Science Under the Stars: The natural history of central Texas

Join Science Under the Stars for their first talk of Fall 2023 featuring Callen Inman, a PhD candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at UT Austin. He’ll delve into the captivating natural history of central Texas and unveil why it’s an exceptional hotspot for biodiversity.

Central Texas lacks the dense rainforest, verdant mountains, and reef-lined coasts we typically associate with biodiversity. Yet this region teems with life, supporting a unique mix of organisms associated with eastern forests, western desert, and central grassland. Habitats mere miles apart look like they could be in different countries. In central Texas, organisms survive and even thrive in the face of variable rainfall, persistent summer heat, and volatile winter weather. This talk discusses central Texas biodiversity: how it came to be, why it is important, and what challenges it faces. Beyond the highway overpasses, manicured lawns, and glass skyscrapers of this fast-developing region is a surprisingly intact, but rapidly shrinking, ecosystem found nowhere else on the continent.

Schedule:

• 7:00 pm: Kid’s activities and natural history displays of local animals and plants found at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
• 7:15 pm-7:45 pm: Guided tour of the field lab (wear sturdy shoes and bring water)!
• 8:00 pm: Settle in, because the talk begins now!
• 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker

The talk will be held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory and streamed live on the SUtS YouTube channel.

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas run by UT graduate students. Events are held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Find schedules and links for each event on the SUtS blog, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube channel and Facebook page, or sign up on their listserve to get event notifications.