Boston Flora

Tag: PhD

  • Wednesday, May 31, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Hope in a New Ecology

    Anthropocence—the “Age of Humans”—is the scientific name for our new future, in which humankind is the dominant force of nature that stands to determine our ecology and therefore the fate of all life on Earth. To many, Anthropocence foreshadows widespread extinction of species and loss of global sustainability. But, this needn’t be. Scientist and author Oswald Schmitz, PhD, Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, will discuss how the science of ecology is evolving to provide new understanding about how humans can engage with the natural world to maintain and enhance our planet’s environmental performance and ensure a sustainable future for all life on Earth. His book, The New Ecology: Rethinking a Science for the Anthropocene will be available for purchase and signing. This Arnold Arboretum event will take place on Wednesday, May 31 at 7 pm in the Hunnewell Building. Fee: Free for Arboretum members and students, $5 nonmembers. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Tuesday, May 9, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – On the Wing

    What do you get from a bird-lover who is a materials science engineer? A close look at feathers. In this talk, Lorna Gibson, PhD, Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology will speak  at the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum about the microscopic structure of feathers and explain how their structure makes hummingbirds feathers iridescent, ducks feathers water repellent and owl ruff feathers collectors of sound.  Free, registration requested.  Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Monday, March 27, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Woodwork and the Arts of Japan

    Material culture in Japan is distinguished by its heavy reliance on wood in art-making. For over a millennium, the rich biomass heritage of the country has provided a foundation for the work of master carpenters and the emergence of a wide array of remarkable techniques for the wood-related arts. Yukio Lippit, PhD, History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University and Johnson-Kulukundis Family Director of the Arts, Radcliffe Institute will examine how wood selection and the materiality of wood conditioned the development of these arts in a Japanese context. His Monday, March 27 lecture, beginning at 7 pm in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum, focuses on timber-frame architecture and how Japan’s culture of building provides a lens into the man-nature relationship; Japanese sculpture and the meanings inherent in the different types of woods employed for the creation of religious statues; and Japanese woodblock printing and the relationship of wood carving to the artistry of Japanese prints. Fee Free for Arboretum members and students, $5 nonmember. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Thursday, October 13, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Bogs and Fens: New England’s Most Pristine Ecosystems

    Ronald B. Davis, PhD, Professor Emeritus, School of Biology and Ecology and the Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, will speak on Thursday, October 13, 7:00–8:30pm at the Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, on the topic of Bogs and Fens.

    Bogs and fens are wetlands underlain by deep water-saturated peat. In New England, at least 25 of them can be visited on boardwalks, where one can see unique assemblages of flora and fauna, including carnivorous plants, orchids, and uncommon bird species. Dr. Ronald Davis will illustrate his lecture with outstanding photographs and explain some of the unique features of these beautiful and fascinating ecosystems. Fee: Free for Arboretum members and student; $5 nonmembers. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277. Presented jointly by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center.  Image from www.hikenewengland.com.