Birds and Brew: Lights Out

Spring Migration is right around the corner, and light pollution can draw migrating birds into cities which can cause them to collide with buildings.

Enjoy food and drinks while learning about our community science program that investigates bird-building collisions and how you can help our feathered friends fly safely through our area.

$20 w/ 1 Drink Ticket

Additional drink tickets are available for purchase at the event. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

TICKETS
Members: to receive your member discount, make sure you sign–in or register if you have not yet done so! The sign-in and register buttons can be found on the upper right-hand side of this page.

***Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend this event. Please bring your ID.***

Event Speakers

Max Malmquist – National Audubon Society
Saline Lakes Engagement Manager

Max fell in love with birds while performing various bird surveys for a consulting firm after college. He is the Engagement Manager for the National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Program, focused on protecting saline lakes and their associated wetlands, like the Great Salt Lake, for future generations of birds and people. Max is an avid birder and wildlife photographer who enjoys sharing his passion for birds with others. During the event, Max will cover “The Marvel and Mystery of Migration” and touch on how our understanding of migration has changed, the excitement that comes with the changes of seasons, and the return of our migratory feathered friends with a focus on Utah birds.

Rodolfo Probst – University of Utah College of Science
Postdoc at the Science Research Initiative (SRI)

Rodolfo Probst is a postdoc at the College of Science, University of Utah, where he mentors undergraduates and investigates speciation in insects, with a focus on the evolution of ant-plant mutualistic interactions. His research uses genomic tools and natural history to understand how species are formed and how we can identify them using DNA sequences. He is led by his interest in insect evolution and his passion for tropical fieldwork and phylogenetics, teaching the public about bugs and conservation, and exploring the outdoors. When not at the lab or collecting ants, he likes to be biking and hiking around Utah, cooking and writing poetry.

During the event, Rodolfo will discuss how light pollution has affected the insect population. Insect numbers are plummeting due to a variety of factors. Among them, a major cause has been human-created light pollution. Currently, artificial light covers about a quarter of Earth’s surface. Considering that half of known insect species are nocturnal, artificial light can have a big impact on their life cycles. For my talk, I will focus on nocturnal insect diversity, its ecological importance, how light pollution can wipe out entire insect populations, and the role we can plan in avoiding insect decline.

Jess Cleeves – Core Counseling

Jess is a longtime champion of dark skies in Utah. She served on the International Dark Sky Association Board of Directors from 2008-2020, and founded the Salt Lake Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association, which is now a statewide chapter.

During the event, Jess will provide an overview of the many ways that dark skies are important.