On Tuesday, September 13th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host Laurie Pocher who will present a program on the Galapagos.  This program will be held in-person in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve, and will also be available for viewing via Zoom. This will be our first in-person program in over two years, and we hope you can join us! The program will be held in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. The entrance to the Wells Reserve parking lot is off Skinner Mill Rd in Wells, and the auditorium is in the barn, directly up the path from the parking lot.

Charles Darwin spent five weeks in the Galapagos Islands in 1835, and this visit helped inspire his theories of evolution and natural selection. In 1959, 97% of the Galapagos was declared a National Park. Thanks to the archipelago’s remote location, absence of predators, and conservation efforts, many Galapagos animals remain curious and unafraid of humans to this day. Visitors to the islands are often treated to close encounters with Blue-Footed Boobies, Waved Albatross, Giant Tortoises, Marine Iguanas, and Sea Lions.

The flora and fauna in this remote location are impacted by both equatorial sun and cool waters from the Humboldt and Cromwell currents, resulting in a mix of both tropical and temperate environments. As a result, there are many endemic species that can only be found in the Galapagos.

Laurie Pocher – a York County Audubon Board member and nature photographer – recently returned from the Galapagos, where she spent 11 days on a photography tour of the major islands. Over the last few weeks, she’s been combing through thousands of photos and videos, compiling a day-by-day recap of her “11 Days in the Galapagos.”

We’ll be attempting a hybrid approach by which this program will also be available live via Zoom.  To watch via Zoom, you need to pre-register.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WDcwf75bQB-uxHAgTfFrYQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The in-person program at the Wells Reserve will also feature a “bird book” sale.  Pat Moynahan, whom we honored with a memorial concert in June, donated her large collection of birding books to YCA, and we’ll be offering them at this September meeting, with the proceeds being used to support YCA programs and projects, and the Maine Young Birders Club.