Speakers
Series Moderator
David Pogue, "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent, will moderate all three programs. He’s a seven-time Emmy winner, five-time TED speaker, host of 20 “NOVA”science specials on PBS, creator of the CBS News podcast “Unsung Science.” He began his career conducting and arranging Broadway musicals, then made the obvious evolution to writing for computer magazines; eventually, he became the weekly New York Times tech columnist, a task he fulfilled for 13 years. Pogue is the author of more than 120 books, including seven books in the “…for Dummies” series, dozens in his own “Missing Manual” series, “How to Prepare for Climate Change,” and his 2026 magnum opus, “Apple: The First 50 Years.” He serves on the board of Bedford 2030 and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and lives in Bedford.
Birds
April 15, 2026
Dr. Andrew Farnsworth, Visiting Scientist, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Andrew began birding at age 5 in Rye, NY and quickly developed his long-standing fascination with bird migration. He has studied migration using many methods, including direct observation, radar, and acoustic monitoring. He and his collaborators employ science to educate and engage audiences in conservation actions, notably regarding reducing light pollution impacts on nocturnally migrating birds. Since 1999, he’s been involved with BirdCast, a collaborative project that uses weather surveillance radar and machine learning to monitor and forecast migrations across the contiguous U.S. in near real-time. Andrew has also worked closely with the eBird (since 2001, before eBird was eBird!) and Merlin teams, as well as several conservation organizations, including Jocotoco Foundation, focused on addressing the global biodiversity crisis. Andrew received his BS in Natural Resources from Cornell, MS in Zoology from Clemson University, and PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University. He lives in New York City with his wife Patti and two daughters, Aja and Elle. Andrew is also a musician when time permits, though it is neither his day nor his night job (clearly!).
Budd Veverka, Director of Conservation & Stewardship for Mianus River Gorge. A noted expert on bears and other mammals, invasive species, and forest restoration, Budd spent more than a decade as a wildlife biologist in several states across the South and Midwest; including in Indiana where his research focused on farmland wildlife, and he authored the National Wildlife Pheasant Conservation Plan. Recognized as a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Fellow by The Wildlife Society, Budd was most recently president of their Northeast Section Chapter.
Forests
May 7, 2026
Ethan Tapper, Bear Island Forestry. Ethan Tapper is an internationally-recognized forester, ecologist, bestselling author, and digital storyteller from Vermont. His first book, How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World, was published in September 2024, and has since received international acclaim, including winning the 2025 New England Book Award for non-fiction and endorsements from prominent environmentalists such as Bill McKibben and Doug Tallamy. After graduating high school in rural Vermont, Ethan accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Vermont, but after two semesters — still unsure about what he wanted to study — he left on a six-month wilderness expedition in Vermont and New Hampshire. Following this transformative experience, Ethan spent the next few years in the woods: working as a wilderness guide, living on a primitive homestead and apprenticing with a draft horse logger. Ethan eventually returned the University of Vermont to study forestry, completing his BS in Forestry degree. He went on to become a consulting forester in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Maine and then became the Chittenden County Forester, where he advised private landowners, municipalities, conservation organizations, foresters, and loggers on responsible stewardship. He now runs Bear Island Forestry. He also started social media channels on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, which now have hundreds of thousands of followers. Each year, he produces hundreds of videos about natural history, ecology, forest stewardship and more that are viewed millions of times per month. He also performs with his 10-piece punk band, The Bubs.
Rod Christie, Executive Director, Mianus River Gorge. Rod is a wildlife biologist with over 40 years of experience in land conservation, ecological research and education and has been involved in countless environmental efforts throughout the region, many of which have been key to the health and beauty of the Mianus River, its wildlife and its watershed community.
Bugs
June 11, 2026
Dr. Jessica Ware, Curator, American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Jessica Ware is an award-winning entomologist and curator at the American Museum of Natural History, where she serves as Chair of the Division of Invertebrate Zoology. Dr. Ware’s research focuses on the evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations in insects, with an emphasis on how these occur in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) and Dictyoptera (termites, cockroaches, and mantises). Dr. Ware holds a BSc from the University of British Columbia in Canada, and a PhD from Rutgers, New Brunswick. She was awarded a PECASE medal from the US government for her work on insect evolution. Dr. Ware served on the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America for 3 years. She served as Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the Society of Systematic Biologists for 3 years. Dr. Ware is the past president of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association and the past president of the Entomological Society of America as well as the Society of Systematic Biologists. Dr. Ware is co-founder of Entomologists of Color and serves on the board of Black in Natural History Museums. She was the host of the PBS series “Insectarium” and is the author of the children’s book, Bugs (A Day in the Life).
Dr. Chris Nagy, Director of Research and Education, Mianus River Gorge and the co-founder of Gotham Coyote. Chris is an ecologist who has studied wildlife and conservation in the New York area for over 20 years. His work focuses on the ecology of eastern coyotes, white-tailed deer management, protecting native biodiversity in urban areas, and student mentorship. His graduate work at Fordham University and CUNY focused on the population biology of eastern screech owls in NYC.