Online Event: Synchronicity Between Saline Lakes and Migration

Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s May program “Saline Lakes in the West: Eared Grebe Migration and the Lakes It Depends On” has a very special guest speaker – 2007 graduate of Midland School in the SYV, Nora Livingston.  She created her own position as Lead Naturalist at Mono Lake five years ago, and there’s just no stopping this young woman.

In the final program of SBAS programs for the 2020-21 season, guest speaker Livingston will examine what she’s learned about the delicate co-existence between the magnificent Eared Grebes that populate California’s saline lakes. Birds flock to Mono Lake and the Salton Sea by the millions during their southward migration. Sadly, these lakes which are in the top five largest lakes* in California, are in danger due to excessive water diversions and climate change.

*According to World Atlas, the Salton Sea holds first place with 240,000 surface acres, and Mono Lake is in the fourth spot with a surface area of 55,179. The Salton Sea straddles the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, boasting a salinity of 56 grams per liter, making it greater than that of the Pacific Ocean. Mono Lake is located on the Eastern Edge of Yosemite National Park.

BIO:   Nora Livingston, a 2007 graduate of the Midland School in the Santa Ynez Valley, is the first ever Lead Naturalist Guide at Mono Lake, having created the position five years ago. She gives compelling presentations around the state about Mono Lake and its’ birds and leads custom guided trips at the lake for birders and nature-enthusiasts. Her LinkedIn Profile notes, “I’m looking to connect to other professionals in my field. I love exploring this planet and learning about all of its inhabitants and processes.”

Nora worked with the Smithsonian Institution from 2011 to 2015 as Seasonal Avian Ecologist. During those five seasons, she conducted ecology research on the Island Scrub-jay at Santa Cruz Island.  She graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C.  Livingston is on the Board of the Eastern Sierra Audubon Society. She is a certified EMT and Wilderness Responder.

Program Zoom information will be posted closer to the date: https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/cate…/activities/programs/

If you missed any of the programs and would like to see them, go to this link: https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/additional-resources/videos/

For more information on becoming a member, to donate, or to learn about our many events, please go to the Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s website at https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/.