Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet

Maria Mudd Ruth will share tales from her book, Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet-part naturalist detective story, part environmental inquiry celebrating the world of this endangered seabird of the Pacific Coast. Maria will highlight the fascinating life history of the murrelet, the 185-year-long search for its elusive nest, and its accidental discovery in Big Basin Redwoods State Park in 1974. She will describe the challenging work of the field biologists in the old-growth forests and at sea, as well the work of Audubon and other conservation groups to protect the murrelet from extinction. While unraveling many mysteries, Maria found herself exploring larger questions: Why does this bird matter so much? Why and how should we care about the murrelet and the other wild animals we fall in love with?