The Spring Lunch
The Spring Lunch: Science, Society, and Our Environment
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Noon–2 pm
Event Co-Chairs
Sarah M. Belz
Elena Ende
Katheryn P. Kempner
Alexandra Mondre
Catherine B. Sidamon-Eristoff
We invite you to join us at the Museum as an expert panel explores this year’s topic: What does the current decline in insect biodiversity mean for cities like New York?
There is substantial evidence that insects are declining in both abundance and diversity across many regions of the planet. These unsustainable rates of loss will have significant consequences for the functioning of the planet’s ecosystems. Essential ecosystem services provided by insects—pollination, litter decomposition and soil formation, pest control, and nutrient cycling—are vital for the functioning of the biosphere, food production, and human health.
A panel of experts, including Ana Luz Porzecanski, director of the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, and Jessica Ware, associate curator in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, will discuss the importance of understanding and reversing the unprecedented loss of insects and its implications for the planet’s biodiversity, and, more specifically, what it means for communities with large concentrations of humans, including New York.
For more information, please contact Diane Morales at 212-496-3457 or email [email protected].
Tables and Tickets
Tables of Eight
Leadership Table: $15,000
Benefactor Table: $10,000
Sponsor Table: $5,000
Individual Tickets
Leadership Ticket: $1,500
Benefactor Ticket: $1,000
Sponsor Ticket: $500
Friend Ticket: $350
Junior Council Ticket: $250
(available exclusively to Members of the Museum's Junior Council)
Contribution
I cannot attend but I wish to make a contribution to The Spring Lunch: Science, Society, and Our Environment
All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The non-deductible portion of each table is $1,080 and of each ticket is $135; those values will be reflected on all tax acknowledgements issued for Spring Lunch tickets.
If you wish to purchase tickets through a gift vehicle that does not allow for the receipt of non-deductible benefits, please contact your tax adviser or your donor-advised fund’s (DAF) supporting organization for more information, including the possibility of waiving return benefits or using an alternate funding source.
Commissioner Sue Donoghue - Moderator
Susan M. Donoghue became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in February 2022. From 2014 until 2022, Susan M. Donoghue served as president of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates the park in partnership with the City of New York, and as Prospect Park Administrator.
Dr. Ana Luz Porzecanksi - Panelist
Dr. Ana Luz Porzecanski’s work focuses on understanding biodiversity and how to sustain it effectively for the future through scientific research, evidence-based conservation management, and effective capacity development. As director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History, she oversees strategic planning, project development, fundraising, and a multidisciplinary team leading conservation initiatives around the world.
Dr. Jessica Ware - Panelist
Dr. Jessica 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). Ware, who is an associate curator in the Museum’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology, was recently awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) medal from the U.S. government for her work on insect evolution.
The Spring Lunch will be held in accordance with the Museum’s Health and Safety guidelines in effect at the time of the event.