Monthly Meeting: Birds & Wildlife of the Galápagos Islands Captured in Photos

Joel Cohen, Wildlife Conservationist & Photographer, will take us along on a photographic journey of his recent trip to the Galápagos Islands. See highlights of this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The Galápagos Islands area situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the Ecuadorian coast. This archipelago and its immense marine reserve is known as the unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Its geographical location at the confluence of three ocean currents makes it one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual plant and animal life – such as marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, giant tortoises, huge cacti, endemic trees and the many different subspecies of mockingbirds and finches – all of which inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.

**Doors Open: 6:30pm**
Birder Social Time: 6:30-6:45pm
Chapter meeting starts at 6:45pm, followed by Joel’s presentation