PEEC News:

The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) will host “Nature on Tap,” part of a new informal discussion series, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22 at the Blue Window Bistro.

The “On Tap” series is a new project from the Los Alamos Creative District and is held every Thursday with the themes “Nature on Tap,” “History on Tap,” “Science on Tap,” and “Art on Tap.” It is a great way to get out in the community and meet people with similar interests.

This event is the first “Nature on Tap” discussion, which will be held on every fourth Thursday of the month.

For this installment of “Nature on Tap,” Kelly Gallagher will talk about adaptations in the natural world around us. Did you know that some fish species have vestigial, non-functional eyes, or that some species of “resurrection plant” can survive years of extreme dehydration?

An adaptation is a population feature and provides improved function in an environment. Adaptations are well-suited to their specific function and are produced by natural selection. Adaptations can take many forms: a behavior that allows better evasion of predators, a protein that functions better at body temperature, or an anatomical feature that allows the organism to access a valuable new resource. Many of the things that impress us most in nature are thought to be adaptations.

During this session of “On Tap,” we will explore as a group biological adaptations – including some adaptations of plants and animals in our own backyards!

For more information about this program, call PEEC at 505.662.0460.