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The USGS Evening Public Lecture Series events are free and are intended for a general public audience that may not be familiar with the science being discussed. Our speakers are encouraged to thoroughly explain the subject matter being presented, and to define any words or terms that may be unfamiliar to those not having a background or familiarity with the material being presented.

Lectures are held at the USGS Menlo Park Science Center in Building 3, 2nd floor conference room A, Menlo Park, California. Click on Campus Map for building location and directions.

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 7 p.m.
USGS, Conference Room A, Bldg 3,
Menlo Park, California

Taking the Biological Pulse of Our Planet
The USA National Phenology Network

• Phenology, an emerging integrated science, is combining government, university, and public knowledge to study seasonal cycles in the biosphere
• Recent findings in phenology are providing new insights into the timing of biological events and cycles in relation to changing seasons and global climate conditions
• Citizen scientists are contributing valuable information to Project BudBurst nationwide with backyard and field observations of nature
• Scientists are using phenology to study the effects of global climate change on the delicate interaction between plants and animals, and for predicting the future health of our environment

Video: A video archive of this lecture will be available on this website on the Current Season page one to three day's after this event.

November 2008 Flyer (Acrobat PDF)

View October 2008 Lecture

Play Video (requires Flash Player)

Prehistoric Packrat Piles --
Archives of Climate Change

• Piles of ancient vegetation hoarded by packrats are providing clues to past events of rapid climate warming -- similar to those expected for the 21st century
• Preserved material shows the effects of three sudden warming events that occurred over the last 20,000 years
• Each historic warming event was followed by several thousand years of vegetation migration and succession
• Changes following these past warming events resemble some recently observed shifts in natural ecosystems, and can be incorporated into models of future ecosystems

Upcoming 2008 Public Lecture Schedule

Monthly lectures are usually scheduled for the last Thursday evening of each month during most of the year but are occasionally presented on the preceding Thursday evening to accommodate our speakers. Also, the November and December lectures are scheduled earlier in the month to avoid conflicting with speaker and customer plans during the holiday season.

• This lecture schedule is subject to change --
• December -- TBA

USGS Public Events Calendar (Recorded Message) --- (650) 329-5000 For additional information on the USGS Evening Public Lecture Series please contact Amelia Barrales: abarrales2@usgs.gov or telephone (650) 329-5136.