Chris Thorogood clambers over cliffs and up erupting volcanoes and treks through typhoons—it’s just part of the job for this field botanist. He shares details of hair-raising excursions, brings his travels to life with his vivid paintings, and explains the vital work he and other botanists are doing to protect the world’s plants.
For centuries, the coastal location and diverse landscape of Maine’s Acadia National Park have drawn people in search of beauty and inspiration. The region also has been a haven for scientists, whose written records, specimen collections, and oral histories have provided baselines for understanding environmental change. Author and scientist Catherine Schmitt shares the story of science in Acadia.
Water has shaped civilizations and driven centuries of advances in science, technology, health, and medicine. But these achievements brought consequences: unsustainable water use, ecological destruction, and global climate change. Scientist and water expert Peter Gleick outlines how the lessons of the past can be the foundation of action to support a sustainable future for water and the planet.
Sometimes scary but always intriguing, the world’s top predators also are quite necessary. Robert Johnson, a wildlife specialist and conservationist; Sharon Gilman, a biology professor specializing in vertebrates and science education; and Dan Abel, a marine science professor and shark specialist, share facts and tell stories about these fearsome and often misunderstood animals.
