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A Few Native California Oak Mysteries! A talk by Al Keuter 
Thursday, August 08, 2024 07:00pm
 

Of the approximately 600 species of oaks worldwide, roughly 21 are native to California, organized into three groups: the red oaks (sometimes called black oaks), the golden oaks (or intermediate oaks), and the white oaks. This talk will focus on understanding the recent historical identities of the surviving Santa Clara County oaks.

Besides learning about the oaks that surround us, Al will also talk about these and other oak mysteries:

  • Where does the blue oak group fit into the red/golden/white oak scheme? (So chromatically confusing!!)

  • Are native California oaks super-closely related to oaks anywhere else in the world, or are they something special?

  • Is it tricky to apply a specific scientific name to a California oak tree? (Spoiler alert: can be!)

Please join Al as he shares parts of his journey examining the many mysteries of California oaks.

Al Keuter’s sleuthing into oak mysteries began in 2013. Since then, he’s ventured ever deeper into the science of leaf and fruit measurements, joining with DNA scientists in publishing three scientific papers exploring California red oak evolution and development.

While volunteering as a curator at the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he has generated 40,000+ images, and made 900 collections of fruit and leaves from more than 500 oak trees in 38 California counties. He has also accumulated a personal oak reference library of 700+ books and manuscripts dating back to the 1600s.

Location Los Altos Library Orchard Room, 13 S. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
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