2021 ESA Annual Meeting (August 2 - 6)

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

11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Session Organizer:
Susannah B. Lerman, PhD
Moderator:
Seabird McKeon
Volunteer:
Shih-Huai Cheng
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.
On Demand
Community scientists making biodiversity discoveries in urban Los Angeles
Gregory Pauly, Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County;
On Demand
Digging deep: Discovering the wonders of soils
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
Miguel Ordeñana, Research and Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County;
On Demand
On Demand
How to meet increased travel demand to our National Parks
Isabel Cardenas, Department of Urban Planning, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs;
On Demand
Neighborhood natural history: Balm for a pandemic
Martha R. Weiss, Georgetown University;
On Demand
The birds and the bees: Finding love in our backyards
Susannah B. Lerman, PhD, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station;
On Demand
The calendar of tree growth in cities
Lin Meng, Human Ecology Section;