Marin County is a world center of Ceanothus diversity, with as many as 10 species found within the county. From the summit of Mount Tamalpais to the rocky spit of Point Reyes, Ceanothus is a constant companion for Marin County botanists, and an ecologically significant member of forest and chaparral plant communities in the county. Dylan’s talk will take a close look at Ceanothus diversity in Marin County and address recent scientific discoveries in the genus, including where Ceanothus came from and how it became so diverse.
Dylan Burge is a botanist who specializes in California plants. He is especially interested in how unusual soils, such as serpentine, affect plant evolution . Dylan grew up in rural northern California, where he developed a love for biodiversity very early on.
He attended UC Davis for his undergraduate work and obtained a B.S. in Evolution and Ecology in 2004. He then did graduate work at Duke University, obtaining a Ph.D. in Biology in 2011. He has done field work in many places around the world, including South Africa, Madagascar, Malaysia, China, Belize, and Mexico. In addition to botanical research, Dylan likes to spend time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail and taking photographs of living organisms in the wild. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia.