The Sierra Nevada is a snow-driven ecosystem where the amount and duration of winter precipitation affects the flora and fauna year-round. Animals living at high elevations not only experience harsher overwintering conditions but also experience shorter summer breeding seasons. Food availability during the summer is directly related to winter conditions – winter snowpack holds the year’s supply of water, and the abundance of primary prey items (such as insects) is affected by their rate of overwinter survival. Mountain chickadees are perhaps the avian emblem of the Sierra Nevada. They are one of the most abundant bird species throughout the year, and monitoring their populations can help us understand how the Sierra Nevada ecosystem is responding to climate change.

Lauren Whitenack is a PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno studying mountain chickadees in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains. She investigates the relationships between climate, insect abundance, and bird reproduction, as insects are the main food source for many birds during the breeding season. Come learn what she has discovered over the last 2 years of insect sampling and monitoring mountain chickadees in nest boxes!

Meeting room opens at 6:30 PM; join us to socialize prior to the 7:00 PM meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83848842105

Meeting ID: 838 4884 2105

Need help? Email Christine Kim at chrislalakim@gmail.com.