Saluda Library speaker series continues through the fall

SALUDA— A speaker series will continue to take place at Saluda Library on the second Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. through November 2024, thanks to a generous Free Community Events grant from Polk County Community Foundation and a partnership between Polk County Public Libraries and Conserving Carolina. Next up in the series is “Top Ten Hummingbird Myths.”

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are likely the most common hummingbird species in the world. Still, there is much to be learned about their life history, and many facts about hummers are clouded by misperceptions and untruths.

On July 9, Dr. Bill Hilton Jr., principal investigator for “Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project,” will bust some common myths about ruby throats and share exciting results of his work, including citizen science hummingbird expeditions to the Neotropics.

Dr. Laurie Hamon, conservation biologist for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, will present “The Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas” on August 13. Bumble bees are familiar and charismatic visitors to our gardens, but nearly half of southeastern bumble bee species are at risk of extinction. To protect our bees, conservationists need more information about our rare bumble bees and their habitat requirements.

The Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science project that aims to track and understand southeastern bumble bees. This presentation will cover the background of the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas, their findings so far, and how you can get involved.

The September 10 program, “Moths and Why We Need to Think About Them Differently,” will be led by naturalist, photographer, and writer Sharon Mammoser. Moths and their caterpillars are the foundation of the food chain, especially appealing to songbird parents who must feed their growing chicks. The diversity is shocking, as are the colors, shapes, and adaptations. In this program, visitors will get an introduction to the amazing world of moths, including a chance to see and learn about some of our more amazing local moths, learning about their important place in the food web and how to make yards and outdoor spaces more moth-friendly.

For more information, contact Pam Torlina at pam@conservingcarolina.org . To register for these events, visit conservingcarolina.org/calendar .

Submitted by Jen Pace Dickenson

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