Coastal Lecture: Changing Natures Clocks – The Signature of Climate Change in MA

Description

Have you noticed earlier blooms, or later fall foliage in recent years? As our environment changes, the seasonal timing of natural events is changing also. Join us for a lecture with Brandies Professor of Ecology Colleen Hitchcock, to learn about this seasonal timing, known as phenology, and how scientists study these shifts in timing to understand more about environmental trends. Scientists can’t collect all this data on their own, and participants will learn about the importance of crowdsourced data, and community science, in order to study these seasonal shifts from year to year.

About our Speaker:

Colleen Hitchcock is Professor of Ecology at Brandeis University in the Biology Department and chair of the Environmental Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from Boston College. Hitchcock teaches courses in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Biology of Climate Change, and Participatory Science. Her academic interests focused on the role of participatory science in ecological inquiry and conservation biology specifically relating to studies of biodiversity, conservation, phenology, and climate change. She is interested in both the power of the public in scientific research and the application of participatory/citizen science research as a model for learning by students. She is one of the lead organizers for the annual City Nature Challenge in Boston which is a 4-day urban bioblitz which engages the public in science research.

Learn more about Dr. Hitchcock: https://www.brandeis.edu/biology/faculty/hitchcock-colleen.html