that weigh less than a penny. Highly sophisticated, they maintain long-term social relationships similar to humans, sharing food and information, taking turns babysitting and even adopting orphans. They provide billions of dollars annually in crop protection without which we would be threatened with more deadly pesticides and pay higher prices for products from cotton to sugar, rice, chocolate and macadamia nuts. And that’s not even to mention their roles as essential pollinators and seed dispersers from deserts to rain forests, all of which Dr. Tuttle will illustrate through his personal experiences and stunning photography.

About our speaker: Dr. Merlin Tuttle is a resident of Austin, Texas. He is an internationally recognized leader in research, conservation and photography of bats. His photos and research have been featured in five National Geographic articles, the journal Science, and many other leading publications. He founded Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation (MTBC) where he is currently and solely active. Merlin also founded and led Bat Conservation International for nearly 30 years before leaving in 2009.
Through MTBC Dr. Tuttle continues to provide the world’s finest bat photo gallery and the most up-to-date responses to grossly exaggerated disease speculation about bats. This is also the only place to access his more than 60 years of unique expertise or support his work. At age 80, he is still passionately teaching the world to understand and appreciate the vital roles of bats. Since founding MTBC, he has continued his worldwide efforts from Brunei, Bulgaria, and Cambodia, to Taiwan, and Thailand, and from Brazil, Chile, and the Vatican, to South Africa.
His first book, America’s Neighborhood Bats, published in 1988, played a key role putting unfounded fear in perspective and in outlawing the then widespread poisoning of American bats living in buildings. His 2022 publication, The Bat House Guide, is the most comprehensive bat house book yet. His
inspiring autobiography, The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals, was published in 2018, with top reviews, including from The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and National Geographic. And in 2019, he served as science editor and sole photographer for the Smithsonian book, BATS: An illustrated guide to all species. He also serves as a Research Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin and still takes approximately a thousand new photos annually.
To learn more and support his work visit MerlinTuttle.org.
