June 22 to June 28
2008 Summer Course: The Plant as a Teacher of Living Thinking
A course with Craig Holdrege and Henrike Holdrege
Our modern culture cultivates abstract thought that leads to fragmented modes of understanding and interacting with the world. But nature herself is whole and integrated. Can we learn from nature how to think and act in more living, whole ways? In this week-long course we will study plants in various habitats: plant form, metamorphosis, and environmental variation. Exercises in dynamic thinking will support the plant studies. We will also explore how—in various walks of life—a more living thinking can change our understanding of the world and the way we interact with it.
For more information or a registration form, click here.

April 8
Whale Music
A lecture and demonstration by David Rothenberg
Location: Hawthorne Valley School (Music Room), 330 Route 21C, Ghent NY
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., $12 (seniors and students $8)
David Rothenberg has traveled from Hawaii to Russia and Canada to make music with belugas, orcas, and the greatest of all animal musicians, the humpbacks. After years of investigating bird song, culminating in his book Why Birds Sing, and many recorded improvisations with his clarinet, he has turned his attention to whales.  He will share his explorations of the underwater world of sonic mystery and his attempts to create interspecies music with whales in their native habitats. His book Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound will be available later this spring.

December 3
Disrupting Life’s Integrity: The Nontarget Effects of Genetic Manipulation
A talk by Craig Holdrege
Monday, at 7:30 p.m., $12 ($8 students and seniors)
Craig will speak about the Institute’s current research project investigating how genetic engineering causes unforeseen changes in the manipulated organisms. Through describing a variety of examples, he will provide a picture of the massive experiment with the earth’s organisms and discuss its implications.

Beginning September 29, 2007
In Dialogue with Nature
A new course at The Nature Institute with Craig Holdrege and Henrike Holdrege
One Saturday a month, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dates: Sept. 29; Oct. 27; Nov. 17; Dec. 15; in 2008: Jan.12; Feb. 9; March 8; April 19; May 17; June 14
Registration required by Sept.1; course fee $ 800

April 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 14, 21
Center and Periphery
A workshop in 6 sessions with Henrike Holdrege
Mondays, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Workshop fee: $90. Please register in advance.

In six sessions we will explore the theme of "Center and Periphery" through exercises in geometry, plant observation and optics. The polarity of a center and its periphery is central in our relations to one another as human beings and also in our relation to the rest of the world.

March 15
Why Birds Sing: A Journey into the Mystery of Bird Song
A lecture and musical presentation by David Rothenberg
Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Hawthorne Valley School (Ghent, NY), Music Room. Admission $12 (seniors and students $8)

In his book Why Birds Sing, David Rothenberg combines the insights of science, music, and poetry to penetrate the mystery of the natural symphony that resounds around us every spring. David Rothenberg is associate professor of humanities at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is a composer and musician who tries to blend the indigenous energy of the world's primal music with the exploratory spirit of improvisation. He has performed and spoken all over the world and has many recordings, articles, books, and interviews reflecting his passion for the sounds that connect the human and natural world.

March 12, 19, 26 and April 2
Evolution Beyond Scientific and Religious Dogmatism
A series of four talks by Craig Holdrege
Mondays, at 7:30 p.m., admissions $12 (seniors and students $8).

The public discussion of evolution has become highly polarized. Material and spiritual views of nature and humanity are presented as irreconcilable opposites. Instead of nuanced arguments, we are offered oversimplifications that gloss over deeper questions. One way to move beyond oversimplification is to return to a careful consideration of the phenomena themselves, which are always more complex than any simple scheme can encompass. In this series of talks, Craig Holdrege will discuss the topic of evolution by drawing on concrete examples from animal and human evolution. While offering no pat answers, he will point to patterns and riddles that embrace the physical-spiritual nature of evolution. The four evenings will build on one another. Participation in all four is encouraged, although attendance at single lectures is possible. Seating is limited so we suggest that you register in advance.

October 6
The Problem of Genetically Engineered Food: What Is It and What Can We Do?
A lecture by Craig Holdrege at The NOAH Center.
Jointly sponsored by The NOAH Center and The Nature Institute.
Seating is limited and must be reserved by calling The NOAH Center at 413-528-0297.
The NOAH Center, 40l Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA.
Friday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., admission $10.

April 20-21
Dynamic Patterns in Nature: The Example of Dinosaurs
A workshop with Martin Lockley.
Thursday, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Advanced registration required, workshop fee $50.
For more information, click here.