Join Penn State Sustainability for the final screening in its Intersections  “Mind Over Matter” series. Between Earth & Sky  celebrates a bad-ass of ecology, Nalini Nadkarni, known as the “Queen of the Rainforest Canopy,” who has her own limited edition Barbie doll that celebrates her accomplishments as a leading scientist of the rainforests. Nadkarni is always on the go, a mind moving a mile a minute who will do anything, even learn to harness climb her way up high into the canopy in pursuit of her science, as well as other goals like empowering more women to enter science. But when Nadkarni suffers a near-fatal fall, she’ll need to concentrate on “mind over matter” to regain the ability to walk, let alone become queen of the canopy once more. In the process, she’ll have to reckon with all the stories the mind tells and those her mind has hidden. In the process she reflects on the unique nature of trees to be both individuals and communities at the same time.

The Last of the Nightingales follows the work of Bernie Krause, a legendary pioneer of the field of acoustic ecology, which explores the soundscapes of the natural world. Krause’s 30 years of recordings of regions’ soundscapes have helped to chart long-term changes in natural areas that may not be readily apparent by sight alone and have revealed more starkly the impacts of climate change and natural disasters on our natural landscapes. Krause tirelessly uses his work to advocate for protecting our natural world. As he says, “While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a soundscape is worth a thousand pictures.” This stark and affecting film is one you will want to listen to with your best headphones or speakers on!

NOTE CHANGED LOCATION: Films will now be available VIRTUALLY only and will not be screened in-person. So the screening is open to all our campuses and communities, not just State College. Please join us! 

NOTE LATER THAN NORMAL START TIME — 8 p.m., not 7 p.m.

Free and open to all; pre-registration requested here.