Scientist to speak at Fisher Museum for lecture series
PETERSHAM—All are welcome to join pre-eminent ecologist, Dr., Michelle Mack, at the Harvard Forest Fisher Museum as she presents a public talk, “Increasing wildfire, ecological legacies, and the future of the Alaskan boreal forest.”
The event is part of the fifth annual Charles Bullard Lecture series hosted by Harvard Forest and the Harvard University Salata Institute’s Center for the Environment.
The presentation will focus on the ways climate change is causing wildfire activity to increase in boreal forests and arctic tundra of the Far North. Mack will explore how ecosystems and local human communities in Alaska are responding to increasing wildfire, and how to employ emerging ideas in forest and fire management to reduce fire activity and promote human well-being.
Mack is Regents’ Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society at Northern Arizona University, and the lead scientist at the Bonanza Creek research station in Alaska.
This event, on Friday, Oct. 9, at 11 a.m. in the Harvard Forest Fisher Museum (324 North Main St., Petersham), is free and open to the public. No RSVPs are required to attend in person. The event will also be streamed online via Zoom. There is a brief online registration process to attend online, which can be accessed via the Harvard Forest website.
The talk will be recorded and publicly posted for later viewing. Light refreshments will be served. Harvard Forest welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you require accommodations, or have questions about the event, please contact Outreach Director Clarisse Hart at 978-756-6157, hart3@fas.harvard.edu.
Interdimentional: UFOs, Consciousness, and the Mystery Beyond Our Reality
ROYALSTON – On Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Royalston Town Hall, 13 On the Common, join Ronny LeBlanc for a fascinating journey into the ideas explored in his new book “Interdimentional.”
Drawing from decades of UFO and unexplained-phenomena research, personal experiences, witness encounters, and some of the most intriguing cases from around the world, LeBlanc explores a provocative possibility: could UFOs, luminous orbs, unexplained entities and other mysterious phenomena be connected to dimensions of reality not yet understood?
From UFO sightings and close encounters to mysterious lights, consciousness, ancient stories and the unexplained phenomena found right here in New England, this presentation challenges what is thought about reality.
LeBlanc is the author of three books, a researcher, and documentary filmmaker. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Royalston Cultural Council, a local agency, funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library
Explore the night sky with Linda Alger
ROYALSTON – Amateur astronomer Linda Alger will lead a night sky program on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Phinehas S. Newton Library, 19 On the Common, Royalston. Alger has donated a telescope to the library and she will demonstrate how to use it and then venture outdoors (weather permitting) to point out features in the autumn sky.
There will be handouts to facilitate explorations and handouts for younger sky watchers. Come learn what and how to search the sky through a telescope. Afterwards, the telescope will join the Library of Things collection and can be borrowed to use. There will be warm refreshments served.
This event is sponsored by the Friends of the library. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, Alger will explain how to use the telescope and then discuss what can be seen and were to look.
Free Canva classes in Royalston
ROYALSTON – Canva is a free online graphic design platform used to create content for presentations, websites and other digital products. It can be used to create social media posts, videos, logos and more.
The Phinehas S. Newton Library, 19 On the Common, is offering two workshops on Thursday,
Oct. 22, and Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. The classes are led by Gina Verrelli to teach the basics of signing up and using the platform to start creating useful graphics. Class size is limited and registeration can be done by calling the library at 978-249-3572 or emailing royalstonlibrary@gmail.com. The two classes are the same.
Participants are invited to bring their laptop to sign up and start designing during the class or use one of the library laptops. The Municipal Digital Implementation Program through the Massachusetts Broadband Institute funds the classes.