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      ECOC

      Galapagos, Darwin and Biology’s Biggest Discovery

      This event is SOLD OUT. To join our waitlist, please email information@pem.org.

      Galapagos, Darwin and Biology’s Biggest Discovery

      Know before you go

      In-person event
      Location: Morse Auditorium

      Free

      The Galapagos Islands hold a special fascination for birders, naturalists and biologists worldwide, in large part due to the way their famous endemic finches shaped Charles Darwin’s understanding of evolution. The Galapagos are home to more than 30 bird species – as well as the famous tortoises and marine and land iguanas – that are found nowhere else on Earth. Professor John Kricher, co-author of The Galapagos: A Natural History, will discuss why these islands have become such an icon of evolutionary biology and why they remain a popular tour destination.

      This event is co-hosted by the Essex County Ornithological Club. A brief meeting of the club will be held from 7:30–7:45 pm. All are welcome to attend!

      This program is made possible by a generous gift from Joanie and Tim Ingraham in memory of PEM trustee and former ECOC member Dorothy “Dotty” Addams Brown. This event is also supported by the Lowell Institute.

      About the Speaker

      John Kricher

      John Kricher

      John Kricher is professor emeritus of biology at Wheaton College, where he taught ecology, ornithology and vertebrate evolution for 48 years. He is a fellow of the American Ornithological Society, a former board member of the American Birding Association and past president of the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Nuttall Ornithological Club. He received the Alexander F. Skutch Award for Excellence in Neotropical Ornithology in 2022, given by the Association of Field Ornithologists. Also in 2022, he and Kevin Loughlin of Wildside Nature Tours published an updated edition of Kricher’s previous book Galapagos: A Natural History (2006). The new edition features hundreds of photos, along with updated taxonomy for several bird species that have been reclassified since the original publication. Beyond birds, the book delves into the islands’ history, geology and ecology.

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