Meet the Speakers
Jeff Meyers is a wildlife biologist for the Arizona Game & Fish Department, managing the Watchable Wildlife Program. He has spent his entire adult life studying mammalian carnivores and enjoys the opportunity to educate others about all of the fascinating wildlife species we have here in Arizona.
Cheyenne Towne is the Wildlife Viewing Program Coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Her educational background is in Forestry and Wildlife Biology. She is an Arizona native who enjoys any opportunity to share her enthusiasm for wildlife with others.
VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES WITH ARIZONA GAME AND FISH BIOLOGISTS
LEARN ABOUT WILDLIFE FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
Join Southwest Wildlife online for our virtual Speaker Series!
Local organizations and wildlife professionals will tell us about living with our fascinating local wildlife and conservation efforts to save them for future generations. Hosted via Zoom, these virtual webinars will feature a two-hour presentation from Arizona Game and Fish biologists Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne followed by a Q&A session from attendees. Learn about wildlife living around Arizona, as well as the challenges they face - from the comfort of your couch!
Want the information but not available for the scheduled time slot? No problem! Each purchaser will receive a link to the recording after the event.
Each month will feature a new topic. You can see them listed below. Some upcoming topics you may see are:
- Adaptations of Wildlife to Southwestern Desert Environments
- Arizona Desert Mammals
- Arizona Ungulates
- Bats of Arizona
- Black Bear
- California Condors
- Corvids
- Desert Squirrels & Chipmunks
- Desert Tortoise
- Foxes of Arizona
- High Cost of Habitat Fragmentation
- Horned Lizards
- Javelina
- Keeping a Field Journal
- Mesocarnivores
- Origins of the Sonoran Desert
- Packrats
- Peregrine Falcons
- Rattlesnakes of Arizona
- Scorpions
- Snakes of Arizona
- Unlovable Critters
- Venomous and Poisonous Animals of Arizona
- Waterfowl of Arizona
- What is the Wildlife Viewing Program?
- Wildcats of Arizona
- Wildlife Photography
- Wolves & Coyotes
Stay tuned & check back for them to be posted!
The Speaker Series events are by reservation only. Tickets are sold for each talk and are $20 for an individual viewer, $40 for a family viewing (one household), and $60 for a Watch Party (more than one household).
To register for one of these Speaker Series events, click the "Book Now" button at the top of the page, then choose the date you'd like to attend. Ticket purchasers will receive the Zoom link 24 hours in advance.
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ORIGINS OF THE SONORAN DESERTJuly 18th, 2024 6:30 PM
What is a desert? Arizona has one of the most diverse flora and faunal assemblages in the nation. Of the four deserts represented in Arizona, the Sonoran Desert has the greatest diversity, and it is the only desert that is not land-locked in all of North America. Learn more about the Sonoran Desert itself and the species that inhabit it! Presented by Arizona Game and Fish Department’s wildlife biologists Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne of the Wildlife Viewing Program. -
MESOCARNIVORESAugust 22nd, 2024 6:30 PM
Mesocarnivores are part of the mammalian carnivore family, and they play a disproportionately large role in the ecosystems that they inhabit. Mesocarnivores are animals whose diet consists of 50-70% meat with the balance consisting of invertebrates, fruits, fungi, plant material, and any other food source available to them. This group of animals are considered to be small to medium-sized carnivores that typically have a body mass of less than 15 kg. While mesocarnivores do not get the same level of love that hypercarnivores do, the fact is that their populations tend to be greater in number and they are also exceedingly important seed dispersers as they eat vegetable matter, whereas hypercarnivores tend not to eat such material. If you are interested in learning more about this truly intriguing group of mammals, including information about their natural history, habits, distribution in the state and much more, please join AZGFD biologists Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne and book your tickets today.
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BATS OF AZSeptember 19th, 2024 6:30 PM
Bats are completely misunderstood creatures. These flying mammals are an incredible species that fill a very special niche! Come join us and wildlife biologist, Jeff Meyers, and learn about the different species that inhabit Arizona, their natural history and just what is so great about these animals! Instructed by Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne, wildlife biologist, of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
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KEEPING A JOURNALOctober 17th, 2024 6:30 PM
“Our field-records will be perhaps the most valuable of all our results. ...any and all (as many as you have time to record) items are liable to be just what will provide the information wanted. You can't tell in advance which observations will prove valuable. Do record them all!” (Joseph Grinnell, 1908) Keeping a journal and recording what you have seen on your wild adventures is valuable information for both the present and the future! During this presentation we will learn about those before us who have passed down their irreplaceable journals, how to keep your own journal, materials you will need, and best practices. We hope you will join us and learn to make your own history! Presented by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
