The museum brings a diverse array of experts and advocates to lead conversations about scientific, cultural, and social justice topics. Check out our upcoming talks here.
Please note: the talks below have all already taken place. If we are able, we have linked to a virtual recording of the talk.
Thursday, February 1 | 6:00 p.m.
| Sunflower Sea Stars and the Health of Kelp Forests Sea star wasting disease killed 90% of Oregon's sunflower sea star population. Without their natural predators, the sea urchin population exploded and kelp forests collapsed. Join Dr. Sarah Gravem for a discussion of her work to understand sunflower sea star recovery and help the kelp. Speaker: Dr. Sarah Gravem |
Thursday, March 14 | 6:00 p.m.
| Outliers & Outlaws Storytelling Series: Queer at the University of Oregon Decades of dynamic LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff made a big impact on the University of Oregon campus and in Eugene. Come hear former and current UO faculty and students reflect on their efforts to create community and fight discrimination, and how those efforts are reflected in campus life today. Moderator: Judith Raiskin Click here to see the recording.
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Thursday, April 13 | 6:00 p.m.
| Printed with Purpose: Women's Presses and Print Shops In a culture disinterested in women's perspectives, Eugene's lesbian community defied invisibility with women-run presses and print shops. Come hear from the women who ran the presses and discover how they provided outlets for the women's and lesbian movements. Moderator: Annelise Heinz |
Thursday, April 20 | 6:00 p.m.
| Climate Change, Dynamic Landscapes, and Evolution
Over deep time, changes in landscapes and climate stimulate changes in animal diversity through adaptation, speciation, and extinction. A panel of scientists explore how understanding changes in animal diversity can help conservation efforts in mountainous regions, which provide climatic refuges during periods of global warming.
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Thursday, May 18 | 6:00 p.m.
| O&O Panel: Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills, Then and Now In the 1980s and 90s, a series of hateful and homophobic political measures rocked Oregon. Renewed attacks on civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community today—especially on the trans community—use similar tactics and echo the same harmful language. Hear reflections on the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement from those who lead the fight, then and now.
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Thursday, March 16 | 6:00 p.m.
| Northern Paiutes of the Malheur—High Desert Reckoning in Oregon Country Following the 1878 Bannock War, the U.S. government stripped Paiutes of their ancestral lands and reservation. For more than a century, a false narrative has blamed Paiute Chief Egan for inciting the war. Join author David Wilson as he reveals government officials' misinformation campaign blaming the Paiutes for the injustices they suffered at the hands of these men. Book signing to follow the talk. Copies of Northern Paiutes of the Malheur—High Desert Reckoning in Oregon Country is available in the museum store. |
Thursday, March 9 | 6:00 p.m.
| Alternative Economies: Eugene's Lesbian Collectives For decades, lesbians in Eugene enriched the city with innovative and successful collective businesses. Come hear narrators from the Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project reflect on how they created an alternative to capitalist, male-dominated social and economic systems. Moderator: Annelise Heinz Panelists: Judy Goldstein, Susie Grimes, Gladys Campbell, Christine Frazier, Marilyn Picariello |
Thursday, February 2 | 6:00 p.m.
| World-Making: Eugene's Lesbian Arts & Culture Scene Come discover Eugene's unique lesbian arts and culture scene from the 1970s–1990s. Hear how Eugene lesbian artists built a world of art, song, theater, and dance, and how they experienced art as an outlet for self-expression, community building, and political protest. Moderator: Judith Raiskin Panelists: Debby Martin, Linda Rose, Lisa Hellemn, Enid Lefton |
Thursday, February 16 | 6:00 p.m.
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Rodents, Dynamic Landscapes, and Evolution—30 Million Years of Change Species diversity is greater in regions that are more geographically complex—but why? A scientists discuss how mountain-building and climatic history has influenced the evolution and diversity of rodents in western North America over the last 30 million years. Moderator: Edward Davis Panelists: geomorphologist Rebecca Dorsey, biologist Greer Dolby, paleontologist Samantha Hopkins, geomorphologist Brian Yanites |
Thursday, October 13 | 6:00 p.m.
| Kalapuya Environments and History in the Southern Willamette Valley This is Kalapuya land. Join anthropologist David Lewis as he explores original Native cultural stewardship of the Valley, the removal of the Kalapuya Tribes to the Grand Ronde Reservation, the radical changes white settlers made to the land, and current work to decolonize and restore the Valley. Lewis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and a descendant of the Takelma, Chinook, Molalla, and Santiam Kalapuya peoples of western Oregon. |
Friday, October 21 | 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
| Prudence and Curiosity in the Early Modern Collection—A Public Symposium Join a suite of historians from across the U.S. as they explore the political relationship between statecraft, art, and the culture of collecting through the lenses of both the histories of art and the histories of science. Cosponsored by the University of Oregon's College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History, Department of the History of Art and Architecture, the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, and the Oregon Humanities Center. For more information, visit blogs.uoregon.edu/collecting |
Thursday, September 15 | 6:00 p.m.
| Women in Sports June 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Join us as we celebrate the anniversary with a panel of legendary female athletes. Peg Rees, Bev Smith, Grace Golden, and Willette White will reflect on their experiences as athletes, coaches, and advocates for women in sports. More about the panelists: |
Thursday, September 29 | 6:00 p.m.
| What was Natural Magic and What Does it Have to do with Science? Join UO historian Vera Keller as she explores the magics of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Unlike other forms of magic that called upon supernatural powers, natural magic practitioners tried to harness the "hidden" powers of nature for magical use. Come discover how the early development of experimental sciences owes much to the practices of natural magic. |
Thursday, April 21 | 5:30 p.m.
| Chinstrap Penguins of Elephant Island Join scientist, photographer, and all-around good birder Noah Strycker for a visit to Antarctica’s windswept Elephant Island, a stronghold for thousands of nesting Chinstrap Penguins. In 2021, Strycker and a team of scientists set sail to count penguins breeding there—a feat that had been done only once before. Reservations are required for the presentation, but the book signing is open to the public. Presentation: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The presentation has passed, but we still have Noah Strycker's books for sale in our museum store! |
Thursday, May 12 | 6:00 p.m.
| What Grows Here? Exploring Oregon’s Plant Diversity More than 4,700 different plant species grow in Oregon, and OregonFlora—recipient of the museum's 2021 Oregon Stewardship Award—provides information about all of them. Join botanist and OregonFlora director Linda Hardison to discover the why and where of plant diversity in our state. This event has passed. Copies of Flora of Oregon are available in the museum store. |
Thursday, May 19 | 6:00 p.m.
| Longevity: The Archaeology of a Chinese Business in Eugene's Market District Recent excavations have revealed an early twentieth century Chinese restaurant and gift store in downtown Eugene. Join MNCH archaeologists Jon Krier, Marlene Jampolsky, and Chris Ruiz for a glimpse into how the business successfully operated amidst racist laws and a predominantly Euro-American community. Cosponsored by the Oregon Historical Society. This event has passed. Please read more about the project here. |
