Boston Flora

Tag: Harvard Museum Of Natural History

  • Saturday, December 10, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Hidden Diversity: Amphibian Adaptations

    Hidden Diversity: Amphibian Adaptations is presented on Saturday, December 10 at 10:30 am by the Harvard Museum of Natural History in collaboration with Mara Laslo, Ph.D candidate in the Hanken Lab at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.

    Explore the wonderful and wacky world of amphibians! Learn about amphibians that dig, crawl, swim, and glide; amphibians as big as dogs or smaller than a dime; and amphibians that go through metamorphosis once, twice, or not at all. See live amphibians, learn from museum specimens, and design your own experiment to understand how researchers are still discovering new amphibian knowledge. All activities are designed to be fun and interactive experiences for families with children aged 8-13 to learn together.

    Fees: $10 members/$20 nonmembers, per person, includes admission to the museum. Participants are encouraged to come early or stay late and explore the museum before or after class. These programs are not appropriate for children under 8 years of age.

    Advance registration required at http://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/hidden-diversity-amphibian-adaptations  Families must register at least one adult and one child for this program.

    Save

  • Wednesday, November 30, 6:00 pm – Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet

    Megan Epler Wood, Director, International Sustainable Tourism Initiative, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, will speak on Wednesday, November 30 beginning at 6 pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

    Megan Epler Wood will draw from her new book, Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet, to explore how the growth of the global tourism economy over the next 20 years will affect vital natural and social treasures worldwide. She will present visualizations of the impact of unmanaged growth and present far-reaching thoughts on the type of reforms required to lower tourism’s impacts and protect the health of local populations, ecosystems, cultures, and monuments worldwide.

    Presented in collaboration with the Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
    This program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.
    Free and open to the public.

  • Tuesday, November 15, 6:00 pm – Yes, Humans Really Are Causing Earthquakes

    Justin Rubinstein, Research Geophysicist and Deputy Chief of the Induced Seismicity Project, Menlo Park Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, will speak at the Harvard Museum of Natural History on Tuesday, November 15 beginning at 6 pm.

    In 2009, the central United States began to experience an unprecedented surge in earthquakes. They soared from an average of 21 per year to over 650 in 2014 alone. This increased seismicity has been found in just a few regions of the country, with a majority in Oklahoma, and is limited to areas of new and emerging oil and gas production. Rubinstein will discuss the many ways in which humans can cause earthquakes, how local geological conditions can influence their impact, and how scientists measure and analyze seismicity. He will also address the actions that states are taking to minimize or stop human-induced earthquakes and how academic scientists, regulators, and the oil and gas industry are collaborating in these efforts.

    Presented in collaboration with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology and the Seismological Society of America.
    This program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.
    Free and open to the public.

  • Saturday, November 5, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins: An Introduction to the Shelled Reptiles

    Using preserved specimens from Harvard University’s Herpetology collection, as well as live animals, participants in this Harvard Museum of Natural History class on Saturday, November 5 from 9:30 – noon will learn basic turtle anatomy, determine the primary characteristics of the most common turtle families, consider the unique adaptations of some individual species, and view several historically significant specimens. Participants can look closely at iconic specimens, including a Galápagos tortoise collected by a whaler in the Galápagos Islands in 1835, the same year of Charles Darwin’s visit there, and a turtle collected by Henry David Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts.  Instructor: Joe Martinez, Curatorial Assistant Herpetology Department Museum of Comparative Zoology

    Fees: $40 Museum members/$50 nonmembers.  Register online at http://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/turtles-tortoises-and-terrapins-introduction-shelled-reptiles

  • Thursday, October 20, 6:00 pm – Lessons from the Dodo: Saving Species and Rebuilding Ecosystems in Mauritius

    Conservation pioneer Carl Jones, Chief Scientist, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Scientific Director, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, and recipient of the 2016 Indianapolis Prize for his efforts to save species on the brink of extinction, will discuss how his decades of work have directly revitalized multiple endangered animal populations and habitats—most famously, perhaps, the Mauritius kestrel. With only four kestrels left on Earth, Jones’ techniques not only changed the fate of those birds, but also ensured a thriving population, now nearing 400. Jones will offer insights into restoring both individual species and the ecosystems of Mauritius. He will highlight his journey to save the Rodrigues fruit bat, pink pigeon, echo parakeet, and others from disappearing forever and describe his innovative approach to rebuilding the Mauritian habitat using ecological replacements for extinct animals.

