The Friends of the New Harmony Working Men’s Institute – keeping a century-old tradition alive – are sponsoring a series of four lectures during 2012.  The lectures are held in the public room of the Working Men’s Institute, on the days and times given, and are open to the public and free of charge.

The Trees of New Harmony; March 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Pamela Louks will explain the results of the New Harmony street tree inventory, the data collected, and a discussion of the impact trees have in keeping the environment healthy in our town.   The street tree inventory was done in October 2011 by the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources Urban Forestry program, the New Harmony Parks/Recreation Board, and community volunteers. The data was then analyzed by Ms. Louks and put into a summary report.

Pamela Louks is the State Coordinator for Community and Urban Forestry at the Indiana DNR, which offers assistance to communities about establishing an urban forestry program, and coordinating the Tree City and Tree Campus programs for Indiana.

Voices of the Shoah: The Healing Power of Art and Music; May 3rd at 7:30 p.m.

According to Lisa M. Muller, survivors of the Holocaust (Shoah) frequently speak of the arts as a key factor in enabling them to retain their humanity during the horror of that time. The survivors’ stories still have power today as we consider the role of the arts in our schools and our lives.

Lisa M. Muller has taught at Castle High School for 27 years and taught about the holocaust for16. She has been a Museum Teacher Fellow at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC since 2001. She has studied at Yad Veshem in Jerusalem and the Shoah Visual History Foundation at the University of Southern California.

The Elegant Solution: Climate Solutions Cut Costs, Create Jobs, and Stabilize Our Economy; August 16th at 7:30 p.m.

Sarah Lynn Cunningham says that our economy is limping, unemployment is high, and global climate chaos is causing ruinous floods, droughts, and more. In this lecture she will present some of the many steps each of us can take to reduce our carbon footprints, cut costs, and create jobs.

Sarah Lynn Cunningham is the Midwest District Manager of The Climate Reality Project, a non-profit organization founded by Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore, dedicated to calling attention to the global problems associated with climate change.

Just Below the Surface: A Conservationist Looks at Indiana’s Rivers; October 18th at 7:30 p.m.

For Allen Pursell, rivers are hidden worlds with fascinating animals rarely seen by human eyes. Among the most rich rivers of all is the Wabash which de?nes what freshwater is to us in Indiana.  A close investigation reveals that the Wabash is changing, although the changes and patterns are not altogether obvious.

Allen Pursell holds a BS in Forestry and an MS in Forest Ecology from Purdue University.  He began working for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana in 1994.  His work consists of conserving habitat; negotiating with private landowners to voluntarily protect land and water, working with community and state government on conservation concerns, and developing sustainable forestry methods. He is a member of the advisory council of the
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center of the US Forest Service.