Last month, we had an introduction to Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection from Dr. Robert Hazen. This month, in honor of Darwin’s birthday Rebecca Curland M.S. will be presenting a lecture on evolution. This talk will specifically focus on the evolution of plants (a favorite focus for Darwin!) and examine the crucial evolutionary transition of plants from the aquatic to terrestrial environment. There is evidence that a symbiosis between early plants and ancient fungi provided the adaptive strength for plants to colonize the previously uninhabited land environment. Join us on Saturday February 20th to explore the fascinating evolution of the land plants, the organisms that paved the way for the progression of life as we know it. Rebecca Curland holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and a M.S. in Biology with a focus on Mycology and Plant Biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She has been an active member in amateur and professional mycological communities, participating in a wide variety of forays and conferences. She is an avid botanist and naturalist, in her free time you may find her roaming the prairies with a field guide or wandering the forest with a basket full of edible wild mushrooms.