Coping with Climate Change: How Plants and People Respond to our Rapidly Changing World – Webinar

April 29, 2020
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Online

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Program Series:
Climate, Energy, and Environment

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Can our forests cope with the impacts of climate change? Can human communities find hope and resilience to act and adapt? Grab a drink at the bar (one is included in the price of the program) and join us for an evening of science and inspiration with special guest Dr. Lauren Oakes, conservation scientist and author of In Search of the Canary Tree.

Scientists have determined that many of our world’s forests are affected by climate change. But there is still much more to decipher about what forests will look like in the decades and centuries to come. Dr. Lauren Oakes set out to answer the questions: What’s next for our forests? What’s next for us? Her six years of research in the coastal temperate forests of Alaska uncovered stories of resilience and transformation, not just among the plants, but also among the people that love, care for, and rely upon them.

Dr. Oakes will join members of The Morton Arboretum’s science and conservation team to discuss how our forests are responding to the rapidly changing environment, and how people can still find hope and meaningful action for a thriving relationship with our natural world.

Event Details

Wednesday, April 29th, 2020, 7:00pm – 8:30pm, Webinar

This program is presented and hosted by Morton Arboretum, to attend, you must purchase a ticket through their website.

Notice: As a guest of Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST), you agree to be photographed, videotaped, or filmed and grant C2ST permission to put the finished footage/photography to any uses that it may deem proper including marketing, advertising (print, radio, and television) and PR-related activities.

We are dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for everyone. Please respect diversity in individuals and in cultures.

Featured Guests

Dr. Lauren Oakes

Lauren is an Adjunct Professor in Earth System Science at Stanford University, a Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, and a freelance science writer. She holds a dual-degree in Environmental Studies and Visual Art from Brown University and a Ph.D. from the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program for Environment and Resources at Stanford University. She is an ecologist and human-natural systems scientist, which means she considers people and “nature” as inherently linked. Oakes has written for various media outlets, such as Scientific American, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times and has co-produced environmental documentaries (for PBS/Frontline, Felt Soul Media). Her research and creative ways of communicating science have been covered by the Christian Science Monitor, The Atlantic, Scientific American, and Outside. Her first book, In Search of The Canary Tree (Basic Books 2018), was selected as one of Science Friday’s Best Science Books of 2018, the second-place winner of the 2019 Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, and a finalist for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Communication Award.

Dr. Christy Rollinson

Dr. Christy Rollinson is the Forest Ecologist at The Morton Arboretum, where her research focuses on investigating impacts of both weather and climate on tree life cycles, growth, and forest change. Christy’s work uses a variety of approaches to understand the challenges facing trees in the past, present, and future. Christy holds a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Oberlin College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology from the Pennsylvania State University. At The Morton Arboretum, Christy has been highly involved with science and climate change communication to a variety of professional and non-professional audiences.

Dr. Jessica B. Turner-Skoff

While Jessica’s doctorate studying plants took her to the heart of Appalachia and the wilds of the Alaskan Tundra, it was during this time that she discovered her passion for telling the story of research and science. As The Morton Arboretum’s first science communicator, or ‘Treeologist,’ Jessica supports the Arboretum’s mission and vision to be the leading center of tree expertise by communicating and sharing expert knowledge. Currently, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors of C2ST and President Emeritus of the Auxiliary Board. She is on the Advisory Council of the Seed Your Future national movement to improve the public’s perception of horticulture. Jessica is also an adjunct professor for the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area.