Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales

You are invited to a special evening of art, science, and conservation as renowned National Geographic photographer-writer team Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom share images, videos, and stories from their new book, Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, followed by a conversation with Stanford scholars about the extraordinary biodiversity and human history of the Monterey Bay region.

California’s Monterey Bay region is the “hottest hotspot” for biodiversity in all of North America today, according to the Nature Conservancy. Yet a hundred years ago the region was more like a hotspot of ecological collapse. Onshore, the Santa Cruz Mountains had been clearcut, and there were few redwood trees left standing. Offshore, the marine resources of the bay had been decimated by whalers, sealers, and fishers. The recovery of Monterey Bay is a remarkable environmental success story that shows damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and act together. It is a story of hope as we are faced with new challenges ranging from expanding inclusivity and diversity to improving natural resource stewardship, extending habitat connectivity, and mitigating impacts of climate change.

Following the presentation by Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom, distinguished Stanford professors Susan McConnell, Gretchen Daily, Fiorenza Micheli, and David M. Kennedy will discuss Monterey Bay’s ecological recovery and forward looking challenges.

Lanting and Eckstrom’s new book, Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, documents how the region has recovered, telling a hopeful story of how damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and take action together. Numerous organizations and institutions, including Stanford, have played key roles in the region’s ecological comeback. Bay of Life celebrates their achievements and ties together the work of scientists and conservationists in both marine and terrestrial fields.

Program

6:15 p.m. Doors open

7:00 p.m. Welcome Remarks, Kam Moler, Vice Provost and Dean of Research, Stanford University

7:15 p.m. Presentation of the Bay of Life Project

8:00 p.m. Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A

9:00 p.m. Reception

9:30 p.m. Evening concludes

Speaker Biographies

Stanford University

• Gretchen C. Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science, School of Humanities & Sciences, and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
• David M. Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Emeritus
• Susan K. McConnellSusan B. Ford Professor of Biology, School of Humanities & Sciences
• Fiorenza Micheli, David and Lucile Packard Professor of Marine Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
• Kam Moler, Vice Provost and Dean of Research, and Professor of Applied Physics, of Physics and of Energy Science & Engineering

Bay of Life Project

• Chris Eckstrom

Chris Eckstrom is a writer and videographer. She is the author of Forgotten Edens, and as a staff writer she contributed to many books published by the National Geographic Society. She earned a Lowell Thomas Award for Best Magazine Article on Foreign Travel for her National Geographic Traveler story, “The Last Real Africa.” The editor of Lanting’s books, she has also produced stories for the National Geographic Channel.

• Frans Lanting

Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. Lanting’s books include Into Africa, LIFE, Jungles, Eye to Eye, and Okavango. Lanting is an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund and has received numerous awards for his work, including the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. HRH Prince Bernhard inducted him as a Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands’ highest conservation honor.