The annual “Delicate Balance of Nature” lecture series is going virtual this year. The three discussions set for 2022 are sponsored by the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park (Citizen Support Organization).
This year, the series includes three online presentations from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The first talk on Wednesday, Feb. 23, “Arboreal Ants of the Florida Keys,” will be presented by Scott Powell, professor of ecology, and Benjamin “Max” Adams, insect community ecologist, both based at George Washington University. They will introduce the world of arboreal ant diversity and its importance in a healthy and functioning ecosystem. Focusing on the processes that maintain biodiversity through time, they will highlight how their ongoing work on the arboreal ants of the Florida Keys is contributing to this knowledge.
The Zoom format creates the opportunity for the series to continue and others to attend, but it will still be a limited audience (100 participants, including the speaker and hosts). Please plan to sign on a few minutes in advance of the presentation to ensure your inclusion in the list of attendees. Information to register for the talks will be available on the Friends web page: pennekampparkfriends.org/events.
“We want to be able to continue this invaluable source of information for the park community, and the ability to have online presentations makes it possible,” said Ann Helmers, president of the group. “This year’s topics will be the role of arboreal ants in maintaining biodiversity in our Keys ecosystem; the importance of lobsters that inhabit the seagrass and coral reef ecosystems; and the efforts to preserve Florida Bay. We are grateful to the speakers who make it possible for us to provide high quality interpretive programs for the residents and visitors of Key Largo and the Florida Keys.”
There is no charge to attend the lectures, but participants are encouraged to become members of the Friends group or make a donation that will support park projects slated to be started this year. To attend this event, registration is required. Visit this page to register: pennekampparkfriends.org/event-4627314.
More information is available from Elena Muratori, park services specialist at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at 305-676-3786, or at pennekampparkfriends.org.
