Town Hall Seattle Science Series

Forest ecologist Suzanne Simard has long been fascinated by the sharing of natural knowledge. From the interconnected root systems she studied in her book Finding the Mother Tree to her ongoing work as an educator, Simard has learned to see the importance of cooperative efforts to share resources and knowledge. Joined in conversation by Seattle-based nature journalist Lynda Mapes, Simard expands these connections into a considerate exploration of the elaborate cycles of forest ecosystems, the challenges they currently face, and the intergenerational value they can provide through her new book When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World. Raised in a family of loggers committed to sensible forest stewardship, Simard has watched as modern practices and timber companies have left forests vulnerable to damage and depletion. In her research, Simard explores the finely honed cycles of regeneration forests inherently use to maintain themselves. From mushrooms breaking down logs to dying elder trees passing their genetic knowledge to younger growth, When the Forest Breathes presents these cycles as a key component in the protection and preservation of our forests. Working closely with Indigenous communities and the models of responsible forestry they've upheld over time, Simard examines the damage caused by industrialization and wide-scale human intervention– particularly the impact on the overstory's mother trees that are responsible for sharing intergenerational wisdom and supporting new growth. As Simard seeks to understand the importance of stewardship and how older lives can facilitate the conditions for new growth to flourish, she considers similar patterns of loss and regeneration in her own life. Savoring her final days with her ailing mother and watching her daughters grow into adults, Simard draws thoughtful parallels around what caretaking looks like within the forest and within our own communities. Animated by wonder and the urge to honor the tools that trees have honed over generations, When the Forest Breathes aims to use the lessons of the natural world to encourage paths of adaptability, resilience, cooperation, and valuing our forests. Dr. Suzanne Simard is the New York Times bestselling author of Finding the Mother Tree. She is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, where she leads The Mother Tree Project and co-directs the Belowground Ecosystem Group. Dr. Simard has earned a global reputation for pioneering research on tree connectivity and communication and the productivity, health, and biodiversity of forests. Her work has been published widely, with over 170 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Ecology, and Global Biology, and she has co-authored the book Climate Change and Variability. Her research has been communicated broadly through three TED Talks, TED Experiences, as well as articles and interviews in The New Yorker, National Geographic, NPR, CNN, and many more. She lives with her family in the mountains around Nelson, British Columbia. Lynda Mapes is a journalist, nature writer, and the author of six books on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. Her previous publications include The Trees are Speaking and Orca: Shared Waters Shared Home. She was previously an environment reporter for the Seattle Times, focusing on nature, natural history, Native cultures and governments, and Pacific Northwest environmental news, where she was named a finalist for a team award for the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting in 2025. Buy the Book When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World Elliott Bay Book Company

Local beekeepers, gardeners, and native plant experts join in a conversation about turning your own backyard into a native ecosystem oasis. Learn about the benefits of mason bees, the importance of best-gardening practices to protect Puget Sound salmon, and how you can make a difference in keeping our city climate change resilient. Featuring Dave Hunter, author of Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time, along with panelists Jessi Bloom, Bill Thorness, Kim M. Camara, and Swil Kanim, this event hopes to empower everyone to play a part in rebuilding healthy pollinator networks — and securing a thriving, sustainable planet. Dave Hunter is the founder of the Orchard Bee Association and Crown Bees, which helps people support pollinators with the right supplies, expert guidance, and easy-to-follow programs. His work has been featured in Urban Farm, The Seattle Times, NPR, and more. He lives in Woodinville, Washington. Visit him online at crownbees.com or on Instagram @crown_bees Jessi Bloom is an ecological landscape designer, author, arborist, and teacher. Over the years, she has worn many hats professionally, helping thousands of land stewards with consulting and design/build work, and educating through books and educational events. Jessi started NW Bloom EcoLogical Services, based in Woodinville, WA, in 2000 to innovate and emphasize awareness of permaculture, sustainable landscape design, construction, and land management. The Seattle Times named her a "rockstar in the ecological gardening movement," where her leadership led NW Bloom to numerous environmental awards. She sits on the advisory committee for the WA State Dept. of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Programs, where her decades as a private sector arborist serve in behalf of the PNW ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). Bill Thorness is a writer and gardener who's been doing both in Seattle since the mid-1980s. He is the author of Cool Season Gardener: Extend the Harvest, Plan Ahead, and Grow Vegetables Year Round and Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden, and writes for many regional publications, including The Seattle Times. He is also a King County Master Gardener. Kim M. Camara serves as Executive Director of Windz of Change Alliance, based in Seattle for over 25 years. Kim is a visionary collectively working with Indigenous inter-Tribal community peoples on contemporary and traditional sacred pathways. Her roles interweave project developer, grant writer, teacher/educator, choreographic and event producer, visual design artist, and youth mentor. With a focus on imparting knowledge, bridging, engaging, and inspiring creative leadership and relationships, she advocates the Windz vision to respectfully bridge and strengthen Indigenous Tribal community Peoples, Presence, Place, Sacred Spaces and Relationships. Accomplishment activities encompass artistic cultural heritage events, eco-cultural parks activation installations, presentations, and workshops, festivals, art shows, youth teaching, and artist opportunity referrals and granting assistance. Swil Kanim is a U.S. Army veteran, storyteller, actor, and classically trained violinist from Washington State. A board member of the Seattle Symphony, he blends original compositions with powerful stories drawn from his life and heritage, inspiring audiences nationwide. His music and compositions are the direct result of a well-supported public school music program, which he credits for nurturing his artistry. Swil Kanim is the recipient of the Woodring College Professional Excellence Award, the Bellingham Mayor's Arts Award, and has been recognized as a Certified Virtuoso Violinist by the Whatcom Chapter of the Washington Music Educators Association. In 2008, he was also honored to perform with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle. Buy the Book Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time (2nd edition) Third Place Books

