DURHAM, N.C. – Biologists E.O. Wilson and Thomas Lovejoy, two of the most influential and widely cited scientists of our time, are among the speakers slated to take part in Biodiversity Days, a two-day series of public talks, March 2 and 3, at 91’s Nicholas School of the Environment and the Carolina Theater in downtown Durham.

The theme of this year’s talks is “Half-Earth” – reflecting Wilson’s urgent call for humans to set aside half of Earth’s surface as protected landscapes to ensure the survival of the 10 million other species that share the planet with us.

Wilson will present the event’s keynote address, “Half-Earth: How to Save the Natural World,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at the Carolina Theater.

Joining him in a panel discussion will be Lovejoy of George Mason University, John Seager of Population Connections, and Louie Psihoyos of the Oceanic Preservation Society.  

Singer Paul Simon will also join them for a guest appearance and special announcement.

Tickets for this event are available through the , or by phone at (919) 560-3030 or by stopping by the theater’s box office in person.

Other highlights of Biodiversity Days will include:

* “Uprooted and on the Move,” a free public talk at 9 a.m. Friday, March 3, by award-winning columnist Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times. Friedman’s talk, which does not require advance tickets, will be held at Field Auditorium in Duke’s Environment Hall, 9 Circuit Drive. Wilson and Lovejoy will join him for a discussion following his talk.

* “Forging Global Cooperation to Save the Biosphere,” a free public talk at 4:30 p.m. March 3 by economist and senior United Nations advisor on sustainable development Jeffrey D. Sachs. No advance tickets are required. Sachs' talk will be in Field Auditorium. A reception and book signing by E.O. Wilson will immediately follow.

A full list of speakers and events – including information about a student poster competition on tropical conservation – is online .

Event sponsors are the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the Half-Earth Project, The Nature Conservancy, Discover Life in America, NatureServe, Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

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