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Lecture Series: The Forest Unseen, A Year’s Watch in Nature w/ David Haskell

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David George Haskell describes the outcome of an unconventional experiment in scientific and aesthetic exploration: he watched one square meter of old growth forest for a year, using his skills as an ecologist and evolutionary biologist to understand the workings of the forest.

His lecture illustrates the insights that he gained from this experiment. He discusses the nature of communication in the forest, explaining how quiet observation opened the acoustic and chemical “social network” among the living organisms in the forest. He describes how seemingly obscure species and processes are central to the function of the forest. For example, snail shells are required for bird breeding, microbes rule the invisible world of the soil, and the particularities of how twigs grow point towards the future of our climate. Evolution’s processes are also revealed: the tension between cooperation and conflict occurs at many levels in the forest, illustrating the complexities of natural selection. The emphasis of the talk is scientific, but Haskell also reflects on humanity’s relationship to forests, suggesting that contemplative practices in nature offer one way to integrate science and ethics.

David George Haskell is a professor of biology at the University of the South, in Sewanee, TN. He was educated at the University of Oxford (B.A. in Zoology) and Cornell University (Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution). His work as a scientist and teacher were recognized by the Carnegie and CASE Foundations with a Professor of the Year Award for Tennessee in 2009. His work has also been featured the national and regional media. The Oxford American recently named him one of the “most creative teachers” in the southern U.S. His research has been supported by National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Templeton Foundation. His observations of the one square meter are described in his book, The Forest Unseen, published March 15th 2012 by Viking.

Member Ticket price:

No Charge

Guest Ticket Price:

$20

Student Ticket Price:

$5 w/ ID

Reservation Notes:

Payment must accompany reservation. Tickets are secured only when a credit card is provided at the time the reservation is made. Reservations made without a credit card are not secured and tickets will be forfeited by 6:50pm the evening of the lecture.

Reservations are suggested on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call 212-628-8383, Fax 212-228-4449, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)