Inspire Session
Rebecca Dalton
Ecologist
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
Lindsey Kemmerling
University of Minnesota, United States
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the EPA or any other agency.
Which organisms, communities, and landscapes inspire you as an ecologist and naturalist? As defined by the National History Institute, natural history is a “practice of intentional, focused attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy.” Natural history both shapes and informs ecological research and curiosity. As hypotheses in ecology often generate from careful and patient observation, natural history provides the foundation for research questions. With renewed interest in natural history over the past 20 years, as evidenced by the creation of the Natural History Section at ESA, the establishment of the Scientific Naturalist, and the increase in the number of publications on the importance of the subject, ecologists are again finding ways to incorporate natural history into their current research programs.
In this Inspire Session, ecologists will share their natural history observations and musings on a single species. Ecologists from a broad range of disciplines and career paths will describe their observations of the natural world and share stories across the tree of life. From anecdotes of early spring in deciduous understory plants to the mysteries of caddisfly life cycles, the diversity of approaches to natural history observation and communication will be highlighted in this session. Discussion following the lightning talks will be structured with a presentation by the organizers. This presentation will pull together all presented species onto one phylogenetic tree. We will create an interactive space for audience members to engage with speakers and provide the opportunity for them to share as well.
The ways in which ecologists narrate their observations will be as varied as the organisms and habitats described. Although not a focus of this session, as it will be with the Natural History Section’s proposed Inspire Session, each speaker has a unique style for visually and orally communicating the natural history of their species - from photographs, to creative works of art, and narration. The goal of “Inspired by Natural History” is to provide a platform for which all ecologists can celebrate and share the diversity of organisms and the ecosystems in which they depend on, the act of observing the natural world, and the way in which we as ecologists connect with the more-than-human world.
Presenting Author: Anita Simha – Duke University
Co-author: Melina Kieghron – North Carolina State University
Presenting Author: Isaac D. Shepard – University of Maine
Co-author: Scott Wissinger – Allegheny College
Co-author: Hamish Greig – University of Maine
Co-author: Amanda J. Klemmer – University of Maine
Presenting Author: Kadeem J. Gilbert – Michigan State University
Presenting Author: Christopher Warneke – University of Wisconsin
Presenting Author: Erica H. Henry – Washington State University
Presenting Author: Natalia Koch – University of Minnesota