Nature Sunday: Skullduggery

A talk for those creepily curious about skulls and bones. What are they made of? What can we deduce from looking at a skull and its teeth? Do fish have skulls? Amphibians? Reptiles? Birds? Are those skulls really all that different from our own? This is a talk that will appeal to those who have ever looked at a skull, or a collection of bones, and thought “Hmm, I wonder what that is?”

Mandy Ward is a microbiologist of considerable natural curiosity. Mandy trained in the biochemistry and molecular biology departments at Oxford and Berkeley, respectively, after getting her Ph.D. in Scotland. She worked as a member of staff at Stanford to gain experience in environmental engineering before taking a faculty position at Johns Hopkins University in the Geography and Environmental Engineering department. Retiring early after an incident with a train, Mandy moved to the central coast where she has curated a skull and bone collection, scoured local beaches for dead birds, prepared skulls and other skeletal bits and pieces for exhibit, given talks for LifeLong Learners and other groups, and run a start-up company of no particular distinction.

Free registration applies to participation with Nature Sunday topic and covers garden admission for the day.

Please note: El Chorro Regional Park requires a $3 park entry fee on weekends and holidays. Having cash ready speeds up check in.