Media
Nerd Nite #13 - Barking Up the Wrong Tree: A Crash Course in Tree Identification
Ben Connor Barrie – Barking Up the Wrong Tree: A Crash Course in Tree Identification
This lecture will be a crash course in tree identification. Attendees will learn how to start developing their tree ID skills, not just memorize a few trees. Beginners will focus on accurate genus level identification. More advanced participants will work on species level identification. By the end of the lecture, everyone should be able to confidently identify some of the most common trees in the region.
About Ben Connor Barrie:
Ben is a Ph.D. student studying forest ecology at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. In his spare time, he runs the local website Damn Arbor. He knows all the trees.
Media
Nerd Nite #17: Trees – Heroes or Villains in the Battle Against Air Pollution?
I’ll be looking at the role that certain chemicals produced and released by forests play in air pollution, and asking whether these chemicals alleviate or exacerbate the problems we encounter in such diverse places as LA and Beijing. I’ll be taking you into the nefarious world of plant communication, and letting you in on the secret of what stresses out a plant. We’ll also be considering how widespread these chemicals are and what their fate is once they leave the tree and hit the atmosphere. And of course, trying to decide which side trees are on…
About Kirsti Ashworth:
Kirsti is a Brit, who has only recently made it across the pond and into Michigan. She gained a PhD in Atmospheric Science from Lancaster University in 2012, where she pondered whether the cultivation of biofuels could affect human health and crop production. In between, she worked as a research scientist in deepest, darkest Bavaria – at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany’s premier alpine ski-resort (though sadly she did have to spend some time most days working). While loving the life in Ann Arbor, she does occasionally miss seeing the mountains!
Media
City of Ann Arbor 2014 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum: Local Food
Come join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor! The City and the Ann Arbor District Library host the third annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series includes four events (held monthly and ending in April) with each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s sustainability framework.
This final event in the series centers on Local Food, including highlights from the Ann Arbor farmers market, our local food economy, and tips on how to support and participate in Ann Arbor's local food system. Panelists include Jenna Bacolor, Executive Director, Community Education & Recreation Ann Arbor Public Schools; Hillary Bisnett, Healthy Food in Healthcare Project Director, Ecology Center; Sarah DeWitt, Farmers Market Manager, City of Ann Arbor; Robert Grese, Director, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum; Professor, UM School of Natural Resources and Environment; and Yousef Rabhi, Chair, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners;
Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session. The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. Details of this series, and information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, are posted on the City's website.
Media
Beyond the Telescope: A Storyteller's Guide to the Night Sky With Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams
Mary Stewart Adams, star lore historian, Fairy Tale Moons creator, and program director for the Headlands International Dark Sky Park (two miles west of Mackinaw City), weaves together contemporary understanding of our celestial environment with the star lore of ages for this engaging journey through the night sky.
Human beings can, on average on clear evenings, see between five and seven thousand objects in the sky. Scientists, using telescopes and satellites, have been able to identify over 900 million. A story is unfolding in this space between the seven thousand objects seen with the naked eye and the 900 million objects identified by scientists -- a story of our understanding of who we are, where we come from, and where this all might be going.
Mary Stewart Adams addresses this subject as a storyteller and sky observer and will discuss the necessity of imagination and inspiration in our developing sense of ourselves in our celestial environment. She will discuss recent discoveries such as the comets Pan-STARRS and ISON; the celestial configuration with Venus as evening star preparing for Winter Solstice; Jupiter's position in our evening skies; the Geminid and Ursid Meteor Showers and much more.
This event is in conjunction with the Fairy Tale Moons exhibit on display at the Downtown Library from December 3 through January 14. For this exhibit, star lore historian Mary Stewart Adams and her sister, artist Patricia DeLisa, researched and explored our best-loved folk and fairy tales in order to reveal, through their art and language, our connection with the stars overhead each month.
Check out some of the books and tales that inspired the artwork of Fairy Tale Moons!
