Enjoy this Conserving Carolina Speaker Series at Walnut Creek Preserve on Saturday, November 3rd when Dr. Paul Bartels presents, “The Microscopic World of Water Bears: Hidden Treasures,” at the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve at 10:30 a.m.

This is a free program, open to the public.

Dr. Bartels will give an introduction to the charismatic microfauna of moss, lichens, soil, and streams. We will cover the biology of tardigrades (water bears), methods of collecting and observing live microscopic animals, and the research on tardigrades (first in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, now in tropical oceans worldwide) that we have been working on at Warren Wilson College for the past 17 years.

Dr. Bartels is a biophilist. E.O. Wilson coined the term “biophilia” to capture the innate need for nature that is a basic part of being human. To Paul every life form, no matter how gruesome (think tapeworms, flukes, and the corpse flower of Borneo), is beautiful and awe-inspiring. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Bartels has focused his attention on under-appreciated microscopic life, particularly the mighty tardigrades or “waterbears”. These poorly studied animals have completely won him over, and sharing discoveries of new species in microscopic worlds with a bunch of eager, hard-working Warren Wilson students has been a complete joy.

Dr. Bartels received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Biology, his Masters from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, Zoology, and his B.S. from Southern Illinois University, Zoology. He has taught at Warren Wilson College since 1986.

Contact the Southeast (Polk County) office of Conserving Carolina to register for the workshop or for more information, 828-859-5060, or Pam Torlina at [email protected].