Gerry Traucht ~ Egret Parkland, presentation and reception, on Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 pm at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda, CA. The photographs in the exhibit explore egrets as they live among and reach out to us. In Alameda, Berkeley, and other waterfront areas of the East Bay, egrets are colonizing and reproducing in the human habitat, bringing luminous moments from nature to our urban doorstep. Polar bear, whale, tiger, gorilla and other iconic species may not be our neighbors, but the egrets are, and with this exhibit and its photographs, they are reaching out to our cultural institutions.

Complementing the photography exhibit will be original music chosen specially for this presentation. Joan Jeanrenaud (cellist known for her longtime association with the Kronos Quartet) contributes her composition Oulipo, a beautiful recording featuring Joan on cello and William Winant on vibraphone. Jim Alexander’s composition Palace of Birds finds its inspiration in the inherent musicality of birds and wonderfully complements the photographs. Douglas McKeehan premiers the first of his egret ballet compositions, Egrets With Us, combining field recordings of egrets with sampled African percussion and live classical and tribal flutes played by Diane Grubbe.

Printed Science Commentary in response to the photographs is by John P. Kelly, PhD, Director, Conservation Science, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Cypress Grove Research Center.