We offer an evening program at the Maturango Museum on the 3rd Thursday of every other month starting in September. These programs are free and open to all who want to attend. The meetings start at 7 PM.
GENERAL MEETING Thursday, January 16th, 2024 at 7 PM
Melanie Branson
A Conservation Journey to Belize, Costa Rica, Guyana and the IWV
This two and a half years journey of discovery showcases the amazing conservation efforts by several NGO groups in these central and south american countries. We will be hearing about manatees and Yellow-headed Parrots in Belize, Resplendent Quetzal and Loggerhead Turtles in Costa Rica and agroforestry and Hoatzin in Guyana, just to name a few. Returning to the Indian Wells Valley and the Mojave Desert, we see how similar conservation efforts and issues are being addressed by our own local conservation heroes.
Melanie Branson is currently a high school biology teacher Ridgecrest, California. As she spent her childhood overseas in Japan, England and Australia while her father was in the U.S. Navy, she enjoyed exploring the world’s diverse nature in mountain trails, moors, and Indian Ocean coral reefs. After graduating from University of California, San Diego with a degree in Animal Physiology, Melanie joined the U.S. Navy. Learning management skills through mission planning and staff work, she also enjoyed the teamwork and camaraderie built during the many adventures around the world. After twenty years, it was time to move on, and apply her passion for mentoring people to the high school where Melanie was able to also focus on her love of science and the environment. She started to pursue her Masters of Biology in 2022, and readily found her niche in the conservation organizations of the Indian Wells Valley, focusing on birds, water conservation and xeric gardening. Melanie currently serves on the boards of the Eastern Kern County Resource Conservation District and the Kerncrest Audubon Society, along with serving as club advisor for the Burroughs High School Environmental Club. She enjoys her spare time exploring the Sierra foothill canyons, traveling, backpacking, gardening, working her small livestock farm and birding with her daughter and otherlong-time friends.
Join us for the first meeting of the year, at 7:00 PM at the Maturango Museum, 100 E Las Flores in Ridgecrest.
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Our programs are announced in the Daily Independent and the weekly News Review, in addition to The Chat, our Chapter’s newsletter. All our programs are free and open to the public.
Our chapter Vice President is also our Program Coordinator. He/she is always interested in hearing of suggestions for programs or of topics of interest to you.