Dr. Ken Thomas, professor of biology at Northern Essex Community College, will give a presentation titled “Jungle Talk: The Amazon Basin” at the Kelley Library, 234 Main St., Salem, NH on Thursday, January 21 at 7 p.m..

In his presentation, Thomas will explore the Amazon Basin in South America, which is home to 60 percent of the planet’s remaining tropical rainforests. He will share how the region—which is the size of the continental United States—is like a huge bowl that collects water and sends it thousands of miles to the Atlantic. He will introduce one of the tributaries, the Rio Napo in Ecuador, where he has spent time, and also touch on the Andes Mountains, the rivers, and the rainforest and the ways they are all tied to one another. His presentation will include photographs of the animals and plants that thrive in the area.

Dr. Kenneth Thomas, professor of biology at Northern Essex Community College, earned his Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from NECC, a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from UMass Lowell, and a Master’s of Science in Zoology and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.

Prior to teaching at NECC he taught for eight years at Hillsborough Community College in Florida.

His special interests include marine biology, student travel, science literacy, sailing, kayaking, and canoeing.

This presentation is made possible through the Northern Essex Community College Speakers Bureau. For more information on the speakers’ bureau, visit the college’s website www.necc.mass.edu or contact Ernie Greenslade, director of public relations, at 978-556-3862 or egreenslade@necc.mass.edu

For more information on this presentation, contact Paul Giblin at Kelley Library, 603 898-7064 or pgiblin@kelleylibrary.org