Virtual Earth Optimism Lectures
Our free virtual lecture series is returning in 2021! Hear science and conservation stories from Smithsonian ecologists and researchers around the world. SERC's online lectures air on Zoom every third Tuesday of the month at 7pm Eastern, January through October. By signing up online, you'll be able to watch live and receive a link to closed-captioned recording after the event. Scroll further down to see recordings from our 2020 Earth Optimism lecture series.
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2021 Lectures
Beyond Pandas: The Wildlife of Southeastern China
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 7-8pm
Speaker: Bill McShea, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
China has established an impressive array of reserves to conserve the giant panda. These reserves also harbor many unique species of mammals in one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. In our kickoff lecture of 2021, join Smithsonian wildlife ecologist Bill McShea to learn about the ecology and conservation of these species in a land striving to conserve its natural heritage in the face of rapid development.
Sign up online to watch live or on demand
All About River Otters
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7-8pm
Speaker: Karen McDonald, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Learn about the Chesapeake's river otters, a nocturnal and notoriously shy species that biologists are just beginning to understand. Sign up information and details coming soon!
Secrets of Phragmites
Tuesday, March 16, 7-8pm
Speakers: Melissa McCormick and Dennis Whigham, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Explore the dense world of Phragmites, an invasive reed that's taken over marshes and wetlands throughout the eastern U.S. Sign up information and details coming soon!
Recordings of 2020 Lectures
Nick Pyenson with whale bones on Cuverville Island, in Antarctica. (Credit: Martha Stewart)
Spying on Whales
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7-8pm
Speaker: Nick Pyenson, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
We think of whales as icons of the sea, but the first whales were certainly not like the ones that you see today: They lived on land, had four legs, and were the size of a dog. How do we know about the deep past of whales, and what does that tell us about how evolution works? In the finale of SERC's 2020 Earth Optimism series, get a closer look with Nick Pyenson, author of "Spying on Whales" and curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Dive in for the surprising backstory and a glimpse of our shared future with these enigmatic giants. The talk will span the poles to the equator; ice-locked waters to dry deserts; from millions of years in the past to our uncertain future.
Sign up online to view the recording
Clockwise from left: Zoe Johnson (Credit: Amelia Johnson), Chela Zabin (Credit: Brandy Gale) and Jason Toft (Credit: Kathleen Pozarycki)
Building Climate-Resilient Communities on the Coasts
Tuesday, August 18, 7-8:30pm
Panelists:
Zoë Johnson, Co- Chair, Annapolis City Dock Resiliency Workgroup
Jason Toft, University of Washington
Chela Zabin, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center - San Francisco Branch
Moderator: Kristen Minogue, Smithsonian Environmental Research (SERC)
Tens of millions of Americans make their homes in coastal cities. How these cities adapt to rising seas will determine their futures in the 21st century. In our August webinar, three experts from cities on the East and West Coasts of the U.S. will share stories and ideas about how coastal communities can build resiliently in the face of sea level rise. Join us for an evening of cross-country dialogue, with built-in time for audience questions.
Sign up online to watch recording on Zoom
Kim Komatsu. (Credit: Karin Burghardt)
Working Landscapes: Doing Science To Help People and Nature
Tuesday, July 21, 7-8pm
Speaker: Kim Komatsu, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
As humans, we depend on the environment for our well-being and livelihoods. Yet in an era of global change, these critical environmental services are under threat. Now more than ever, it's vital for communities to work together to understand the impacts humans have on the environment and how we can mitigate those effects. In this talk Dr. Kim Komatsu, a scientist with SERC and the Smithsonian's Working Land and Seascapes Initiative, will highlight new research that's serving both people and nature. She'll focus on two projects in the Chesapeake Bay region: how soil microbes can protect soybeans—the second most farmed crop in the U.S.—and how land use is changing diversity in our forests. Join us for an evening of conservation optimism, focused on science to protect our working landscapes for future generations.
Watch the recording of the webinar on Zoom
Cyrena Simons (Credit: Stoney Simons)
Bay-Wise Gardening To Help The Environment
Tuesday, June 16, 7-8pm
Speaker: Cyrena Simons, Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners
While many are at home and gardening this summer, there are many bay-friendly practices you can use to enhance your property and the environment. At our June virtual evening lecture, Master Gardener Cyrena Simons will share tips from the University of Maryland's Master Gardener Bay-Wise Program, which strives to improve land and waterways by managing our yards in an eco-conscious way. Bay-wise gardening can take less work and less money, while attracting birds and butterflies to your garden. She’ll also share resources for getting free help with gardening questions. While Cyrena will focus on examples from the Chesapeake, the Master Gardener Program has connections with state universities all across the country.
Watch the recording of the webinar on Zoom
