Cocktails with a Curator: Mammals Magnified

At The Museum | Fleischmann Auditorium

September 17, 2026 / 7:00 PM–8:30 PM

Curator of Mammalogy Ally Coconis, Ph.D., has tracked bears in Yosemite National Park, chipmunks in the high Sierra Nevada, and rodents across the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Join us to learn how her past work in the field and in museum collections has led her to SBMNH, where she now curates over 11,000 mammal specimens. Take a close look at a table of specimens at the center of current research: multiple species of woodrats, mice from the Channel Islands, and more.

Find out how Dr. Coconis facilitates and conducts research that makes use of the full breadth of collections—beyond the bones and skins most people think of when they imagine museum drawers. She studies the ecology of small mammals, modeling habitat selection by species and analyzing gut contents to illuminate animals’ relationships with plants, invertebrates, and fungi. She plans to use these approaches to investigate how small mammals respond to wildfire throughout California.

RSVP required by September 11. Free for Naturalist, Explorer, and Leadership Circles of Giving Members (who may bring two non-member guests for free). $15 for Voyager and Adventurer-level Members (who may bring one non-member guest for $17 per person). Click here to RSVP and buy guest tickets. Reservation includes one drink ticket and a light snack. Additional drinks are available for purchase.

For help with RSVP or to upgrade your membership, please email membership@sbnature2.org or call 805-682-4711 ext. 114. Want to become a Member? September is a great time to join us.

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