Maryland Entomological Society (MES) November 2018 Meeting

Savannahs and Mountain Jungles: A naturalists’ travels through Tanzania.

Speaker: Fred Paraskevoudakis, President – Maryland Entomological Society. Professor – Natural and Physical Sciences department, vice-president Faculty Senate, Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), Baltimore, MD.

Biography: Fred Paras has been teaching primarily Microbiology at BCCC since 1992, but has also taught Environmental Science and Biotechnology courses. He hold two Bachelors from U. of Md., an MS from JHU (Environmental Science) and an MS from Towson (Biology). Fred is an active participant in the annual BCCC and Md. Collegiate STEM Symposium working closely with his students to foster research and stronger interests in sciences. His passion for insects and natural history began over fifty years ago, and has continually increased throughout his life. He is frequently involved in outreach programs with MES, the Natural History Society of Md. (NHSM), BCCC and others. He is a member of numerous societies including the NHSM, the Chesapeake Gem and Mineral Society, Fossil and Lep club of NHSM, and ESW. Moreover he is an ardent traveler, photographer and prodigious collector who has been fortunate to visit many places in the world.

Abstract: Besides the vast stretches of savannah and arid lands, Tanzania has a variety of other biologically rich biomes. These include mountain forests and jungles that host a large diversity of animal and insect species. This presentation will show some of the scenic locations and biomes that are found throughout this country as well as examples of the flora and fauna. The photography will spotlight the Uluguru Mountains and the Udzungwa National Park in the southwest, the Eastern Arc Usambara Mountains, and a short peek at the great National Parks in the north such as the Ngorongoro Crater, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lake Manyara. Finally a wonderful side trip to Zanzibar Island with its rich but dark history, and surprising biodiversity. There will be commentary on sustainable butterfly farming “cottage industries”, cultural aspects, agriculture, and everyday life as the travelling begins from Dar es Salaam and goes in a circuit all around the country, with various stops along the way.