When it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: it feels like something to be us. Yet the fact that we have a subjective experience of the world remains one of nature's greatest mysteries. How is it that our mental operations are accompanied by feelings, thoughts, and a sense of self? What would a scientific investigation of our inner life look like when we have as little distance and perspective on it as fish do of the sea? In A World Appears, Michael Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing radically different perspectives—scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual, and psychedelic—to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life. When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy gray matter could generate a subjective point of view — assuming that the brain is the source of our perceived reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are entertaining more radical (and less materialist) theories of consciousness. He introduces us to "plant neurobiologists" searching for the first flicker of consciousness in plants, scientists striving to engineer feelings into AI, and psychologists and novelists seeking to capture the felt experience of our slippery stream of consciousness. In Pollan's exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality. Eye-opening and mind-expanding, A World Appears takes us into the laboratories of our own minds, ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with our deepest selves. Michael Pollan is the author of ten books, including This Is Your Mind on Plants, How to Change Your Mind, Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and The Botany of Desire, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. He is also the author of the audiobook Caffeine. A Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellow, Pollan has taught writing at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Harvard University. In 2010, Time named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world. Jon Mooallem is the author of three books, Wild Ones, This is Chance! and the essay collection Serious Face. He lives on Bainbridge Island. Buy the Book A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness Elliott Bay Book Company

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world – but what does that mean for healthcare, scientific discovery, and human potential? In Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit, co-authors Craig Mundie, Henry Kissinger, and Eric Schmidt explore the profound implications of AI on society. In this collaborative event between Town Hall Seattle and the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), Craig Mundie joins Dr. Jim Heath, President of ISB, for a thought-provoking conversation about the future of AI. They will discuss insights from the book, the opportunities and challenges AI presents, and what it means for the way we live, work, and care for our health. Co-author, Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit, Craig Mundie is a leading technology executive and former Chief Research and Strategy Officer at Microsoft. Over his decades-long career, he has played a pivotal role in advancing artificial intelligence, computing, and national security initiatives. Alongside Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt, he co-authored Genesis, a deep exploration of AI's impact on society and the future of humanity. Mundie has served as an advisor to the U.S. government on technology policy and was a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. President and Professor, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) Dr. Jim Heath is a pioneering scientist in systems biology, cancer research, and precision medicine. Since 2018, he has led ISB, driving interdisciplinary research in cancer and immune system dynamics while advancing innovative approaches to complex diseases. An internationally recognized scientist, Heath has received numerous honors, including the Irving Weinstein Award from the American Association for Cancer Research and the Sackler Prize in the Physical Sciences. Before ISB, he was the Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry at Caltech and a Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Institute for Systems Biology. Buy the Book Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit Elliott Bay Book Company

Despite grief being one of the most universal of human experiences, there is still much that we do not know about it. Can we die of a broken heart? What happens in our bodies as we grieve; how do our coping behaviors affect our physical health, immunity, and even cognition? While we may be more familiar with psychological and emotional ramifications of loss and sorrow, we often overlook its impact on our physical bodies. In The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing, the follow-up to its successful predecessor The Grieving Brain (2022), grief expert, neuroscientist, and psychologist Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor focuses on how the painful ordeal of grief impacts the body. O'Connor shares scientific research, charts, and graphs coupled with personal stories, revealing new insights on grief's physiological impact and helping illuminate the toll that loss takes on our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems and the larger implications for our long-term well-being. The Grieving Body is for anyone who has experienced loss and who may want to learn more about what they are going through and how to support them. Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Her book The Grieving Brain was included on Oprah's list of Best Books to Comfort a Grieving Friend. O'Connor holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychoneuroimmunology at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Anthony Back, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, is a pioneer in patient-oncologist communication and co-founder of the nonprofit VitalTalk. Educated at Stanford and Harvard, with training at UW and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, his research spans physician-assisted dying, communication pedagogy, and psilocybin therapy for healthcare providers and patients with cancer-related anxiety. He is also an ordained Zen priest in Roshi Joan Halifax's lineage. Buy the Book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing Elliott Bay Book Company

