New caves, new species, new genera—and caves on Mars

Time:
Monday, October 17th, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Location:
Agassiz/Fremont
Speaker(s):
J. Judson (Jut) Wynne, M.S.

Jut Wynne has tracked invasive arthropods on Easter Island; catalogued new genera and species of arthropods in the American Southwest; studied bats in Europe, Belize, and in the Southwest; discovered new caves; and worked on a project with NASA to help determine how best to spot caves on Mars. All this, and he’s still working on his Ph.D. (“That’s why I’m still working on my Ph.D.,” he explained.) He will talk about a project to characterize habitat of bats on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, and about some of the species he’s discovered. “Joseph Campbell says pursue what interests you,” he told Paul Raeburn. “What I’ve realized that I want to do once I complete the Ph.D. is to focus on the discovery of new caves, new species, and new interactions [in cave communities]." He will also talk about what is necessary to conserve caves and to protect them from the opportunists and vandals who’ve been known to damage these fragile ecosystems. For more information...