October 15, 2013 - Boston Flora

Saturday, October 26, 11:00 am – 8:00 pm – Alfred Russel Wallace Day

October 15, 2013 by Boston Flora

Although Alfred Russel Wallace co-discovered the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin, he has held a relatively obscure place in the history of science. This year marks the centenary of his death and the Harvard Museum of Natural History, in conjunction with the Cambridge Science Festival, is celebrating Wallace’s rich legacy with “Wallace Dayâ€ on Saturday, October 26.Â Learn more about a brilliant scientist, a heroic naturalist, and a passionate social reformer.

Event Schedule
11:00 am â€“ 4:00 pm (In the galleries, free with museum admission)
Explore the HMNH galleries and see a one-day-only display of Wallace-related specimens and objects from the Museumâ€™s zoological collections. Come see Wallace’s spectacular birds of paradise and birdwing butterflies. At 2:00 pmâ€¨, join Alfred Russel Wallace himself (impersonated by Wallace historian and evolutionary biologist Andrew Berry) for a live presentation about his remarkable life as scientist, author, and social activist.

Evening program (below): Admission is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available by online registration only.Â Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free event parking is available after 3:00 pm in the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

4:00 pm
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?
A panel discussion with: James T. Costa, Professor of Biology at Western Carolina University; John Durant, Director of the MIT Museum; James Wood, Professor of Literary Criticism at Harvard University and staff writer for The New Yorker. Moderated by Janet Browne, Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University, and acclaimed biographer of Charles Darwin.

Parallel Lives: Edward O. Wilson & Alfred Russel Wallace
A conversation with Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, and Andrew Berry, Wallace historian and Lecturer on Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.

The evening program will conclude with a reception in the HMNH galleries for all ticket holders.

Saturday, October 26, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Opening Reception for Dispersal: Photographs by Anna Laurent

October 15, 2013 by Boston Flora

Seed pods are incredible vessels, protecting seeds as they develop and assisting with their dispersal. Photographer Anna Laurent explores the evolution of different forms to fulfill these common functions. Individually, each photograph is a fine art portrait of a unique botanic specimen; as a series, the collection becomes a visual and scientific inquiry into the remarkable diversity of botanic design. The project began in urban Southern California and has extended to the rain forests of Hawaii, the deserts of northern Iraq, and public gardens throughout the United States, including the Arnold Arboretum. This Arnold Arboretum exhibit runs through January 26, 2014, but the artist will speak of her work at the opening reception on Saturday, October 26, from 1 – 3 at the Hunnewell Building lecture hall at 125 Arborway. For show hours visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu.