Three bird researchers banding California Gull chicks on an island in Mono Lake.

Refreshing ‘Ologists Lecture Series

Join us each summer for the Mono Lake Committee’s Refreshments with Refreshing ‘Ologists lecture series, featuring scientists presenting their work in the region. 

During the summer (roughly July through September), Refreshing ‘Ologists lectures happen on Wednesdays at 4:00pm in the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore gallery. Presentations last about one hour and include light refreshments.

Come hear from the researchers who are conducting studies in the Mono Basin and the surrounding area on topics like hydrology, wildlife, birds, climate change, and more. We have hosted more than 40 lectures since 2010.

Selected lectures


A phalarope feeding on Mono Lake. Photo by Marie Read.
Researcher Tim Brown holding a Sierra Nevada Rosy-finch. Photo by Tim Brown.
Researchers taking measurements of a bi-state Greater Sage-Grouse. Photo by Dan Hottle, USFWS.

From Mono Lake to Mar Chiquita: How Are the Phalaropes Faring in the 21st Century? Ryan Carle, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge Conservation Coordinator

Assessing Climate Vulnerability in the Highest-Elevation Breeding Birds on the Continent: North America’s Rosy-Finches, Tim Brown, UC Santa Cruz PhD candidate

From Chemistry to Community: Sage-Grouse Conservation Across the Sagebrush Sea, Eric Tymstra, UC Davis PhD candidate

Map of the extent of the Tioga Glaciation, courtesy of Greg Stock.
Gibbs Rock Glacier and Kidney Lake, seen from Dana Plateau. Photo by Connie Millar.

Extent of the Last Glacial Maximum (Tioga) Glaciation in Yosemite and the Mono Basin, Greg Stock, Yosemite National Park geologist

Water From Rock: Rock Glaciers as Un(der)-Explored Hydrologic Reservoirs and Climate Refugia, Connie Millar, US Forest Service Senior Scientist

A D4 wet snow avalanche that occurred on McGee Mountain on March 22, 2018. Photo by Sue Burak.
The Mono Basin lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada. Photo by Andrew Youssef.

Dry Snow/Wet Snow Recipes for Unusual Avalanches: Avalanche Forecasting Challenges in a Changing Climate, Sue Burak, snow scientist and avalanche forecaster

Shades of the Sierra Nevada Rain Shadow, Benjamin Hatchett, Desert Research Institute

Devils Hole pupfish. Photo by Olin Feuerbacher, US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Scientists electrofishing in the Mono Gate One Return Ditch. Photo by Ross Taylor.
Researcher Mary Clapp is studying high-elevation lakes like this one to see if trout introduction is affecting the bird communities. Photo by Nora Livingston.

History, Water, and the Surprising Persistence of the Devils Hole Pupfish, Kevin C. Brown, PhD, environmental historian

Mono Basin Fisheries Project, Ross Taylor, State Water Board-appointed Lead Fisheries Scientist

Investigating the Impacts of Introduced Trout on the Native Bird Community at High-Elevation Lakes, Mary Clapp, UC Davis

The Sierra Nevada red fox was rediscovered in Yosemite in 2014. US Forest Service photo.
Coyotes, like this one scampering through Mono Lake’s shallows, are one of the many carnivores in the Eastern Sierra. Photo by Justin Hite.
A day-flying bat in the Mono Basin (likely a big brown bat). Photo by Elin Ljung.

A New Detection of the Sierra Nevada Red Fox, Brian Hatfield, California Department of Fish & Wildlife

Carnivore Research and Management in the Eastern Sierra, Jonathan Fusaro, California Department of Fish & Wildlife

Bat Activity in the Poopenaut Valley: Pattern and Process Related to Drought, Flood, & Fire, Breeanne Jackson, Yosemite National Park wildlife biologist

Science is the foundation of Mono Lake’s protection

Ever since the Mono Lake Committee’s founders conducted the first ecological study of Mono Lake in 1976, scientific research has provided ecosystem and landscape knowledge that is the foundation of Mono Lake’s protection. The Committee is proud to host this lecture series to continue the tradition of scientific inquiry in the Mono Basin.

Find all Refreshments with Refreshing ‘Ologists presentations.

Refreshments with Refreshing ‘Ologists lectures take place on Wednesdays at 4:00pm at the Mono Lake Committee during the summer months. Photo by Arya Harp.

Lots of research happens at Mono Lake

Are you a student, researcher, or scientist who would like to study at Mono Lake? Apply to stay at the Mono Basin Field Station.

RELATED RESOURCES: Current Mono Basin research | Science at Mono Lake | Mono Basin clearinghouse

Top photo by Sara Matthews.