On April 23rd, the Palomar Audubon Society was treated to a presentation by Phil Unitt, who recently retired from the San Diego Natural History Museum, where he was the Curator of Birds and Mammals, author of the San Diego County Bird Atlas (2004), editor of Western Birds for 40 years, author of 60 published articles, and a mentor/ teacher of many.

He presented San Diego: An Environmental History

San Diego is renowned for its great biodiversity and corresponding high numbers of threatened species. Understanding how to conserve what remains means understanding not only how we’ve lost,  what we’ve lost, but how we’ve gained what we’ve gained, how evolution is keeping pace with urbanization. So in this presentation, the Natural History Museum’s curator of birds and mammals, Phillip Unitt, will address the environmental history of San Diego, integrating how human history is interlocked with the biological. Even lifelong residents of San Diego are sure to find some surprises in this unique perspective.

Here is a link to a video of the talk.