Speaker Series: “Putting Science On The Map”
Speaker Series talks will be hosted in Falmouth Academy's Morse Hall at 7 Highfield Drive, Falmouth
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 7 PM
"Putting Science On The Map"
Maps can distill a story out of complex information and spark conversation. In science, there’s a continuum of map solutions that aid in both the understanding of complex topics and the ability to reach broad audiences. Join Tom Stone and Greg Fiske, former and current cartographers and geospatial experts from Woodwell Climate Research Center, for a talk about putting Woods Hole science on the map. From mapping land cover change on Cape Cod to organizing participant-led mapping with Arctic Indigenous communities, the possibilities of maps in the realm of our science are endless. Greg and Tom will explore current tools and techniques for making these maps, as well as cover challenges and success stories faced in many decades of making maps for Woods Hole scientists.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 7 PM
“Our Remnant Pine Barrens: Anything but Barren”
Southeastern Massachusetts holds some of the last remnants of the North Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens ecosystem. These “barrens” are nationally recognized as important biodiversity hotspots—but are at risk due to isolation and other factors. This talk will introduce the Pine Barrens and dive into their ecology, conservation, management, and history on the Upper Cape. Presenter Jake McCumber is the Natural Resources & Training Lands Manager for the Massachusetts Army National Guard and has been a conservation biologist focusing on rare species and natural community conservation for over twenty years. Jake will highlight many of the often overlooked, rare and endemic species that depend on our Pine Barrens and our efforts to conserve them.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 7 PM
"Take to the Trees"
Journalist Marguerite Holloway will delve into her new book, Take to the Trees: A Story of Hope, Science, and Self-Discovery in America's Imperiled Forests. In it, Holloway arrives at the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop as a novice, but with a passion for trees and a deep concern for their future amid a planet-wide die off. As she tackles unfamiliar equipment and dizzying heights, she explores the science of trees and tells the stories of charismatic species. In this lyrical work of memoir and reportage, Holloway comes to understand the profound significance of trees in her relationship with her late mother and brother. She sounds the alarm over rapid arboreal decline while also offering hope about how we might care for our forests and ourselves. Holloways science writing has appeared in, among others, the New York Times, The New Yorker and Scientific American.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 7 PM
"Feed Us With Trees: Humans as a Keystone Species"
As a girl, Elspeth Hay learned that we humans are a blight on the natural world. Her lived experience confirmed this story time and again—until the day she learned that humans can eat acorns. Suddenly, things began to shift. In her new book, Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food, Elspeth reveals the ancient relationship between humans, fire, and our keystone nut trees—and the ways we can work together again to revitalize our world. Deeply immersed in the Cape’s local-food system, Elspeth is the creator and host of the Local Food Report, a weekly feature that has aired on WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station, since 2008. She writes and reports for print, radio, and online media with a focus on food, the environment, and the people, places, and ideas that feed us.