Program hightlights plants of Panama Canal region
(tbnweekly.com) Dustin Smith with the Panama Canal Museum will lead a Horticulture Program "The Plants of the Panama Canal Region" at Sunken Gardens on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11:30 a.m.
The program is free for members or with paid admission ($8 adults, $6 seniors 55+, $4 children 2-11).
Smith has been working in zoos for nearly 10 years in Tampa, specifically with reptiles and amphibians. With a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida, Smith currently serves as the Zoological Supervisor of the Miami Metrozoo. Smith supervises a recently built exhibit called, “Amazon and Beyond.”
Professionally, Smith has emphasized the husbandry of reptiles and amphibians. More recently, his attention has been on their conservation, as a result of the current global amphibian decline. Because reptiles and amphibians are some of the most misunderstood animals, Dustin is trying to make their importance understood.
Smith has been a frequent visitor to Panama to assist with the conservation of many species of amphibians, including the critically endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. Smith offers talks on his work in Panama with the golden frog and other amphibians and reptiles. His talk includes many pictures of the diverse ecosystem in Panama. For further information on his work, visit projectgoldenfrog.org.
Sunken Gardens is located at 535 Fourth Ave. N., St. Petersburg.
