Native Americans, Fire, and the Land of the Umpqua.       Talk will be given in the Annex

The landscapes we see in the Umpqua Basin today are very different from those that greeted the first Euroamerican settlers in the mid 1800s.  Find out how ecological, historical, and archaeological data converge to give us a picture of the aboriginal landscapes of our region, and learn how the shift from indigenous to Euro-centric management practices has resulted in significant changes in landscape patterns and processes.

Presentation is by Ken Carloni.

Ken Carloni received his M.S. in Evolutionary Ecology from the University of Connecticut focused on pollination ecology, and his Ph.D. in Forest Science at Oregon State University. His doctoral dissertation entitled "The Ecological Legacy of Indian Burning Practices in Southwestern Oregon" investigates the use of landscape fire by local indigenous people in the management of their natural resources, and on the change in forest patterns and processes as a result of recolonization by Euro-Americans. He has volunteered for many years as a botanist at the Glide Wildflower Show, and has been involved with local resource conservation work for decades. He chairs the Science Dept. at Umpqua Community College where he has taught Principles of Biology, Microbiology, Genetics and Field Botany since 1987. He is currently working on a partnership with UCC, OSU, Phoenix School, USFS, BLM and other state and local agencies to offer a hands-on Associate of Science degree in Landscape Monitoring from UCC leading to a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources at OSU through their online Ecampus. He and his wife Jenny live on the North Umpqua River and both love to hike, explore, botanize and otherwise be astounded by the natural beauty and grandeur of our region.