The devastating wildfires in California over the past several years have left the landscape starkly and in many cases permanently changed. Billie Mandle, Photography professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Karen Haas, Curator of Photography at the MFA, come together to talk about Billie’s new photography book ‘Asunder,’ made up of stark and haunting photos of the aftermath of the 2020 Glass Fire in Northern California. They will be joined by Director of the Harvard Forest Jonathan Thompson who will share his research on how the wildfires have changed the very makeup of California forests, from mature trees to landscapes dominated by chaparral.

Join us for this unique panel talk that mixes science and art to look at some of the most devastating natural disasters of the past decade.

Fungi are known for their decomposing properties, but did you know that also make great building components? Dehydrated fungal mycelium is waterproof, fire retardant, insulating, and sound absorbing, and GSD post-doc Noam Attias is on the hunt for new species of fungi in the Arboretum to create the next generation of eco-materials. Join Noam for a walk in the landscape highlighting her work and learn about the Arboretum fungi she is exploring.

For over 40 years, Bill McKibben has been raising the alarm about the climate crisis, starting with his groundbreaking book, The End of Nature. Now McKibben says, for once in his life, he is spreading good news. In his latest book, Here Comes the Sun, he explains why the recent boom in solar and wind power has given him hope for the planet’s future, and he implores everyone to buy in. We hope you can join us for this inspiring and important conversation.

Speaker

Bill McKibben is a contributing writer to The New Yorker and a founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 to work on climate and racial justice. He founded the first global grassroots climate campaign, 350.org, and serves as the Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. In 2014, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the “alternative Nobel,” in the Swedish Parliament. He’s also won the Gandhi Peace Award and received honorary degrees from 19 colleges and universities. He has written more than 20 books about the environment, including his first, The End of Nature, published in 1989, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened, and his latest, Here Comes the Sun.

Panelists

Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also has more than 25 years of experience serving on major public boards. Rebecca’s research explores the degree to which the private sector can play a major role in building a more sustainable economy. Her publications include Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors (University of Chicago Press), Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective (Oxford University Press), and Political Economy and Justice (University of Chicago Press). She is also the author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, which was shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey 2020 Business Book of the Year Award.

Oliver Wainwright is the architecture and design critic of The Guardian and a Loeb Fellow (2026) at the GSD. He trained as an architect and worked at the Mayor of London’s Architecture and Urbanism Unit, OMA in Rotterdam, and Muf Architecture/Art in London. His first book, “Inside North Korea” (Taschen, 2018), featured his photographs, which were exhibited internationally, from the International Center of Photography in New York to Seoul City Hall.

This event is supported by the Melissa Kaish and Jonathan Dorfman Makers Fund. It is co-sponsored by the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability through its Climate Crossroads: Debating Energy’s Next Frontier series, bringing leading voices confronting the intertwined challenges of climate change and the global energy transition to Harvard University.

Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.

Join the Harvard Office for Sustainability and Harvard Common Spaces for an Earth Day Festival on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 12 to 2 pm at the Science Center Plaza.

Join us at our Freecycle in the Smith Campus Center! Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse a fantastic selection of items brought by others. Find some secondhand items to gift this year. Popular items include books, clothes, and working household goods.

Take action on Earth Day and join your Harvard community members and friends for a Charles River Clean-up on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 10 am to 12 pm! The Charles River Conservancy will be providing a brief education on the local watershed and provide tools and training for the morning.