We all enjoy watching birds and animals. observing their behaviors and listening to their songs and calls, but they are also giving out very detailed information about what’s happening around them in nature that we often are unaware of. They tell us a coyote is lurking nearby or a rattlesnake is hiding under that bush or that a human is trudging down the trail. When we learn to interpret and understand the language of the wild a new depth of richness opens up to us, enhancing any trip into nature and giving us a sense of connection and belonging. We get to see more wildlife and have deeper, more meaningful encounters.
In this engaging program we’ll look at some techniques for learning how to interpret the language of the wild.

About the Speaker: Pinau Merlin is a naturalist, nationally known speaker and the author of several natural history books and more than 80 articles about the wildlife, natural history and ecology of the Desert Southwest. Pinau taught natural history at the University of Arizona and was the Outreach Coordinator for the USFWS/U of AZ Jaguar Survey and Monitoring Project. She also designs natural history centers, interpretive exhibits, nature trails and wildlife habitats for a variety of organizations in the Southwest. Her insights and observations about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert have been featured on PBS, NPR and in Smithsonian and National Wildlife magazines, among others. Pinau is especially interested in the behaviors and adaptive strategies of plants, birds and wildlife, reading sign and clues in nature, and the language of birds and animals.