The five years that scientist W. John Kress spent writing Smithsonian Trees of North America (Yale University Press, 2024) were the warmest on record as a result of human activities. The lack of respect and disregard for the natural world by a significant segment of our society has never been greater, especially over the last 300 years. John’s book and this talk are aimed at helping us regain a relationship and respect for nature through our connection to trees.

John is Distinguished Scientist and Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where he was curator of botany for over 30 years. Documented in 15 books and more than 300 scientific and popular papers, his research has been focused on plant evolution, biodiversity conservation, and the Anthropocene (the current period in Earth’s history). John’s taxonomic work on the Zingiberales, a group of tropical plants that includes gingers and bananas, has taken him around the world documenting plant life and discovering new species. He was instrumental in developing the genetic tool known as “DNA barcoding” for plants, which allows the accurate identification of plant species using a short, universal segment of DNA sequence. John was a visiting scholar at Dartmouth and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and has received numerous awards in recognition of his work. He earned his BA from Harvard and his PhD from Duke University. naturalhistory.si.edu/staff/john-kress

This adult program is part of a series produced by the Hanover Garden Club in partnership with the Montshire Museum of Science. Free of charge and open to the public, it will be held in person with a Zoom option. Bring a friend and enjoy yummy refreshments made by our members! The Norwich Bookstore will be selling copies of his Smithsonian Trees of North America at the event. Cash, check, and credit cards accepted.

Click here for the Zoom registration link.