Nature Matters series begins October 28

Nature Matters begins this season with Ecologist Doug Glavich, who will define coastal prairies, explore what impacts have led to the loss of this habitat type, and ongoing restoration efforts. This talk will include environmental factors that maintain prairies on the landscape and plants that define them. Glavich will discuss recent applied science projects he has been involved with that look at better understanding these habitats, including those that the threatened Oregon Silverspot Butterfly call home.

This free event is online. The 7 p.m. presentation takes place October 28 online via Facebook Live which can be accessed from the park’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LewisandClarkNationalHistoricalPark.

Doug Glavich has over 20 years of experience working in the world of ecology. He currently is an ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service Northwest Oregon Ecology Group, which covers the Siuslaw, Willamette, and Mt. Hood National Forests, as well as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. He has been with this program since 2011 and joined full time three years ago. Previously, he worked with the U.S. Forest Service Regional Air Program for nearly 15 years, working on lichen bio-indication projects and lichen habitat modeling where he published several papers on those topics. His work with the Ecology Program focuses on non-forest systems and special habitats, which include meadows and wetlands. He has worked on meadow plant community classification, Oregon Silverspot Butterfly habitat, and is currently working in remote sensing to generate special habitat maps. He has a B.S. in Botany from Humboldt State University.

Nature Matters, a lively conversation about the intersection of nature and culture, takes place on the fourth Thursday of each month from October through May. Nature Matters is hosted by Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in partnership with the North Coast Watershed Association, the Lewis & Clark National Park Association, and the Fort George Brewery + Public House.

For more information, call the park at (503) 861-2471 or check out http://www.nps.gov/lewi or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on Facebook.