When the sun sets in the Bay Area in October, you may notice large hairy spiders emerging from their homes for their once-in-a-lifetime quest. After 5 to 8 years spent in a solitary, nocturnal life -- largely in a burrow subsisting on insects, frogs and perhaps even snakes or mice -- the male California tarantula is mature and ready to find a mate. Roaming at dusk and after dark, sometimes in large numbers, the males go in search of a willing female. They hunt to find her silk-lined burrow marked with a scent indicating she’s looking for a mate. To prevent being accidentally trapped for a future meal, he uses his front legs to drum on her doorstep. There is a good video from the San Diego ZooThe Icelandic section of the Nordic Association of Conservators is pleased to announce the XXI NKF Congress – Cultural heritage facing catastrophe: prevention and recoveries to be held in Reykjavík, Iceland 26 – 28 September 2018.

The theme of the congress is the impact of natural and man-made catastrophes on cultural heritage and recoveries.

During the last few years, the Nordic countries have experienced many disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, building explosion and fires, which have had a serious impact on their cultural heritage as have many other countries around the world. An awakening has taken place in the preventative actions illustrated by the amount of professional documentation on the internet. The congress will be an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences and/to improve the protection of the