Resilient Roots: How Plants Thrive in the Desert (Webinar)
Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024 
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom – Instructions to access webinar will be available after registration.
Cost: Non-members: $10, Members: $8, Students: $5
Description: Thirsty for knowledge? Join us for an evening webinar about the incredible adaptations in plants to a low water environment – the Desert. Part of our Anza-Borrego: In Focus series, Dr. Marie Simovich, professor, naturalist, and co-author of the iconic A Natural History of the Anza-Borrego Region will delve into what it means to be a desert plant in Anza-Borrego, telling stories about the most common types of plants, the seemingly unsurmountable challenges they must overcome, and the brilliant adaptations that enable them to thrive.
As you might imagine, the desert is an extremely stressful environment for plants, with a potentially deadly combination of low water and high evaporation. This formula makes acquiring and retaining water the primary challenge for desert plants. And to top it all off, desert soils also tend to be low in plant nutrients and/or highly saline, further impeding the uptake of water. But fear not! Desert plants are incredibly resilient and have adapted to meet these challenges. Don’t miss the opportunity to find out everything you’ve always wanted to know about how plants survive and thrive in the desert!
Please register in advance. Register Here
IMPORTANT: After registering, the confirmation email will provide you instructions to register your email address with Zoom, where a link to access the webinar will be emailed to you. Don’t forget this additional step!
Join us for a related field trip you can register to attend on Saturday, March 16. Click here to view details about the field trip: Link to webpage
About The Presenter: Marie Simovich received her BS and MS from Cal Poly Pomona. She received her PhD from UC Riverside studying a spadefoot toad hybrid zone in the Sonoran Desert and did postdoctoral research at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on the genetics of whiptail lizards of the Sonoran Desert. She then taught Population Biology, Conservation Biology and Desert Biology at the University of San Diego for 31 years. During that time she also did research on the population biology of the crustaceans found in ephemeral wetlands including desert playas.
Cancellation Policy: Notification must be received at least 7 days before the first day of the event if you need to cancel and wish to receive a refund. For cancellations made after the 7-day deadline, we cannot issue refunds for any reason. We understand that unforeseen or emergency circumstances may arise, but our nonprofit organization operates on a limited budget and, while inconvenient, this policy enables us to sustain our programs even with last-minute cancellations. If ABF cancels a program, we will issue a full refund or credit.
