WINTER HARBOR – Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park invites the public to its 2026 Summer Lecture Series, a free, four-part program exploring science, conservation and public engagement. This year’s lineup features leading experts (scientists, researchers, storytellers and more) who will explore past and present research, cultural perspectives, and innovative ideas to protect local ecosystems and build a better future for parks, people and the planet.
Beginning in June, the series features monthly lectures that are free and open to the public (registration required). All programs will be held at Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus in Winter Harbor, with a live Zoom option available.
To register or learn more about Schoodic Institute’s Summer Lecture Series, please visit schoodicinstitute.org/summer-lecture-series/.
Schoodic Institute’s 2026 Summer Lecture Series is made possible in part by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.
2026 Summer Lecture Series Schedule:
- June 23 – Hope on a Changing Planet: Science, Democracy, Nature, and Us, featuring Dr. Peter Reich (University of Michigan’s director of the Institute for Global Change Biology and most cited ecologist worldwide)
- July 21 – Designing Plastic Out of the Ocean Economy, featuring Abby Barrows (principal investigator for the Global Microplastics Initiative with Adventure Scientists and marine scientist, researcher, and oyster farmer)
- Aug. 11 – Trees of Acadia: The Past, Present, and Future of Park Forests, featuring Catherine Schmitt (author and Schoodic Institute’s Science Communication specialist), with Matthew Duveneck (forest ecologist and Schoodic Institute Second Century Stewardship Fellow), Kate Miller (quantitative ecologist with the National Park Service), and Allen Workman (author and historian)
- Sept. 8 – Skywatching: Human-Bird Relationships Through Time, featuring Dr. Bonnie Newsom (associate professor of Anthropology and Associate Faculty in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine), Angi King Johnson (interpretive naturalist and raptor specialist) and Olivia Olson (M.S. University of Maine and Public Programs and volunteer manager at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum)
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park is the conservation science expert leading the response to rapid change facing parks, people and the planet. By participating in events at Schoodic Institute, you are contributing to their mission of inspiring science, learning and community for a changing world and helping to support research and education for all ages.
