The Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) will host the Sunday Speaker Series, “Community Resilience in Restoration: American Forests in the RGV,” featuring Mylen Arias at 2 p.m. January 26.

This presentation will focus on the community resilience programming of American Forests in the Rio Grande Valley. American Forests is a nonprofit organization that aims to increase environmental literacy on native plant restoration, community engagement venues and the challenges and solutions encountered and envisioned to increase impact in the region.

Arias earned a Master of Science in biology at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, where she led thornforest restoration research on refuge lands. For several years, she was an Advanced Placement high school biology teacher in the IDEA Public Schools system of Texas. Her leadership roles in curriculum development, learning delivery, community engagement, student achievement and research offer a holistic perspective to restoration efforts in the Rio Grande Valley. Her public-facing position focuses on advancing knowledge, appreciation and increased utilization of thornforests among the public through environmental literacy program development, community forest creation, workshops and other methods.

Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of MOSTHistory are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship and must present their FRIENDship card at the Admissions Desk.

MOSTH is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003, following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century.

For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call (956) 383-6911.