Live Online Presentation and Discussion Thursday, September 28 at 3pm US Eastern
Join us as naturalist Martin Ogle shares the history of how the term "Gaia" came to be attached to a body of science that ultimately catalyzed the transition from "Earth Science" to "Earth System Science." While giving examples of how discoveries of "Gaian Scientists" are now mainstream science, he will also make the case that the metaphor, "Gaia," holds great potential for addressing the tremendous challenges that our society faces today.
The metaphor, Gaia, was suggested by novelist, William Golding (author of “Lord of the Flies”) to honor the fact that Western Science was rediscovering what ancient Western Culture knew in at a mythic, gut level that Earth is alive in some sense. Martin proposes that a “Gaia Paradigm” – the confluence of scientific and cultural understandings of Earth as a living system of which we are a seamless continuum – can lend greatly needed context, content and inspiration to education.
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About the Presenter
Martin Ogle holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and Virginia Tech, respectively, and his Masters thesis was on aspects of mink ecology in Virginia: reproductive cycles, heavy metal toxicology and aging techniques. Martin was Chief Naturalist for the No. Virginia Regional Park Authority 1985 - 2012.
In 2010, Martin was awarded the Krupsaw Award for Non-Traditional Teaching by the Washington Academy of Sciences for outstanding teaching in informal and non-academic settings. In 2012 - Martin received the Arlington Green Patriot Award for outstanding work in sustainability (given by George Mason Univ., Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services, & Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment.)
Since 1990, Martin has promoted a widespread understanding of the Gaia Theory through lectures, courses, writings, a major conference on the subject (2006), and hundreds of programs (at schools, universities, libraries, parks, organizations, and other venues). He believes that a "Gaia Paradigm" will be an important catalyst for bringing science and cultures together to address the challenges we face.
Martin and his family (wife, Lisa, and twins, Cyrus and Linnea) moved to Louisville, CO in August, 2012, where he founded Entrepreneurial Earth, LLC. Martin was born and raised much of his younger life in South Korea.