    The Thursday, October 20 lecture is presented by The Harvard Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Indianapolis Prize, and begins at 6 pm. This program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Free and open to the public.

  • Thursday, September 15, 6:00 pm – Why So Many Leaf Forms? Insights from Viburnum Evolution

    Why do leaves come in such an extraordinary variety of shapes and sizes? Global patterns in the distribution of different leaf forms provide clues, and multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain such diversity. Recent work on the evolution of Viburnum (a popular group of shrubs) complements studies of global patterns and adds a new hypothesis to the mix. Michael Donoghue, Sterling Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, will discuss the Viburnum research, its relevance to understanding climate change, and the processes by which diverse ecosystems come into existence. The free lecture will take place Thursday, September 15 beginning at 6 pm.

    The Evolution Matters Lecture Series is supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit. This Harvard Museum of Natural History program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

  • Friday, July 22, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Glass Flowers Soiree

    Friday, July 22, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Glass Flowers Soiree

    Exclusively for guests over 21, this one-of-a-kind evening on Friday, July 22 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, will celebrate the Harvard Museum of Natural History’s Glass Flowers exhibition. Come with a date, come with friends, or make new friends as you enjoy signature cocktails and music while strolling through the museum’s sixteen exhibitions! Tickets available online and at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. $20 members/$25 nonmembers

    Presented in collaboration with the Harvard Summer School. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

    Save

    Save

    Save

  • Saturday, December 5, 2:00 pm – Science of the Magical

    Can bird migrations foretell the future? Do phases of the moon hold sway over our lives? Are there sacred springs with curative powers? What is the best way to brew a love potion? In this Harvard Museum of Natural History interdisciplinary talk filled with tales of adventure, science journalist Matt Kaplan, author of The Science of Monsters and Science of the Magical, will explore the rich, lively, and surprising reality behind some of the magical objects, places, and ideas that infuse ancient and modern myths.

    This program takes place Saturday, December 5 at 2 pm and is located at Haller Hall (enter at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street). Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Free with museum admission.

  • Thursday, November 5, 6:00 pm – How Nature Can Save Us

    We live in the Anthropocene, the age of humans, and not since cyanobacteria transformed Earth’s early atmosphere has one species–Homo sapiens–had such an outsized influence on the diversity of life on the planet. Saving nature in the human age is a challenging proposition, but perhaps a more relevant question might be how nature can save humankind. In an epic journey across 24 countries accompanied by a film crew from PBS and National Geographic, M. Sanjayan, Executive Vice President and Senior Scientist, Conservation International. compiled awe-inspiring stories that illuminate the inextricable link between the environment and human beings. In this program, he will discuss his journey and the basic truth it revealed: that saving nature is really about saving ourselves.

    Presented in collaboration with the Harvard College Conservation Society. This program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Free and open to the public.

  • Wednesday, July 29 – Sunday, August 2 – Begonia Revolution New England 2015

    The American Begonia Society’s 2015 Annual Convention will take place at The Verve Crowne Plaza Boston-Natick, 1360 Worcester Road in Natick, Wednesday, July 29 – Sunday, August 12.  A variety of tours will be available to participants. On Wednesday, see the Harvard Glass Flowers and Marine Life Collection at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the greenhouses of the Lyman Estate in Waltham. Thursday, travel to Logee’s Greenhouses in Danielson, Connecticut and the Roger Williams Botanical Center in Providence.  Friday features a tour of Tower Hill Botanic Garden.  In addition to travels, hear Mike Flaherty speak on Begonias of the Rich & Famous, Drew Norris on Growing Begonias Like African Violets, Randy Montes Kerr on Species Begonias for Every Home, Pablo Jourdan on Germplasm Research Update, Mark Tebbitt on Begonias of Andean South America, and Lloyd Traven on How to Bring Begonias to Market. Of course there will be a Judged Plant Show, a Boutique, and Plant Sales in addition to Luncheons and a Seafood Bake.  Complete information on registration and programs is available at http://www.begonias.org/events/2015%20Buxton/ABS_2015.pdf. 

    If you wish to stay at the hotel, there are special room rates ($115 per night, plus taxes) if you book by June 29.