September 29, 2023—Birding in Colombia Potluck - Randy Sinnott

Did you know there are over 10,000 bird species in the world… and Colombia has about one-fifth of them? This spring, our fellow Obsidians member, Randy Sinnott, went on a three-week birding tour of Colombia with a focus on listing birds, i.e., finding the most species. He traveled from Santa Marta to Bogota to Cali and listed over 500 species! He will give us his impressions of the country, the people, landscapes and, of course, all the incredible birds he saw. Expect to be wowed by the incredible photos of birds in his avian presentation.

October 27, 2023—Patagonia Potluck - Valerie Metcalfe

Obsidians member, Valerie Metcalfe, always wanted to travel to Patagonia and, last November, her dream came true after she signed up for a two-week tour to the Patagonia Wilderness. Beginning in Buenos Aires and finishing in Ushuaia, we will relive her journey with her as she shows her stunning photos and shares her experiences of hiking up to Laguna de Los Tres to a glacial lake surrounded by jagged peaks, of listening to thundering ice cracking from Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier, and of camping and trekking in the famous Torres del Paine National Park. In addition to seeing such spectacular views, she saw a variety of animals, including guanacos and nesting penguins. As an added plus, she will share hints of how to experience such travel independently, outside of paying a tour group.

November 17, 2023—ExploraTalk/Potluck - Assembling the NW: A roadside view of OR and WA Geology - Marli Miller

This is an ExploraTalk presentation at the November Potluck. Marli Miller is a senior instructor and researcher at the University of Oregon. She completed her BA in geology at Colorado College in 1982 and her MS and PhD in structural geology at the University of Washington in 1987 and 1992, respectively. Marli teaches a variety of courses, including introductory geology, structural geology, field geology, and geophotography. She is the author of several books about Pacific Northwest geology, most recently "Oregon Rocks! a guide to 60 amazing geologic sites." Her website geologypics.com has more than 5000 searchable geologic photos for free download. She'll have books available for signing at the event. (If you have any questions regarding this ExploraTalk presentation, contacts are Jorry Rolfe and Angie Ruzicka)

January 26, 2024—Campfire Tales - Bill Sullivan

Longtime Obsidian, William L. Sullivan, takes a short break from hiking to entertain us with campfire tales - legends and folk heroes of the Northwest from Bigfoot to Sacajawea, D.B. Cooper, and the Exploding Whale. Although Sullivan is best known for his popular hiking guidebooks, he has also written several books about Oregon history and half a dozen novels.