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ALBANY – The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the New York State Museum will present weekly lectures in October focusing on recent biodiversity research and conservation initiatives in New York State.

All lectures are free and will be held on Wednesdays at noon in the Museum Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

October 5 -- “Science on the Fly! Loon Migration: Linking People and the Environment.” Dr. Nina Schoch of the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program, and Valerie Trudeau of the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, will speak about recent research on the migratory paths and wintering areas of Adirondack loons, using satellite telemetry. A new interactive public and school-aged curriculum, “Science on the Fly,” enables students to learn to design and conduct their own scientific studies using the loon migration research. October 12 -- “From Montauk to Niagara Falls: Biodiversity, Threats and Conservation in State Parks.” Tom Lyons, director of environmental management for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, will talk about the biological diversity in the state park system, how it contributes to the quality of our lives, what threatens it, and what is being and can be done to protect it. October 19 -- “Important Bird Areas of New York: The Second Edition.” Dr. Michael Burger, director of Bird Conservation at Audubon New York, will present the results of the second round of Important Bird Area Identification in New York. He will focus on the criteria and process through which sites were evaluated and discuss the new book “Important Bird Areas of New York: Habitats Worth Protecting.” October 26 – “The NY Flora Project.” Troy Weldy, a botanist with the New York Natural Heritage Program and director of the New York Flora Association, will present an overview of the New York Flora Project, including the steps taken to move from a paper to a dynamic online

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flora atlas. The presentation will include many images of New York's beautiful flora.

The New York State Legislature created the Biodiversity Research Institute in 1993 to help meet the challenges associated with preserving the state’s biodiversity. The BRI serves as a comprehensive source of biological information, which is used to advise both public and private agencies on matters relating to the status of New York’s biological resources. Housed within the New York State Museum, the BRI is funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. The BRI includes several collaborators, including the State Museum, the New York Natural Heritage Program, Audubon, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Nature Conservancy. Further information is available at: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/bri/ or by calling (518) 474-653

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education. Founded in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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