I offer a variety of presentations on topics within the sphere of animal behavior, all crafted to be both educational and entertaining to a general audience. My current portfolio includes all of the following:
Clever, Curious, and Charismatic Crows: The antics of crows, ravens, and other members of their taxonomic family – a group called Corvids – have captivated our imaginations throughout history. Many of our myths, legends, and stories revolve around the astonishing brainpower these birds possess. But what is fact and what is fiction? In this presentation we discuss fun facts about crows, the capabilities (and limits) of their intelligence, and the research that scientists at the University of Washington have conducted on these fascinating birds.
Capable, Cautious, and Charismatic Cats: From Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern internet memes, cats have captured our hearts and minds for thousands of years. But why do they do the things they do? In this presentation, we explore how the ancestry, ecology, and sensorium of cats are responsible for some of the quirky behaviors that we find so charming. We also cover fun games you can try with your cat!
Brilliant Birds and Beasts: Humans may be brainy, but we don’t hold a monopoly on intelligence; scientists have found all sorts of advanced cognition in animals from many walks of life. In this presentation we will discuss what it means to be intelligent, the benefits (and costs!) of intelligence, and go over some of the many examples of just how smart some animals – like dolphins, apes, crows, elephants, parrots, and even the humble honeybee – really are!
(Dis)Honest Animals: From birdsong to bioluminescence, from body postures to scent markers, our world is full of the sights and sounds (and smells) of animal communication. But not every signal is an honest one! In this presentation, not only will we discuss some of the many ways in which species try to deceive one another- we’ll learn how they keep each other honest!
If you’d like to invite me to speak at your organization, please feel free to reach out via my email (see footer below). My speaker’s fee is contingent on travel distance (I live in Seattle, WA).