When most people think of an ecosystem, they think of the relationship between plants and animals in an area. But the most fundamental ecological relationship is between the environment and everything that lives there. Every environment presents challenges and opportunities that anything that lives there successfully must have adapted to overcome and take advantage of, respectively. Virtually all the characteristics of an environment – the composition of its soil, its topography, even its climatic conditions – have been shaped by geologic processes over millions of years. An area’s geology and geologic history basically determine its ecosystem. This talk will explore and explain the deep relationship between geology and ecology.

Dan Gruber has a B.S. in Philosophy and Physics and a master’s degree in operations research. Since retiring as a principal and senior partner at Deloitte Consulting, he has served in volunteer capacities with conservation-related organizations including the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance. He has authored several research papers focused on local geology, contributed to several books, and teaches courses about the natural history of central Arizona.

Mike Nolan is a geologist, who for more than two decades has given presentations and led field trips on geologic topics, helping his audience discover the stories hidden in the rocks beneath their feet and the landscapes that surround them. Mike has a degree in Geology from the University of Rochester. He is a former Executive Director of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and has also worked with other conservation groups. Currently he is a consultant who works with nonprofit organizations to help them launch new programs and uncover new opportunities to expand their impact.