The Desert Society’s Winter Program Series kicks off on Feb. 16 with a film and talk on the intelligence of birds at Watermark Resort from 2 to 4 p.m. (File photo / Ricard McGuire)
This February and March the Osoyoos Desert Society will once again be hosting its popular Winter Program Series. The Society’s 2019 “Movie & An Expert” series includes four programs, each featuring a documentary film followed by a guest speaker.
The series kicks off Saturday, February 16 with Bird Brain, a documentary exploring the intelligence of birds. The film features astonishing tests of avian aptitude, from jackdaws “reading” human faces to crows solving multi-step puzzles. After the film, Terry Tellier with the South Okanagan Hummingbird Banding Team will discuss local hummingbirds and the process used to trap and band them.
The second Winter Program, scheduled for February 23, features a program from the North America series. The documentary explores the daily battle for survival faced by wildlife living in the upper reaches of the continent. From head-bashing bighorn sheep to avalanche-dodging grizzlies, the film showcases the extremes and the wonders of North America’s mountains and forests. Following the movie, B.C. government biologist Craig McLean will discuss the behavior and biology of B.C.’s bighorn sheep.
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On March 16 the film and speaker series continues with SEED: The Untold Story, a documentary highlighting the importance of heirloom seeds to agriculture worldwide. It follows passionate seed keepers working to protect our 12,000 year-old food legacy. Desert Society President Lee McFadyen, experienced seed saver and long-time organic farmer, will be on hand to share her knowledge and insights about the vital role of seeds.
The fourth and final program, held on March 23, explores the weird and wonderful world of frogs. In the documentary Fabulous Frogs, naturalist David Attenborough takes a close-up look at these charismatic, colorful and frequently bizarre little animals. After the film, frogs and other amphibians will be the focus of a presentation by conservation researcher Stephanie Winton.
Admission to the Osoyoos Desert Society’s Winter Program Series is by donation. Programs run from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Watermark Beach Resort. For more information about the series, contact the Osoyoos Desert Society at [email protected] or 250-495-2470. To stay up-to-date on all of the Desert Society’s events, visit the Society’s website at www.desert.org and click on the News and Events page.
The Osoyoos Desert Society is a non-profit society founded in 1991 to conserve the biologically rich and diverse habitats of British Columbia’s Southern Interior. Through habitat conservation, restoration and education, the Society strives to generate public knowledge, respect and active concern for ecosystems worldwide.
