The Sonoran Desert: Views from the Desert Laboratory and Beyond

Presented by Robert A. Villa

Program Description:

The Sonoran Desert is the most biodiverse desert on the planet due to its unique position, bordered by several biotic regions. In this webinar, Robert will cover the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural histories of this remarkable region, including succulent plants, and the Desert Laboratory as a vanguard in desert ecology, and ecology as a discipline in North America in the early 20th Century.

Speaker Bio:

Robert A. Villa is a lifelong lover and student of the Sonoran Desert region, exploring and documenting its bio-cultural diversity (often with violin in tow). His love of nature began with a little tortoise his great grandmother gave him and has grown up with. He has published personal and peer-reviewed articles, edited manuscripts, and been a consultant for multiple media projects and artists. He has worked on various television productions including BBC, and National Geographic. In November of 2019 he had the honor of meeting Sir David Attenborough while filming for the production of the Desert Worlds episode of the BBC series Green Planet.

Robert is the Community Outreach Assistant at the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, member of the CSSA and Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, and president of Tucson Herpetological Society. He has been mentored by CSSA fellow Dr. Mark A. Dimmitt, and other desert scientists such as Thomas R. Van Devender, Gary P. Nabhan, Martha Burgess, Amadeo Rea, and others.