Redding Pilot
Redding
Dr. Ashton is speaker at Highstead
Oct 21, 2007

Peter Ashton, professor of ecology and past director of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, will discuss his lifetime of research and exploration in a talk, “Tropical Forests and Biodiversity — A Global Perspective,” on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 2 at Highstead Arboretum. Professor Ashton, who has devoted his life to studying and conserving natural landscapes worldwide, will share his insights concerning forest ecology, management and protection.

Peter Ashton became intrigued by tropical forests while on an excursion through the Amazon as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. His entire career has been motivated by a desire to understand these complex ecosystems and to apply this knowledge to their future conservation.

One major accomplishment of his work has been “the development of a remarkable network of studies on immense swaths of pristine tropical forest to evaluate their characteristics and changes as a result of environmental change and human impacts. For this collaborative effort with the Smithsonian Institute, he received the prestigious Japan Prize in 2007 for his significant contribution toward understanding and conserving tropical forests,” the arboretum said in its release.

Dr. Ashton was a major force and inspiration in the founding of Highstead in 1982 and he continues as a board member in the development of the research and educational programs there. His talk will include reflections on the similarities and differences in conservation challenges facing tropical and temperate forests such as those in southern New England. Among other topics, he will discuss the opportunities and role that organizations like Highstead may have in addressing these challenges.

In addition to his academic positions, Dr. Ashton has been president of the International Association of Botanical Gardens, a governor of The Nature Conservancy, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He and his wife Mary live in Cambridge, Mass., and England where he works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

A $20 donation for the talk will support the Mary and Peter Ashton Fund for Tropical Forests.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. To reserve a space, call 938-8809.

© Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers