Lecture Topics
Sunken Gardens
This is the best talk if your club members are not very advanced in how to set-up and maintain a planted aquarium, or if I haven’t spoken for your club before. It covers low tech, simple methods as well as high-tech, fast growth set-ups, and just TOUCHES on aquascaping.
Modern Aquascaping
This is a talk for more advanced hobbyists, as it is focused on aquascape design. It doesn’t NOT go into set-up and maintenance deeply. It is an interactive talk with lots of audience participation, so it can be really fun. (I often do this as a second talk for clubs that want two talks) It is also applicable to those who want to improve the eye-appeal of their “non-plant” or marine tanks.
Aquarium Plants; Where Do They Come From?
From careful surveys of the environment and collection of new plants in the wild, through the identification process, then on to propagation, either in commercial nurseries or by dedicated hobbyists, this talk takes a look at how our plants get to us. This talk debuted at the 2017 AGA Convention in Denver. It is now available to other groups as well!
Having Fun with Nano Tanks
Just what its name implies. The focus, of course, is on planted nano tanks (small tanks, usually under 10 gallons). There is some overlap with “Sunken Gardens”, but the emphasis is on small tanks. This talk has been comletely revamped for 2018, so even if you've seen it before, it won't be the same!
Borneo, a Fragile Land Struggling in the Modern World
Travels in Thailand
This talk covers several collecting trips over the course of 3 years exploring many plant habitats from the Mekong to the Malay Peninsula.
India, a Country of Surprising Contrasts
This talk covers the south western Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra. These areas are incredibly rich in aquatic plant life, including many well known favorites and some surprising finds.
Amazon Adventures
This is an older talk, but still relevant for a group who is not familiar with the region. It covers areas of the Brazilian Amazon including the Rio Negro, Rio Solimoes and Rio Branco. This is a popular talk for youth groups and schools, because I can include lots of birds and other animals upon request!
Biotopes of the World
As the name implies, this talk takes a look at biotopes on several continents ranging from hard water springs to soft water rivers and many in between. This talk is always changing, as I explore new and interesting parts of the world!
Paludariums, the intersection of land and water
The author’s 36x18x36 Exo Terra paludarium.
This talk covers everything you need to get started creating beautiful vivariums with both land and water areas. This type of enclosure has risen in popularity like a meteor, bringing together folks from across different hobbies, from aquariums to house plants to dart frog and reptile hobbyists.
Aquascaping Demos and Hand-on Workshops (Aquascaping and Wabi Kusa)
Please contact me for information on what materials will need to be supplied for these events, so that your club can plan accordingly. These can be a real money-maker for a club if they can get the materials donated and then run a raffle for the tank. I have a plant supplier who is willing to donate the plant materials for my aquascaping demos upon request.