Wed like to share some videos with you produced in honor of ESA's Centennial that debuted in Baltimore during the Annual Meeting.
- Ecology in a Changing World, the Centennial video.
- President Obama wishes ESA a happy 100th birthday.
- Animated foundations of ecology brought to you by ESAs student section.
Centennial Video
When the society was founded in 1915, ecology was a new field, still defining its scope as a discipline rooted in the study of the relationships of organisms to each other and their environment. The last century has seen the development of the foundations of ecological theory. The discipline continues to expand its boundaries with new ideas, new experimental tools, and the recruitment of young scientists from previously excluded social groups. In this short video, ecological scientists at the peak of their careers, and those just starting out, comment on the state of the discipline as the society enters its second century.
Featuring: Jane Lubchenco, Pamela Matson, Laura Petes, Steward Pickett, Jeramie Strickland, Kika Tarsi, Joshua Tewksbury, and Monica Turner.
- Watch Ecology in a Changing World on ESAs Vimeo channel.
President Obama wishes ESA a happy 100th birthday
A surprise message from President Obama greeted the ecological community at the opening scientific plenary of our 100th Annual Meeting on Monday, 10 August 2015 in Baltimore, Md.
Hi everybody. Happy 100th birthday to the Ecological Society of America. Youve come a long way from the first handful of ecologists who met in a hotel lobby to compare notes on plants and experiments. They were pioneers of the discipline, driven by a love of this country and its ecosystems.
Today, you number 10,000 members, from all fields and walks of life, clamoring for answers to our greatest environmental questions. Some of you lead major research programs at top universities. Some of you serve in the public sector. Some of you are students, interested in joining the scientific workforce. But you all share the passions of your pioneering founders; a love of our diverse and bountiful ecosystems, a dedication to protecting them for future generations, and a commitment to working together toward that goal.
As President, I share your vision. Thats why my administration has protected more that 260 million acres of public lands and waters. Through my climate action plan were cutting dangerous carbon pollution and boosting the resilience of our communities and ecosystems. Were succeeding in recovering more species from the threat of extinction than ever before.
And I want you to know that Im grateful that ESA has been by our side, helping us bring science to the table to address climate change, preserve our oceans, and combat droughts and wildfires. Your mission and message couldnt be more urgent. Today like one hundred years ago, you remind us that the health of our nation depends on the health of our environment and I know that you will be at the forefront of this national mission for your next hundred years. So thank you, and congratulations.
(Transcript provided by ESA.)
- Watch the Presidents address on ESAs Vimeo channel.
Animated Foundations of Ecology
In The Future of Ecology: Animating the Past ESAs Student Section organized more than 15 scientists, artists, and friends under the leadership of graduate students Joshua Scholl and Will Ryan to bring four foundational studies to life. The collection of 3-minute animated shorts illustrates Paines keystone species, Huffakers predator-prey cycles, Simberloff and Wilsons hypothesis of island biogeography, and Hairston, Smith, and Slobodkins population limitations. Produced by EcoMotion Studios with a support from an ESA Centennial Grant, the videos drew from an earlier ESA-supported project, the book Foundations of Ecology, edited by Jim Brown and Les Real. The video collection premiered at the Opening Plenary of the 2015 Annual Meeting in Baltimore and can be viewed on the EcoMotion website or YouTube channel.
