Kelby Ouchley, wildlife biologist, author and radio host, will speak on American alligators Thursday, Feb. 1 at 4:30 p.m. in the Union Museum of History and Art in Farmerville. Ouchley wrote a book on the subject in 2013 titled, American Alligator: Ancient Predator in the Modern World. The talk is the first of several events in conjunction with the museum's exhibit of art by nine regional wildlife artists.
Ouchley was a biologist and manager of National Wildlife Refuges for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 30 years. He has worked with alligators in gulf coast marshes and with Canada geese on the Hudson Bay tundra. He was instrumental in the the establishment of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge and its development.
The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is found in most wetlands across the southern U.S. and is often called the “living dinosaur.” The Union Museum of History and Art is located at 116 N. Main Street in the Union Chamber of Commerce building. For more information, call 318-348-2005.
Ouchley is the host of Bayou-Diversity heard weekly on 90.3 KEDM Public Radio.