Date: 10/6/26 12:11 pm From: Chuck & Lillian via groups.io <misclists...> Subject: [LACoBirds] SMBAS Zoom Program Tonight Tues. 10/06/26, 7:30 pm PT: Important Birds of Ancient Lake Cahuilla and the Salton Sea with Kurt Leuschner
*Birders:
Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society* invites you to our monthly Zoom program tonight, Tuesday.
*Important Birds of Ancient Lake Cahuilla and the Salton Sea, **with Kurt Leuschner. Zoom Evening Meeting, Tuesday, 6 October, 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time **Zoom waiting room opens 7:15 p.m. On October 6, 2026 at 7:15–7:30 pm, Join the Zoom Presentation by CLICKING HERE <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87824586495?<pwd...> *
*Then give it about 30 seconds for Zoom Workplace to show up (If the button above doesn't work for you, see detailed zoom invitation below)*
*Before the Salton Sea appeared there was Ancient Lake Cahuilla. *Until several hundred years ago, this giant freshwater lake filled the entire Salton Sink and most of the Coachella Valley. Birds and people depended on this body of water just as they do today. In this program you'll learn about the special birds associated with this lake that was six times bigger than today's Salton Sea. You’ll also receive an update on the “10-year plan” and how recent years of global warming and drought have impacted the current situation at the Salton Sea.
*Kurt Leuschner* is a Professor of Natural Resources at College of the Desert where he teaches courses on Conservation, Entomology, Field Ornithology, Native Plants, and GPS Navigation. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida. Kurt has led numerous field trips both locally and as far afield as Africa, New Zealand, and the Galapagos. He is the founder of the Desert Cities Bird Club, on the Board of Directors of Western Field Ornithologists, and is past President of the Natural Science Collaborative. He has studied sound recordings of the various subspecies of North American Scrub-Jays. In 2009 Kurt finished the */Palms to Pines Birding and Nature Trail/* map, a two-year project, which details the ten best birding and hiking locations in and around the Coachella Valley. Kurt also teaches weekend courses and workshops on birdwatching, insects, GPS, and backyard habitats for UCR Extension, the Desert Institute, the Desert Studies Center, and the Living Desert. He also teaches natural history courses for the Bureau of Land Management, UCR Extension, the Desert Institute, California State Parks, Riverside County Parks, and many other conservation organizations. *Zoom waiting room opens 7:15 p.m. * If the above link doesn't work for you, go to our SMBAS blog announcement and follow the link from there: https://smbasblog.com/2026/10/05/important-birds-of-ancient-lake-cahuilla-and-the-salton-sea-with-kurt-leuschner-zoom-evening-meeting-reminder-tuesday-6-october-730-p-m-3/
