Member’s Coffee and Pastries with Dr. Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman

Details:

Dr. Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman is a botanist and the conservation geneticist at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. She integrates field studies, molecular tools, and histological techniques to document biodiversity and to understand the interplay of ecological and evolutionary effects on plants and animals of conservation concern.

This month’s Member’s Coffee & Pastries will feature the story of a group of charismatic parasitic plants. The lead in the cast of characters will be the desert Christmas tree (Pholisma arenarium) that moved from the deserts and got stranded in the dunes of coastal California. An exciting supporting role will be played by a plant often mistaken for a mushroom, sandfood (Pholisma sonorae). We will discuss how we use DNA at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden as a powerful tool in understanding the relationships of plants, some well-known, and those yet to be discovered.

Coffee & pastries for this event generously donated by Dune Coffee Roasters and Anna’s Bakery

Pricing:

This event will be free to attend and exclusive to members. Please note registration is required.

Speaker:

Conservation Geneticist Dr. Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman