BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Tijuana BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 RDATE:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261101T010000 RDATE:20270314T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20271107T010000 RDATE:20280312T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PST END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250929T190000 RDATE:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 RDATE:20261101T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20270314T030000 RDATE:20271107T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:America/Tijuana PDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:647ca3f085fd1de044b43d04d8baf70b CATEGORIES:Native Plant Talks CREATED:20260827T133233 SUMMARY:CANCELLED: Life on the Rocks: The Many Wonders of Serpentine Soils, a talk by Nishanta “Nishi” Rajakaruna, Ph.D. LOCATION:Los Altos Library Orchard Room\, 13 S. San Antonio Rd.\, Los Altos DESCRIPTION:CANCELLED. To be rescheduled. \nSerpentine soils are often described as har sh, toxic and nutrient-poor, yet they harbor extraordinary concentrations o f rare and endemic plants found nowhere else on Earth. In this presentation , we will journey through the serpentine landscapes in California and beyon d to discover how these unusual soils shape evolution, biodiversity and eco logical specialization. Along the way, Nishi will share recent discoveries about serpentine plants and other organisms and explore the remarkable adap tations that allow them to flourish where few others can survive.\nNishi wi ll also discuss the growing challenges these species face from climate chan ge, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, mining and urban development. Finally, we will examine the emerging promise of agromining, a technology that uses  metal-accumulating plants to recover valuable metals such as nickel, showi ng how these botanical specialists may contribute to a more sustainable fut ure.\nNishi Rajakaruna is a professor of biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obis po and has spent more than two decades exploring the remarkable plants and ecosystems associated with serpentine soils in California and around the wo rld. His research focuses on how plants adapt to challenging soil environme nts, the origins of rare and endemic species and the conservation of rock o utcrop biota.\nHe is also interested in metal-accumulating plants and their  potential use in emerging technologies such as agromining. Nishi enjoys sh aring the stories of serpentine plants and other biota with both scientific and public audiences and helping connect people with the natural history o f the landscapes around them.\n X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

CANCELLED. To be rescheduled. 

Serpentine soils are often des cribed as harsh, toxic and nutrient-poor, yet they harbor extraordinar y concentrations of rare and endemic plants found nowhere else on Eart h. In this presentation, we will journey through the serpentine l andscapes in California and beyond to discover how these unusual soils shape evolution, biodiversity and ecological specialization. Along th e way, Nishi will share recent discoveries about serpentine plants and other organisms and explore the remarkable adaptations that allow the m to flourish where few others can survive.

Nishi will also disc uss the growing challenges these species face from climate change, atm ospheric nitrogen deposition, mining and urban development. Finally, w e will examine the emerging promise of agromining, a technology that u ses metal-accumulating plants to recover valuable metals such as nickel, showing how these botanical specialists may contribute to a mo re sustainable future.

Nishi Rajakaruna is a profess or of biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has spent more than two decades exploring the remarkable plants and ecosystems associated&nbs p;with serpentine soils in California and around the world. His resear ch focuses on how plants adapt to challenging soil environments, the o rigins of rare and endemic species and the conservation of rock outcro p biota.

He is also interested in metal-accumulating plants and their  potential use in emerging technologies such as agromining. Nishi enjoys sharing the stories of serpentine plants and other biota with both scientific and public audiences and helping connect people with t he natural history of the landscapes around them.

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