1800s naturalist topic of First Thursday talk

Author and teacher Jack Nisbet will discuss Scottish naturalist David Douglas at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Clark County Historical Museum.

The event is part of the monthly “First Thursday” speaker series at the museum, 1511 Main St.

Douglas was Fort Vancouver’s resident naturalist from 1825 to 1834. Nisbet will describe Douglas’ adventures inside and outside Fort Vancouver and connect stories about the flora, fauna, people and landscapes that he described with what we see today.

The Spokane-based Nisbet is the author of several books that explore the human and natural history of the West. “The Collector,” a biography of Douglas, was one of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association’s books of 2010.

“David Douglas: A Naturalist at Work” is an illustrated collection of essays that serves as the companion to a museum exhibit about Douglas that will run at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma through May.

Historical Society members and active-duty military families with ID get in free; for others, admission fees apply: $4 adults, $3 seniors/students, $2 children, $10 families.