In Focus lecture by Scott Tremor, talking about mammals. Join us for an evening lecture and Q&A with San Diego Natural History Museum’s mammal expert, Scott Tremor. Tremor literally wrote the book on mammals of San Diego County – he is the editor of the San Diego County Mammal Atlas. He will share with us the diversity, secret lives, and importance of the mammals within the region. Anza-Borrego is home to at least 63 species of mammals, many that are rarely seen. Tremor will help uncover many of these mysterious creatures during his talk. We are thrilled to have nabbed some of his time out of the field. This field trip will be an extension of the previous night’s lecture, held as an interactive and hands on field experience. Part One will consist of a visit to mammal habitat and the taxa in situ (in the wild). Tremor will prepare in advance (and has all the necessary permissions!) so that we may meet some iconic desert species up close and personal. There will be minimal hiking in the UCI Reserve, followed by species identification and discussion of habitat and life history. Participants may choose to leave at this point or stay for Part Two! Part Two consists of museum specimen preparation, which is not for the faint of heart! Perfect for the ever-curious citizen scientist who likes to get their hands dirty. We’ll go behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to work as a mammologist for a museum and learn how a mammal skin is prepared for museum collection. *Note: The specimen preparation will consist of specimens provided for this purpose and will not be from mammals collected during this experience. *

Approved