The Eastern Spinebill, Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, is one of several species of Honeyeaters that live on Kangaroo Island. They are Australian counterparts to American hummingbirds, dining on nectar from flowers such as the Correa sp. shown here. Educator-naturalist Bill Hilton Jr. of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History received a Teacher Fellowship to participate on an Earthwatch Expedition, and that experience is the subject of Hunting for Honeyeaters: Keeping Things Hopping on Kangaroo Island. His talk, illustrated with color slides of spectacular flora and fauna from the "Land Down Under," provides a new perspective on nature in a very different part of the world.

(Photo © Hilton Pond Center) Eastern Spinebill and Correa blossom

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From Saguaros to Sidewinders:
The Amazing Arizona Desert

Saguaros, Carnegeia gigantea--North America's largest cacti--are the "trees" of the Arizona desert. Growing at the incredibly slow rate of as little as an inch a year, most do not begin to branch until they are at least 15 feet tall. Cacti, desert wildflowers, and "sky islands" are just a few of the interesting topics covered in From Saguaros to Sidewinders: The Amazing Arizona Desert. This informative and entertaining talk from Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is presented by Bill Hilton Jr., who is normally a "Carolina Piedmont Naturalist" but keeps going back to study the fascinating desert habitats of southern Arizona.

(Photo © Hilton Pond Center) Cacti in Saguaro National Monument

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