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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, conservation and education initiatives in New York State.

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

• October 10 – Recent Land Snail Discoveries and Questions in New York. Four kinds of land snails not previously reported from New York State have been discovered, raising new questions about snail ecology in the Northeast as the climate changes. Ken Hotopp, of Appalachian Conservation Biology, presents research conducted with Dr. Tim Pearce of the Carnegie Museum.
• October 17 – How Can Earthworms Be the Bad Guys and Salamanders Not Be Able to Help? The behavior and ecology of introduced earthworms make them a threat to forest processes and species composition. While salamanders help with earthworm control, they are unable to stem earthworm advances. Dr. Richard Wyman, director emeritus and senior research associate of the Huyck Preserve & Biological Research Station, presents new research into these complex interactions.

• October 24 – Forest Herb Community Recovery in New York’s Second-Growth Forests. Nearly one-half of New York’s forests are secondary woodlots recovering from two centuries of agricultural conversion, but native forest herb communities have been slow to recover. Dr. Gregory McGee, adjunct assistant professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, describes factors limiting the re-establishment of forest herbs.
• October 31 – Our Native Orchids as Organisms: Some Biological Minutia and Implications for Conservation. The biological diversity of orchids presents conservation challenges beyond

simple preservation. Dr. Charles Sheviak, curator of botany at the New York State Museum, presents an overview of the native orchids of the Northeast, with emphasis on their habitats and ecological relationships.

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 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 New York, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Nature Conservancy. Further information is available at: or by calling (518) 474-6531.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. 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 .

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