April 7 – Clark’s Nutcrackers: Pivotal Players in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Posted by Dustin Horton // March 29, 2014 // Calendar of Events
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca
Speaker: Taza Schaming, PhD candidate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Description: Whitebark pine and Clark’s Nutcrackers have a fascinating relationship. The trees provide the birds with rich, fatty seeds that have more calories per pound than chocolate. In return, the nutcrackers “plant” the seeds that grow whitebark pines as well as 10 other conifer species—trees needed to provide food for wildlife and to helping retain snow (and thus drinking water) on the upper slopes of the Rockies. Cornell doctoral candidate Taza Schaming will discuss the vital role played by the Clark’s Nutcracker and provide insights into its social behavior.
Admission: Free
Contact: 800-843-2473, cornellbirds@cornell.edu
