Evening Program: Lake Tanganyika Ecosystem

Join LAS at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30th for our first evening program of 2019: Lake Tanganyika Ecosystem!

Africa's Great Lakes are renowned for their extraordinary diversity of cichlid fish. Jimena Golcher-Benavides's research focuses on how this diversity has come to be in Lake Tanganyika, Africa's inland sea. Jimena is a PhD candidate in Dr. Catherine Wagner's laboratory within the Program in Ecology at the University of Wyoming. Through her talk she will narrate her experiences working in remote Tanzanian villages and raise awareness on unique fish fauna and the fragile ecosystem that holds it.

Arrive early for Bird Chat (and refreshments!) starting at 6:30 p.m. in the ground floor lobby of the Berry Center. The talk itself begins at 7 p.m. in the adjacent ground floor auditorium (Room 138). The Berry Center is located on the University of Wyoming campus at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets. Note that the parking lot across the street from the Berry Center is no longer available, so please plan to park on the adjacent streets. (image courtesy of Jimena Golcher-Benavides).

Drew Pearson Arnold, 1947 - 2018

The Laramie Audubon Society was saddened to learn of the recent death of Drew Arnold.  Drew joined the LAS board in 2000, within the first year of its organization in May 1999. In 2002 Drew was elected President of LAS and after serving in this position for two years then served as Vice President through 2005. 

While giving much of his time working on the various issues that came before Laramie Audubon during these years, Drew championed, in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, access to and protection of Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  Following his service on the board, Drew continued to support LAS and, when possible, continued to bird the Laramie area. 

According to the obituary published in the Laramie Boomerang, in 1989 Drew was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis: "In 2011, needing full time care and warmer weather, Drew made a bold move to Mexico.  While in Mexico, Drew continued to have tremendous impact on the people around him and transcended his physical limitations with a genuine faith and commitment to live life fully to the end.  He added to his life list of 1,100 birds, helped to found a Christian school and [helped] fund raise for local kids to attend, advocated for wage increases of the workers at Los Labradores (and saw their salaries double), mentored and discipled many and played host to a steady stream of visitors." 

Drew died on November 8th, 2018 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  A full obituary has been published in the Laramie Boomerang: www.laramieboomerang.com/obituaries/drew-pearson-arnold/article_beb69307-3e71-5cbd-8dbd-08b4bf2010fb.html