California’s Magnificent Oaks and Their Many Relations

California’s iconic and magnificent oaks support a more diverse array of organisms than any other terrestrial ecosystem in the state. In a presentation filled with wood ducks, woodrats, woodpeckers, and many other species, author and naturalist Kate Marianchild will discuss the keystone role oaks play in oak woodland food webs. We’ll learn about symbiotic connections between oaks and other organisms, such as fungi, jays, and caterpillars, and we’ll marvel at the tiny wasps who bend enormous oak trees to their bidding. We will crawl with Kate through woodrat mansions, fight for breeding opportunities with acorn woodpeckers, and defend mistletoe with bluebirds. Who could stay away?

Zoom Reservations Required: Link Here

Kate Marianchild is the author of Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants and Animalsamong California’s Oaks (Heyday, 2014).  She lives in a yurt near Ukiah surrounded by six kinds of oak and abundant wildlife. When she is not giving talks, guiding walks, or observing nature, she swims, sings, and advocates for the preservation of native plants and insects. katemarianchild.com