Future Friday

Begun in 2011, the Future Fridays Lecture Series is an evening lecture series that runs in the Fall and Spring and features talks by prominent leaders, authors, and innovators.

Dr. David Nelson

The Natural History of the San Bruno Mountains

Dr. David Nelson is an orthopedic hand surgeon in private practice at Marin General Hospital, is an avid fly fisherman, and a naturalist as well. He was formerly the head of Hand Surgery at UCSF, doing research in wrist fractures, postoperative pain, and wrist kinematics. He was also an electrical engineer for National Semiconductor and later, an owner of a mountaineering school teaching climbing, kayaking and cross country skiing. A skilled climber, he has climbed both Half Dome and El Capitan in Yosemite. In addition to his work as a hand surgeon, he is a member of the California Native Plant Society.

He and colleague, Doug Allshouse, are currently researching and writing a book, The Natural History of the San Bruno Mountains, which will be published in 2021. The San Bruno Mountains are just over the San Francisco border into San Mateo County, ½ mile north of SFO. The flanks of the Mountain include manzanita and other plants, and a butterfly as well, that occur nowhere else on earth. Dr. Nelson will be sharing his work about this amazing Bay Area location.