Media
AADL Talks to Jennifer Pharr Davis
In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Pharr Davis, author of Called Again: A Story of Love And Triumph and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer Of The Year, about her lifelong love of the outdoors and her record-setting thru hike on the Appalachian Trail.
Media
AADL Productions Podcast: AA/Ypsi Reads Author Jerry Dennis
In this episode, 2010 Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads author Jerry Dennis stops by to talk about Reads title The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas. Apart from being an award-winning nature writer, Jerry is also a lifelong Michigander whose experience of the Great Lakes reaches back to boyhood fishing trips. In this interview we learn about his life as a writer and what he has learned about the lakes through his research and many conversations with the people who live along them. We also get to hear his feelings about what makes the lakes so important to Michigan and Michigan so important to the fight to keep the lakes healthy. You can also watch the video of Jerry's presentation at Washtenaw Community College in the AADL Video Collection.
Media
Called Again: An Evening with Appalachian Trail Endurance Hiker and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis
In 2011, two-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis wanted to test her limits. With the support of her husband Brew and a dedicated group of volunteers dubbed the "Pit Crew," she hiked, stumbled, and sometimes crawled the rugged 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days (an average of 47 miles per day), becoming the fastest person to hike the trail and the first woman to ever set the mark.But Jen's story is not about records or numbers; it's about endurance, faith, and most of all, love. Join us as Jennifer Pharr Davis (the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer Of The Year) discusses the many challenges and lessons that presented themselves along the trail of this difficult hike. She will share photos from the over 12,000 miles of long-distance hiking that she has completed on six different continents and will also answer questions about her hiking exploits. After her presentation, Jennifer will sign copies of her new book "Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph," which Kirkus Reviews has called "an inspired exploration of the meaning of commitment." Copies of her book will be for sale at the event.Join us for what is sure to be an exciting and inspiring presentation from this world class athlete and wilderness adventurer.
Media
US Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center will discuss their research that takes place on the Great Lakes, including deep-water science, invasive species, coastal ecosystems, restoration ecology, and environmental health. Speakers include: Dr. David Warner (USGS Deepwater Science Program); Dr. Bruce Manny (Restoration of Fish Spawning Habitat in the Huron-Erie Corridor); Joseph Baustian (Reconnecting Coastal Wetlands in the Great Lakes Basin to Improve Ecosystem Functioning); David Galbraith (Forecasting Invasive Phragmites Expansion in the Great Lakes Coastal Zone) Headquartered in Ann Arbor, The Great Lakes Science Center exists to meet the Nation's need for scientific information for restoring, enhancing, managing, and protecting living resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. The Center has biological stations and research vessels located throughout the Great Lakes Basin and is the only federal agency that has a large research vessel (70 ft.+) operating on all five Great Lakes!
Media
A Visit To The Grand Canyon With Artist-in-Residence Nancy McKay
This May, local artist Nancy McKay served as artist-in-residence on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, helping visitors experience and express a deeper connection with nature's wonders through art. During this residency she focused on color - how colors change throughout the day and how colors represent layers of geologic time. She also taught park visitors to mix the canyon's colors into a palette.Nancy will share a photographic overview of the North Rim as well as an overview of key geologic features as they relate to earth's history. She will also discuss how she used the theme of color to help park visitors more deeply connect with this amazing National Park.Nancy McKay earned a Master's degree from Eastern Michigan University in textile arts. Her medium, Digital Silk, combines watercolor-style painting on silk, digital printed imagery, and stitching.
Media
Paddling Across Michigan and Wisconsin With Kayaking And Canoeing Expert Doc Fletcher
PBS-featured Michigan author Doc Fletcher invites you to enjoy a photographic journey down rivers selected from his 3 books: the 2011 release "Canoeing & Kayaking Wisconsin" and his two Michigan river books. You will take a virtual trip down several rivers & hear what makes each of those rivers uniquely FUN! Histories of towns along the way are shared and tales are told of local, old-time, neighborhood taverns in those towns. At the end of the program there will be a drawing for a free canoe or kayak trip, good for a day trip down one of Michigan's or Wisconsin's rivers. The event includes a book signing and books will be on sale.