Maymont-VCU Discovery Institute lecture series to explore urban and suburban wildlife in Virginia

By Anne Buckley

Reptiles and amphibians in Richmond, insects and spiders of Virginia and the transmission of mosquito-born diseases are among the topics that will be presented in the Maymont-VCU Discovery Institute 2006 lecture series.

This year’s series, “Backyard Wildlife – Pests or Guests? Understanding Urban and Suburban Wildlife,” will feature six lectures beginning March 23 as part of the institute’s continuing educational seminars to the general public, students and teachers to further their studies and training in the life sciences.

This is the fourth year for the series, which began in 2003 with a series based on the James River. The second year focused on the exploration of life sciences through art, and last year’s series explored topics such as stem-cell research and bioterrorism.

The first lecture of the Wildlife series will be held Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m., with a reception at 6 p.m., at the Maymont Robins Nature and Visitor Center,1700 Hampton St. Each lecture is $5, or $25 for the series. For registration information, call (804) 358-7166, ext. 325.

·    March 23 - “Going Wild! Creating wildlife habitats at home,” presented by Louis Verner, Ph.D., wildlife biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

·    March 30 - “Backyard birds,” presented by John Coe, education chairman and former president of Richmond Audubon Society, a naturalist for Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation and a master gardener.

·    April 6 - “Reptiles and amphibians in urban Richmond,” presented by Joseph Mitchell, Ph.D., research scientist specializing in ecology and conservation biology.

·    April 20 - “Claws, jaws, stings and wings – insects and spiders of Virginia,” presented by Arthur Evans, Ph.D., research associate at both the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville.

·    April 27 - “Cotton rats or rotten cats: a backyard dilemma?” presented by John Pagels, Ph.D., professor and director of the graduate program of biology at Virginia Commonwealth University.

·    May 4 - “Mosquitoes and the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases,” presented by David Gaines, Ph.D., state public health entomologist for the Virginia Department of Health.   

For more information about the series, visit www.vcu.edu/lifesci.