Nature on the Doorstep Talk and Discussion: Angela E. Douglas

Nature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one's own backyard. In this talk and discussion, Angela E. Douglas will share highlights of the collection of 52 short essays, and will discuss what she  learned from writing once a week for a year about her small and decidedly ordinary backyard in Ithaca. If only we are willing to stop, look, listen and let be, the backyard provides endless wildlife surprises. The rewards are even greater when we replace busy-busy gardening with ‘strategic neglect’ – occasionally taking a hand to manage our backyard, more often letting nature go its own way.

Angela’s enthusiasm for the natural world around her childhood home in the New Forest, England inspired her to become a biologist. With a zoology degree from the University of Oxford and PhD in microbiology from Aberdeen University, she has held faculty positions at the University of York (UK), and then at Cornell University, where she now has emeritus status. The move from the UK to USA introduced Angela to a different natural history world. This was the perfect opportunity to discover the diversity of wildlife and their habits in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State – and in her back yard. 

This event is open to the public and no registration is required. Books are available for pre-order from Odyssey Book Store, and will be available for pick up at the event. There will also be limited copies for sale at the event.