FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2024

Saluda Library speaker series continues through the fall

SALUDA, N. C., (July 3, 2024) Thanks to a generous Free Community Events grant from Polk County Community Foundation, and a partnership between Polk County Public Libraries and Conserving Carolina, a speaker series occurs at Saluda Library on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2pm, through November 2024.

Next up in the series is “Top Ten Hummingbird Myths.” Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are likely the most common hummingbird species in the world, but there is much to be learned about their life history. Alas, many facts about hummers are clouded by misperceptions and untruths. On July 9th, Dr. Bill Hilton Jr., principal investigator for “Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project,” will bust some common myths about ruby-throats and share exciting results of his work, including citizen science hummingbird expeditions to the Neotropics.

Dr. Laurie Hamon, conservation biologist for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, will present “The Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas” on August 13th. Bumble bees are familiar and charismatic visitors to our gardens. However, nearly half of southeastern bumble bee species are at risk of extinction. To protect our bees, conservationists need more information about our rare bumble bees and their habitat requirements. The Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science project that aims to track and understand southeastern bumble bees. This presentation will cover the background of the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas, their findings so far, and how you can get involved.

The September 10th program, “Moths and Why We Need to Think About Them Differently,” will be led by naturalist, photographer, and writer Sharon Mammoser. Moths and their caterpillars are the foundation of the food chain, especially appealing to songbird parents who must feed their growing chicks. The diversity is shocking, as are the colors, shapes, and adaptations. In this program we get an introduction to the amazing world of moths, including a chance to see and learn about some of our more amazing local moths. We’ll also learn about their important place in the food web and how we can make our yards and outdoor spaces more moth-friendly.

Please register for these events at conservingcarolina.org/calendar. Contact Pam Torlina at pam@conservingcarolina.org with questions or for more information.

Polk County Public Libraries has two libraries, Columbus Library and Saluda Library, with books, movies, music, audiobooks, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks available for checkout, as well as public computers and wireless internet access. PCPL also offers regularly scheduled virtual and in-person programs for all ages. To learn more, visit www.polklibrary.org.