Presented by: Dr. Mary Morrison

This program will share Dr. Morrison’s experiences on her 3-week summer 2025 photosafari to South Africa. We’ll see images of dozens of species of birds, including shy albatross, bee eaters, chats, cormorants, cranes, drongos, tawny eagles, Egyptian geese, herons, endangered ground hornbills, ostrich, owls, parrots, African penguins, lilac breasted rollers, shrikes, maribou storks, sunbirds, vultures, weavers and wagtails and woodpeckers (oh my!)—a bird species for almost every letter of the alphabet! We’ll also see pictures of diverse megafauna, including blesbok, bushbuck, eland, hartebeast, impala, klipspringer, kudu, nyala, sable, waterbuck, wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, zebra, hyenas (did you know their closest living relatives are mongoose?), jackals, vervet monkeys, baboons, and rock dassies. We’ll discuss the state of wildlife conservation efforts in a continual battle against poachers and pressures to reallocate lands for human use. Come wonder at the dazzling variety of wildlife that survive and thrive in the extreme environments of South Africa!

Bio: Dr. Mary Morrison has been a member of Lycoming Audubon since 2004. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University and her PhD in immunology and microbiology from Columbia University, then did postdoctoral work in neuroscience at Columbia University. She has helped with breeding bird surveys in New York, California, and Pennsylvania. She teaches in the Biology and Neuroscience programs at Lycoming College, including a beloved May term course in field ornithology.

There is parking behind the museum and in the lot behind Trinity Church. Please enter through the side door off the museum parking lot. All are welcome!

If you would like to view the program, but are unable to attend in person, please join us via Zoom. Simply click on this link to join the meeting: uhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/88669438387