presents
EVENINGS WITH EXPERTS
A FREE public lecture series at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
First Wednesdays, February through May
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Programs typically run 1.5 hours and include an interactive Q&A.
Doors open at 6:30 pm for general seating. Seating is unassigned and will be available on a first-come basis.
Thank You to our program partners for supporting this series:
Mount Auburn Cemetery and the Cambridge Public Library
The Challenge and Promise of Restoring Urban Landscapes
Date: Wednesday, February 6
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Meeting Place:Cambridge Public Library, Main Library Lecture Hall
449 Broadway,Cambridge
Speaker: Steven Handel, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Rutgers University
Human activity has degraded much of our urban landscape, making the rebuilding of native habitat on these lands an important priority. But potential restoration sites are often small and heavily altered, and questions about best strategies abound. Can these landscapes be designed and managed to support native biodiversity? How can we rebuild functioning ecosystems on them? Which target sites are practical ones, especially in this time of rapid climate change? Noted ecologist Steven Handel has been researching these challenges for most of his career and his work illustrates the surprising and significant transformations that are possible. He will discuss projects that he has worked on, including Freshkills Park (a former landfill on Staten Island), Brooklyn Bridge Park, and several other coastal sites. Join us to learn more about urban ecological restoration in a world that desperately needs it.
Dr. Steven Handel is currently a Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and editor of the journal, Ecological Restoration.
Sugar, Sex, and Poison:
Understanding the Vital Powers of Plants
Date: Wednesday, March 6
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Meeting Place:Cambridge Public Library, Main Library Lecture Hall
449 Broadway,Cambridge
William Cullina, Executive Director, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Are we humans masters of our world, or are plants really the ones in charge? What they lack in locomotion, they compensate for in structure and chemistry. Celebrated author and botanist Bill Cullina will explain why plant life is at the center of a carefully balanced natural economy that is critical to the functioning of our ecosystems. Through photosynthesis, plants produce the energy that powers the food chain. And although eaten by others, they are far from helpless prey, having evolved a dizzying arsenal of poisons, spines, camouflage, and other means of deterring herbivores. Plants are sophisticated in their production of pollen, nectar, fruits, and root exudates— to nourish animal partnerships, harnessing them for vital services such as pollination and seed dispersal. Join us for a fascinating dive into these complex ecological dynamics, and learn more about horticultural practices that capitalize on these relationships to create ecologically sound landscapes.
William Cullina is the author of many great books about native plants, including the well-known trio: Growing and Propagating Wildflowers; Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines; and Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses.
More than Just the Buzz:
Finding Real Solutions to Native Pollinator Decline
Date: Wednesday, April 3
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Meeting Place:Cambridge Public Library, Main Library Lecture Hall
449 Broadway,Cambridge
Robert Gegear, Assistant Professor of Biology, W?orcester Polytechnic Institute
For almost two decades, pollinators have been declining in abundance, species richness, and geographic distribution at an unprecedented rate worldwide. While media attention has focused largely on the domesticated European honeybee, the decline of our native species poses a significant threat to global biodiversity due to the keystone role that pollinators play in terrestrial ecosystems. Biologist Robert Gegear will explain the beautifully complex interactions between plant species and the insects that pollinate them— intricate ecological systems that we humans are only beginning to understand. Join us to learn how Dr. Gegear’s research on pollination ‘networks’ can help develop truly effective conservation and restoration strategies, and come away with scientifically informed and practical actions you can take to support these vital insects.
Dr. Rob Gegear is the founder of the Bee-cology Project, an initiative that uses citizen science to collect much-needed ecological data on native pollinator species and pollinator habitat.
A Grassland Restoration Tale of Weeds, Wildlife, and Renewal
Date: Wednesday, May 1
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Meeting Place:Cambridge Public Library, Main Library Lecture Hall
449 Broadway,Cambridge
Jenna Webster, Senior Designer, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates
Restoring weed-dominated habitats comes with many complex challenges and often involves difficult tradeoffs. This process is even more complicated in public landscapes with diverse constituencies. Join landscape designer Jenna Webster to learn how Larry Weaner Landscape Associates negotiated these challenges in their restoration planning for a 100-acre grassland at Croton Point Park in New York. Located atop a capped landfill, this site provides vital habitat for imperiled bird species. The Park’s popularity and complex history led Jenna and her team to seek stakeholder input, synthesize crowd-sourced ecological data, and utilize scientific research— creating a thoughtful restoration plan that is now under construction. This case study gives us valuable lessons for land restoration on sites both large and small, and particularly for protecting specialized habitat used by native wildlife.
Jenna Webster is co-curator of the New Directions in the American Landscape conference, and teaches in the Ecological Gardening Certificate program at the Mt. Cuba Center.
*Limited public parking is available under the Library, with an entrance ramp on Broadway. Fee is $1/hour.
*Limited metered spaces are available in the area, including on Broadway, Cambridge Street, Quincy Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and around Cambridge Common. Cambridge resident street spaces are available throughout the area
*If you are driving, know that this is an active urban area, and allow time to park. Please carpool if you can. It reduces the competition for spaces.
*Additional garage parking is available at market rates in Harvard Square (a short walk across Harvard Yard) at the Harvard Square Parking Garage and several other locations.
*The closest T stop is Harvard Square on the Red Line.