This year, the Land Trust will once again host Nature Nights at the Tower Theatre. The downtown Bend venue invites a relaxed atmosphere to the discussions, allowing attendees to drink a beer and hang out while listening to the presentations, Mowry said.

The first talk, “Fungi in the Forest,” will be held Jan. 25 by Ariel Cowan, regional fire specialist for Oregon State University Extension. Cowan has a passion for fungal ecology and forest health. She’ll share how the fungi communication networks help our forests to recover from wildfire.

On Feb. 21, James Johnston and Andrew Merschel of Oregon State University will present “A History of Trees — Fire, Old-growth and Forest Restoration in Central Oregon.” The presenters will delve into changes over the past 500 years, as evident through tree ring research and the impacts of wildfire and forest restoration.

The final presentation, on March 22, is “Wild Horses, Wolves and other Wildlife of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.” It will be given by Austin L. Smith, who grew up on the reservation and now oversees the Branch of Natural Resources for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. His talk will touch on the dynamics of managing populations of wild horses and wolves and the reintroduction efforts of bighorn sheep and mountain goats.