Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium Series Talk

What’s Old is New Again: Activating Natural History Collections for Climate Change Research

Lauren Williams, Curator, Blacker Wood Natural History Collection, Rare Books department, McGill University Library

From 13th century Persian zoological manuscripts to Joseph Banks’ field notes from his journey aboard the Endeavour, McGill Library’s Blacker Wood Natural History Collection is home to thousands of remarkable treasures. These rare books provide an invaluable account of the natural world as it has existed over the course of centuries, and document humanity’s dynamic relationship to the environment that surrounds us. Resources like these have traditionally enriched the research of students and scholars in the humanities, but growing concerns about drastic environmental changes have encouraged a new group of scholars to turn to past for answers: modern climate change scientists. Join Blacker Wood curator Lauren Williams to learn about the ways in which these unique materials are finding new life as crucial resources for climate chance research.

Visit go.middlebury.edu/woodincolloquiumseries for information on how to view this lecture.