FGCU ecological expert series begins Oct. 18

Florida Gulf Coast University is hosting an ecological expert series starting Thursday, Oct. 18 at the school’s new Everglades Wetland Research Park in Naples.

"This lecture series is designed for FGCU students and faculty but especially for the general public," said William J. Mitsch, the recently-appointed director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park. "All of our invited speakers can relate well to general audiences and all have important ecological messages to tell. Think of them as live versions of the interviews you see on the Discovery Channel or National Geographic Channel. The speakers are world class, and the issues they will talk about are important to Southwest Florida and the country. We hope to bring the best of the best every year to Naples."

The series launches at 7 p.m. Oct. 18th with Maria Hernandez from the Institute of Ecology at Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Hernandez will be speaking about tropical wetland ecology and management. She is one of eight speakers that will be featured in the series, which runs from October through March of 2013. The series is open to the public.

For more information, contact Mitsch at (239) 325-1365.