Offered in-person at the Millbrook, NY auditorium and virtually

Thu, May 11, 2023, 7:00 PM

Registration required by clicking here. 

On May 11 at 7pm ET, join Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies for a science conversation featuring Jane Lucas, an ecologist researching threats facing soils, and how they can be understood and managed in the face of global change. 

Healthy soils produce the majority of our food supply, buffer extreme weather, and safeguard water resources. They lock away twice the amount of carbon stored in plants and trees and are hotspots for antibiotic discoveries. Yet we are losing fertile soil much faster than it can be replaced. 

In conversation with Cary President Josh Ginsberg, Lucas will explore the state of soils. This will include insight into her research on microbial ecology, soil food webs, and how antibiotic introductions into our soil environments (via livestock) shapes microbiomes, antibiotic resistance, and soil's ability to store water and carbon. 

She will also discuss Stressed Out Soils, a large-scale experimental project that is the first to look at how drought, warming, fungicides, antibacterials, and pesticides interact to shape soil health. Eighty plots have been established on grasslands at Cary Institute's research campus, and will be a model for similar experiments around the US.

This event will be offered in-person, at our Lovejoy Auditorium, and virtually. It is free and open to all. Questions can be submitted in advance. To join the conversation, register via Eventbrite.