Boston Flora

Tag: Charles Davis

  • Thursday, November 17, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Panel Discussion: In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers

    How can an imaginative fusion of art and science help us reach a meaningful understanding of the relationship between our actions, climate change, and diminishing biodiversity? This Harvard Museum of Natural History panel on November 17 at 6 pm features the artists and scientists who collaborated in developing In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers, an exhibition now on view at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The inspiration for this project was a set of 648 plant specimens in the Harvard University Herbaria that were collected by Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond. Utilizing photography, botanical data, and digital art, the exhibition explores and visualizes the richness of plant diversity in eastern Massachusetts and reflects on how climate change continues to impact this diversity.

    A wine and cheese reception will follow in the museum galleries. The lecture will take place in person at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. $10 for Museum members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at https://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/panel-discussion-search-thoreaus-flowers

    Free parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

    Charles Davis, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Curator of Vascular Plants, Harvard University Herbaria

    Marsha Gordon, Professor, North Carolina State University

    Emily Meineke, Assistant Professor, University of California, Davis

    Leah Sobsey, Artist, Curator, Associate Professor of Photography, and Director of the Gatewood Gallery, University of North Carolina

    Robin Vuchnich, Artist, UX Designer, Assistant Professor of the Practice, North Carolina State University

    Moderated by Elena Kramer, Bussey Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Interim Director, Harvard University Herbaria, Harvard University

  • Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm – Thoreau as a Climatologist

    Henry David Thoreau initiated a study of flowering times at Walden Pond. Today, a research team including Charles Davis, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, has updated Thoreau’s records with current data and integrated them with modern evolutionary biology to reveal how climate change and earlier flowering times have affected Walden’s plants.

    Join Davis to explore an integrated approach to climate change and biodiversity on Thursday, November 18, beginning at 6 pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Part of the Asa Gray Bicentennial series, this event is free and open to the public.For more information, log on to www.hmnh.harvard.edu, or call 617-495-3045.

  • Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm – Thoreau as Climatologist: Tracking 160 Years of Climate Change

    Over 160 years ago, Henry David Thoreau initiated a study of flowering times at Walden Pond. Today, a research team including, Charles Davis, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Curator in the Harvard Herbarium (below,)  has updated Thoreau’s records with current data and integrated them with modern evolutionary biology to reveal how climate change and earlier flowering times have affected Walden’s plants. Those that have greatly declined include many charismatic native wildflower species, while those that have thrived include many nonnative and invasive species. Davis will explore how an integration of historical records combined and cutting edge science can help us potentially mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. This program, taking place Thursday, November 18 at 6 pm, is free and open to the public, at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Part of the Asa Gray Bicentennial series. For more information, log on to www.hmnh.harvard.edu.