JANUARY
January 13
Hit and Run History: The
Columbia Expedition
Gumshoe historian Andrew Buckley will take us on a journey following the
Columbia Expedition, the first American circumnavigation of the globe. The ship
Columbia was built in 1773 at Hobart’s Landing, on the Scituate side of the
North River, and the Columbia River in Washington State was named after this
ship that discovered it. Buckley is the foremost authority on the Columbia
Expedition and its commander, John Kendrick. He’s been on the trail of this
story since 1995, beginning with research for his novel The Bostoner. The talk
includes a screening of a short documentary film intended to be a pilot for 13
part series on the subject.
January 20
Extreme Sailing
Brian Hancock believes in ”Extreme Sailing!” He has competed in three Whitbread
“Round the World” Races and has logged over a quarter of a million offshore
miles racing boats both fully crewed as well as solo. Find out what it’s like to
sail at 40 knots on a maxi catamaran and how it feels to be solo and trying to
sleep with a spinnaker set and sailing at 20 knots. Brian is one of the most
experienced of world sailors, the founder of the Portimao Global Race, and the
author of several books, including The Risk in Being Alive,”which will be
available for sale. Come be inspired!
January 27
The Sudden & Unexpected Decline of Massachusetts Bats
Dr. Tom French of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species
Program will discuss the dramatic decline of some species of Massachusetts bats
as a result of the new fungus, White-nose Syndrome (WNS). This condition was
first observed in bats hibernating in a cave near Albany, NY in 2006. White-nose
Syndrome has spread rapidly and has caused the catastrophic mortality of bats
that over winter in New England caves and mines, causing the death of over a
half a million bats in the Northeast. The program will include a summary of what
scientists know about the problem and how much harm it may eventually cause.
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