INS 15: Unexpected Natural History In Novel Ecosystems: Celebrating The Extraordinary In Ordinary Spaces

Thursday, August 5, 2021

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific

Session Organizer(s)

Susannah Lerman

Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
Amherst, MA, USA

Moderator(s)

Seabird McKeon

Volunteer(s)

Shih-Huai Cheng

Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA

Session Co-organizers: Mariana Abarca, Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, Andrea Adams, Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, Briana Sealey, University of Texas, Austin

Natural history, or the act of falling in love with nature, serves as the spark that set the career track for many ecologists. These moments of observing, appreciating and sharing nature occur in a variety of locations. And although ‘nature’ might conjure images of dramatic landscapes like the Grand Canyon or the Redwood forests, nature also lurks in unexpected places like our backyards and neighborhood parks. Experiences with everyday nature can strengthen a sense of place and connection with nature, both vital for health and well-being. Our session aims to celebrate natural history sparks in ordinary spaces. These spaces range from backyards, city parks and neighborhood sidewalks, and talks highlight soils, bats, insects and community scientists. We amplify diverse voices to ultimately expand the meaning of natural history. Speakers stem from diverse career stages, disciplines, interests and sociodemographics. This expansion acknowledges that we all have unique experiences with nature, and it is through these personal connections that we contribute to and become a part of natural history. This session is sponsored by the Natural History Section.

Presentations:

ON DEMAND

Campus carnivores: Overlooked wildlife thriving in exotic tangles can change our perspective
Presenting Author: Noah D. Charney – Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine
ON DEMAND

Community scientists making biodiversity discoveries in urban Los Angeles
Presenting Author: Gregory Pauly – Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
ON DEMAND

Digging deep: Discovering the wonders of soils
Presenting Author: Quintaniay Holifield – Soil Science-Baltimore Field Station, US Forest Service
ON DEMAND

Exploring the secret lives of L.A.'s backyard bats: A community effort
Presenting Author: Miguel Ordeñana – Research and Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
ON DEMAND

From natural history on the micro-scale to applied conservation
Presenting Author: Michele Weber – Revive & Restore
ON DEMAND

How to meet increased travel demand to our National Parks
Presenting Author: Isabel Cardenas – Department of Urban Planning, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
ON DEMAND

Neighborhood natural history: Balm for a pandemic
Presenting Author: Martha R. Weiss – Biology, Georgetown University
ON DEMAND

The birds and the bees: Finding love in our backyards
Presenting Author: Susannah B. Lerman – Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
ON DEMAND

The calendar of tree growth in cities
Presenting Author: Lin Meng – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory