September 12
7:00 Olin 1
Abe Miller-Rushing, PhD student Boston University
"Climate Change, Flowering, and Bird Migrations: What is Happening and Why We Should Care."

Abstract: Worldwide, many spring events are occurring earlier than they did in the past. However, not all species are following the trend toward earlier spring activity. I will describe which plant and bird species in New England are changing, which are not, and what this might mean for natural communities.

Bio: Abraham Miller-Rushing graduated with a BA in Biology from Grinnell College in 2000. After graduating, he led several youth conservation corps in the restoration of forest understory vegetation in Maine. In 2002, he took a position with STINASU, the national environmental organization in Suriname, as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is now finishing his doctoral work at Boston University, where he studies the impact of climate change on the timing of spring events such as flowering and bird migrations.

October 3
7:00 Olin 1
"Climate Change; More Than Inconvenient"
Sherry Huber, Mainewatch Institute

Sherry has been the Executive Director of the Maine TREE Foundation since 1996. Prior to that she served as the Executive Director of the Maine Waste Management Agency (1989-1995) and as a consultant to private, non-profit organizations for fundraising and development.

Sherry chairs the Board of Directors of the Mainewatch Institute and is President of the Forest Society of Maine. She recently was elected to the Board of Directors of the Land Trust Alliance. Sherry is a graduate of Smith College and the recipient of the Down East Magazine Environmental Award in 2002.

Hollis Lecture
October 24
7:00 Olin 1
Gary Gardner - Director of Research, WorldWatch Institute
ÒInspiring Progress: Religions' Contributions to Sustainable DevelopmentÓ

Progress is in trouble. We see hunger amid plenty, mass poverty alongside spectacular wealth, forest losses, species extinction, and climatic changes. These are some of the Achilles heels of the otherwise spectacular 20th centuryÑfailings that threaten to unravel the century's impressive gains. Continued human advance in the 21st century require that these fundamental flaws be corrected to created a sustainable progress.

A new understanding of progress will require that our economies and societies be rooted in the natural environment. It will also require that the very goals of progress be revamped, to stress well being rather than merely wealth creation. This new progress--sometimes known as sustainable development--would be revolutionary if it weren't so commonsensical--and so deeply rooted in humanity's spiritual and philosophical traditions. This talk will critically examine the progress of the 20th century, then outline exciting possibilities for a new progress this century. It will show how businesses, policymakers, and civil society, including religious groups, are working to forge a new vision of progress--and how to make that vision a reality.

As director of research Gary Gardner oversees the research staff at the Institute, providing both intellectual and administrative leadership. Before joining the Institute in 1994, Gary was project manager of the Soviet Nonproliferation Project, a research and training program run by the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. There he authored Nuclear Nonproliferation: A Primer, which is also published in Spanish and Russian. He has developed training materials for the World Bank and for the Millennium Institute in Arlington, VA. Gary holds Master's degrees in Politics from Brandeis University, and in Public Administration from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a Bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University.

November 7
7:00 Olin 1
Paul Hudnut, Director of Venture Development, Colorado State
ÒSustainable Solutions: Entrepreneurship and Environmental ChallengesÓ
Co-sponsored by the Economics Department and the Environmental Studies Program

Paul Hudnut will discuss how entrepreneurship can be a positive force for making significant, scaleable and sustainable environmental impacts. He will also discuss examples of social entrepreneurs, as well as his experience as a founder of Envirofit International, which was recently recognized by the Stanford Social Innovation Review as one of the ÒTop TenÓ most innovative companies at creating social change.Ó

Paul Hudnut is director of venture development at Colorado State University, where he works on the commercial development of university technologies and teaches entrepreneurship classes at the College of Business. He is also co-director of the CSU Global Innovation Center for Energy, Health and Environment, a joint effort between the College of Engineering and College of Business. His interests include building companies, technology transfer, intellectual property, and applying entrepreneurial approaches to large global challenges to human and environmental health. Hudnut was a senior executive at Heska Corporation, U.S. WEST Marketing Resources and PR Pharmaceuticals. He is a founder and chairman of Envirofit International, Ltd. and currently serves on the boards of directors of CaringFamily LLC; Inviragen, LLC; and the Rotary Club of Fort Collins. Hudnut earned his BA from Colorado College, his law degree from University of Virginia, and has completed the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.

November 28
7:00 Olin 1
Bill MacDonald, Executive Director, Maine Rivers
ÒThe Health of Maine RiversÓ