Lecture – An Exuberance of Cranes
January 3, 2025 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm MST
$10 – $15
Friday, January 3rd | 2 – 3:30pm | Wilson Room
Delve into the fascinating natural history, habits, and behaviors of Sandhill Cranes! We’ll explore the life of cranes from courtship and nesting, to raising their colts, their migration to southern Arizona, and how to interpret crane language and behavior. Join guest speaker Pinau Merlin for an engaging look at these charismatic birds. Illustration from Birds of America by John James Audubon.
Want to see the cranes in action? Sign up for one of our upcoming field trips on February 4th or February 14th to experience the magic and splendor of the Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw!
Members $10
General Public $15
About the Speaker
Pinau is a nationally known speaker and naturalist and is the author of several books (including the Guide to Desert Holes, Guide to Bird Nests and Eggs, and is a contributing author to the Natural History of the Sonoran Desert) as well as over 80 articles about the wildlife, natural history, and ecology of the Desert Southwest. Pinau taught natural history at the U of A and was the Outreach Coordinator for the UA/USFWS Jaguar Project. She also works on numerous nature documentary films (including BBC, National Geographic, and others) as a natural history consultant and critter wrangler.
Pinau has designed natural history centers, interpretive exhibits, nature trails, and wildlife habitats for a variety of organizations in the Southwest. Her insights and observations about the natural history and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert have been featured on PBS, NPR, and in Smithsonian and National Wildlife magazines, among many others. She is especially interested in the adaptive strategies of plants, birds, and wildlife and in interpreting animal language.
