Photo: Collared Nightjar, Elizabeth Lyons
When: Tuesday, May 17, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual!
Fee: FREE, but registration is required
This mother-daughter scientist team will immerse the audience in the fascinating biodiversity of Madagascar. In 2018 they were able to explore many regions of Madagascar, from its spiny forests in the southwest, to the high plateaus in the country’s center, to the lush mountainous forests of the northeast. Based on their first-hand experience with Madagascar as a biodiversity hotspot, they will focus on its famous lemurs, a group of primates found only in Madagascar, and its suite of endemic birds. They will discuss some of the recently extinct animals, the human impacts that continue to challenge the island nation, and conservation efforts being undertaken to protect Madagascar’s unique biological richness. They will also reflect on their scientific career paths in hopes of helping young women and girls pursue their own passions in environmentalism and science.
Dr. Sally Bornbusch is a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. In her PhD research Sally focused on lemurs and the trillions of microbes that inhabit their guts, collectively known as gut microbiomes. She worked primarily with ring-tailed lemurs, but has also studied sifakas, aye-ayes, mouse lemurs, and dwarf lemurs. Her research took place in Madagascar and at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham NC, a facility focused on conservation and education that houses the largest populations of lemurs outside of Madagascar. In her free time Sally loves to do nature-inspired art and photography, cooking, especially when she has foraged the ingredients from local wilderness, and hiking with her dog.
Dr. Libby Lyons, who also received a PhD in biology, recently retired after 25 years with the National Science Foundation and ten years as a college professor. She serves on the Board of the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and is an avid gardener and birdwatcher. She was fortunate that her work took her to many other countries where she could explore the birdlife, and that she was able to combine birdwatching with a visit to Sally while she was doing her research in Madagascar.
Comic by Rosemary Mosco, birdandmoon.com