Evolution: Education and Outreach

Penny Gilmer, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University, passes along some information about how to access video of talks by the E. O. Wilson, among others, who spoke at a Florida State Darwin Year conference.

At FSU we had an Origins ‘09 event, with a series of speakers on evolution, all in remembrance of Darwin. See this link for the main page: http://origins.fsu.edu/. Then look at the schedule link from that page. Also from the main page you can see a retrospective video of all the events.

GEOSET has the full talks of three of the speakers: E. O. Wilson, Sean Carroll, and Don Johanson, in two screen set-up so you can see the Powerpoints and the speaker on different screens, and the audio is excellent. Go to this link: http://www.geoset.info/. Then go to the presenters’ list, and find the name, then click on Find Lectures, and then select the talk you want to hear. You need Silverlight to see the presentations (but the program is free). All three talks are excellent.

As well, Gilmer recommends visiting the Wilson Biophilia Center, near Niceville, FL, online, at http://www.eowilsoncenter.org/welcome.html, which she reports just opened in September, and presents interesting research on gophers, among other things. The Center describes itself as follows.

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center is an environmental education facility, serving students, teachers and professional audiences. Its mission is to educate visitors on the importance of biodiversity, to promote sustainable balanced ecosystems, and to encourage conservation, preservation and restoration.

Developed by Walton County Conservationist and Resident, M.C. Davis, on his 48,000-acre conservation land named Nokuse Plantation, The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center is named after world renowned scientist Dr. Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at Harvard University, for his life-long contributions to public education about the importance of conserving the world’s biodiversity. This two-time Pulitzer prize winner spent his formative years and performed his earliest scientific investigations in NW Florida and SW Alabama, and developed “biophilia—the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.”

Visitors at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center will have an opportunity to learn about
the natural environment through interpretive exhibits as well as an extensive trail
system through natural areas undergoing ecological restoration on the nature preserve. In addition, this facility will be promoted as a gathering place for local and regional scientists to conduct ecological research and participate in symposia that disseminate this research to the public. By offering weeklong curriculum that coincides with the Florida Sunshine State Standards, our young citizens will have a better understanding and knowledge for science portions of the FCAT, while promoting
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) subjects, and providing opportunities for inquiry, investigation and innovation so that in long-term we all may become better stewards during our journey on this planet.