Have you wondered how psychedelics are being intentionally used by artists, writers, musicians, and other creatives to push the boundaries of their craft? This session kicks off our new series, Psychedelic Salon, with a panel of esteemed Seattle artists who will discuss the role of psychedelics in Seattle's countercultural movements and how they influence artistic expression. Expect a candid conversation on the relationship between altered states and creativity, with insights from prominent Seattle creatives known for their experimentation. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how psychedelics can be used as a tool for creative flow and self-expression. April Pride is a serial creative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience developing brands and products across interiors, fashion, lifestyle, cannabis, psychedelics, audio, and more. In 2015, she launched Van der Pop, an industry defining, female-focused cannabis lifestyle brand. Van der Pop published the pioneering Women & Weed Survey exploring North American women's perspectives on cannabis. After exiting to Canopy Growth, one of world's largest cannabis companies, April continued her advocacy for cannabis normalization through her popular podcasts, How to Do the Pot and The High Guide. Currently, April is the CEO and Founder of SetSet, an accessible psychedelic education and integration platform offering clinician-created educational guides and programs. Rachel Demy is a fine art photographer, writer, and educator in Seattle, Washington. She employs a non-linear approach to her work, which covers themes of trauma, addiction, and all manner of human experiences considered difficult to look at directly. Her upcoming solo gallery exhibition, Revocable Living, is a collection of photographs made while (unknowingly) in active addiction and runs from February 27 – April 12, 2025, at Spectrum Fine Art (Seattle, WA). Her first photography book, Between, Everywhere—about touring with Death Cab for Cutie—was published through Minor Matters Books in 2022. Tim Keck co-founded The Stranger, Seattle's alternative weekly newspaper, known for its bold, irreverent take on local news, culture, and politics. Before founding The Stranger, Keck co-founded The Onion, the satirical newspaper that has since become a cultural institution. At The Onion, Keck helped set the foundation for the publication's signature comedic style, influencing generations of satirists and journalists. Throughout his career, Keck has been a key figure in shaping the landscape of alternative media and journalism. His work has challenged conventional boundaries of news reporting and entertainment, blending the two in a way that continues to resonate with readers across the country. Keck's print and digital media contributions reflect his deep commitment to innovative, independent journalism. About Psychedelic Salon: A Monthly Series Exploring Novel Therapeutics for Well-Being Seattle-based cannabis and psychedelics educator & podcast host April Pride hosts a collaborative series with Town Hall Seattle focused on the emerging science of psychedelic medicine. This women-forward series highlights the potential of novel therapeutics for mental health, reproductive health, chronic pain, trauma, and overall optimization. Through engaging panel discussions, expert talks, and community conversations, April offers an accessible platform for researchers, clinicians, and advocates to share insights on psychedelics for improved human health. The series would also explore the historical context of women's roles in plant medicine and the growing movement to incorporate psychedelics into mainstream treatment options, particularly for conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and SetSet.

The ocean has proven endlessly mysterious and fascinating to all manner of people across the globe, but for centuries true knowledge of the depths was simply out of reach. As modern technologies advance, science has debunked much once held to be true – including the idea of the "silent world" of the ocean. What was once thought to be a muffled marine landscape with little to no perceptible sounds has now been revealed to be a complex interplay of aquatic acoustics. In her debut book Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water, science journalist Amorina Kingdon turns up the volume on groundbreaking discoveries in ocean soundscapes, why this research is important to our ecosystems, and how human impact is playing more of a role than science realized. Sing Like Fish explores how the complexity of oceanic noise goes far deeper than the familiar hits like whale song and crashing currents. Sound travels four times faster in water than in air and its reach in environmental impact is as expansive as the seas themselves. Kingdon educates readers on a plethora of natural sonic relationships that have been recorded under the surface – from individual snapping shrimp and communicating fish to rumbling seismic activity bouncing off the seafloor in regions light cannot reach and the biodiversity concerts that live as coral reefs. These revelations also cast into sharp relief the repercussions of humanity's presence in our seas. Marine noise pollution takes the form of everything from recreational boating and cruise tourism to the global shipping industry to military forces and oil exploration. As science continues to uncover the splendor and nuance of the ocean as an audible entity, Sing Like Fish reinforces the importance of understanding, protecting, and reveling in the symphony of our seas. Amorina Kingdon is an award-winning writer and science journalist with a focused fascination in marine biology and coastal environments. She previously served as staff writer and contributor to Hakai Magazine. Her science writing has been anthologized in Best Canadian Essays 2020 (Biblioasis), and her fiction works have been included in PRISM Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Speculative North. Buy the Book Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water Third Place Books