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Members' Reception: Bay of Life

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Friday, February 3, 2023,
6:30pm - 8pm

The MAH

FREE for members

Register Here

Join us for the MAH Members Reception for Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, a new exhibition from renowned National Geographic photographer-writer team Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom that brings land and sea together for a unified view of Monterey Bay and its natural abundance.

Enjoy refreshments and access to signed copies of the Bay of Life book, plus learn about MAH programs featuring biodiversity in our greater Monterey Bay community.

California’s Monterey Bay region is the “hottest hotspot” for biodiversity in all of North America today, according to the Nature Conservancy. Yet a hundred years ago the region was more like a hotspot of ecological collapse. Onshore, the Santa Cruz Mountains had been clearcut, and there were few redwood trees left standing. Offshore, the marine resources of the bay had been decimated by whalers, sealers, and fishers. The recovery of Monterey Bay is a remarkable environmental success story that shows damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and act together. It is a story of hope as we are faced with new challenges ranging from expanding inclusivity and diversity to improving natural resource stewardship, extending habitat connectivity, and mitigating impacts of climate change.

The exhibition supports Lanting and Eckstrom’s new book, Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, which documents how the region has recovered, telling a hopeful story of how damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and take action together. Numerous organizations and institutions have played key roles in the region’s ecological comeback. Bay of Life celebrates their achievements and ties together the work of scientists and conservationists in both marine and terrestrial fields.

Top Image: Breaking Wave, Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area, photo by Frans Lanting.

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