Hancock County Naturalists Speaker To Discuss Galapagos Islands Trip

(From Hancock County Naturalists)

The Hancock County Naturalists will host speaker Katie Ware, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in biology at Bowling Green State University, at their January 9 meeting. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Oak Woods Nature Preserve, 1400 Oakwood Avenue, and is open to the public.

Ware studies bird communities and conservation. She is in Dr. Karen Root’s lab, from whom she also received her master’s degree. She is an instructor for Anatomy and Physiology labs at BGSU and is the Graduate Trustee for the Board of Trustees. She is the current secretary for the Hancock County Naturalists and lives in Findlay.

In March 2024, Ware traveled to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador with her family on a six-day cruise. They visited several islands and saw a lot of wildlife. Ware will talk about her trip, conservation, and the natural history of the Galapagos, including Galapagos Tortoises, Marine Iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, and the evolution of the Galapagos Finches.

The Hancock County Naturalists, a membership organization, was established to further the study of the fauna and flora of Hancock County and the surrounding area and to participate in selected conservation and educational projects. Membership and events are open to those aged 15 and older. Annual membership fees are $15 per adult, $20 per couple, and $10 for youth.

For more information, contact Jane Riker at 419-306-3697 or [email protected]. The group’s website is hancockcountynaturalists.org.