Speakers: Gary Clark & Kathy Adams Clark
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Time: Social at 7:00 PM, Program at 7:30 PM
Place: United Way Center, 50 Waugh

Map

Costa Rica is filled with stunning tropical birds. The country is about the size of Virginia, or Texas if one ironed it flat, yet it is home to 830 different birds. It’s easy to see and experience the birds of Costa Rica because the country has embraced conservation and ecotourism. Join naturalist Gary Clark and photographer Kathy Adams Clark for an armchair trip through Costa Rica. Learn about the birds, their natural history, where they live, and how to see them.

Gary Clark is a Dean of Instruction at Lone Star College--North Harris in Houston, Texas and he writes the weekly "Nature" column for the Houston Chronicle. He has published numerous nature articles in such magazines as AAA Journeys, Birds & Bloom, Birder's World, Living Bird, Rivers, Texas Highways, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Wildlife, and Women in the Outdoors. Gary wrote the text for the book, Texas Wildlife Portfolio (Farcountry Press, 2004) and Gulf Coast Impressions (Farcountry Press, 2007). He is a contributing author in the book, Pride of Place: A Contemporary Anthology of Texas Nature Writing (University of North Texas Press, 2006) and Birding the Border (Publish America 2007). He has won seven writing awards, and he is the recipient of the 2004 Excellence in Media Award from the Houston Audubon Society.

Gary also co-leads bird-photography tours with his wife, professional photographer Kathy Adams Clark. He has been active in the birding and environmental community for over 30 years. He founded the Piney Woods Wildlife Society in 1982 and the Texas Coast Rare Bird Alert in1983. He is a past president of the Houston Audubon Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Board of Advisors for the Houston Audubon Society.

Kathy Adams Clark has been a professional nature photographer since 1995. She runs a stock agency that represents the work of fifteen outstanding nature photographers. Kathy's work has been published in many places including Nature's Best, New York Times, Birder's World, Texas Highways, and Family Fun. Her photos have also appeared in a numerous books and calendars. Her photos appear every week in the "Nature" column in the Houston Chronicle written by her husband, Gary Clark. Kathy and Gary have published four books and have two more in the works that combine their photography and writing skills.

Kathy teaches photography at local and national events. She will lead photo workshops to Costa Rica, Ecuador, and other locations through Strabo Tours. Kathy is Past-president of the North American Nature Photography Association.