Coral reefs are by far the oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are facing unprecedented challenges from global warming and ocean acidification. This lecture will review the current state of affairs and outline steps that must be taken to preserve coral reefs. Using clips of film from the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary, Chasing Coral, this lecture will cover the past, present, and future of coral reefs. It will highlight the global importance of coral reefs and the, sometimes extraordinary, efforts being taken to preserve them.

James W. Porter is Meigs Professor of Ecology, Emeritus and President of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Natural History. The exhibit of his antiquarian books and coral specimens is on display at the Special Collections Building from January to June, 2024. He has testified before Congress three times on issues relating to coral reefs. His documentary film, Chasing Coral, won Sundance, Peabody and Emmy Awards.

Get ready for Spring! Two of our most cherished backyard birds will be featured in this course. Despite weighing less than a nickel, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate 3000 miles to South America and back. Through dangerous conditions, they have been repeating this amazing feat for thousands of years. Eastern Bluebirds are a longtime symbol of happiness, health, and hope in North America. But just 50 years ago they were so rare that birders were sure of their inevitable extinction. Learn more about both of these species and how to attract them with native plants, feeding stations, and proper habitat.

Gary Whiting is a photographer, master naturalist, kayaker, and British car enthusiast. His photography vision is to capture uncommon moments that create unique works of art. He currently hosts the PictureThis photography and Splashdown kayaking SIGs. When not paddling or taking photos, he can be found exploring twisty mountain roads in a vintage Mini Cooper. His award-winning presentations have been enjoyed by OLLI members, photography clubs, Audubon societies, and conservation organizations throughout Georgia and Florida.

Political polarization has been building in the U.S. since the 1980s. What economic, social, and political forces have produced this political upheaval? How does this polarization affect our society overall? Does this trend threaten our liberal, democratic traditions? Robert Grafstein will address these deeply important questions.

Robert Grafstein is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia. He also was the associate dean and interim dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago. Specializing in political economy, he is the author of two books, co-editor of one, and author of numerous articles in leading political science journals.

Music can be enjoyed because it makes you want to move (dance music) or provides a soothing soundscape to relax to at the end of a hard day. There is also music that seems to capture a basic truth about human experience. This presentation will focus on the latter category. These are songs that have a particularly meaningful text and present the words in a musical context that is readily accessible (e.g., no fancy jazz chords). Most of the songs would be categorized as folk tunes, hymns, or country ballads.

Roy graduated from the University of Texas with a Ph.D., and worked at Temple University in Philadelphia before joining the College of Education at the University of Georgia., where he worked from 1979 through 2007. He has played the violin in the Albuquerque Civic Symphony, and in the Athens Symphony, the latter for 40 years. He also has pursued a variety of musical activities including singing with a jazz combo including several times for OLLI.

Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), a native of Hartford, Connecticut, became more famous and successful than his teacher Thomas Cole, in part because Cole died suddenly at the age of 47. Church, however, would take to heart Cole's instruction to seek "a higher sort of landscape painting" and merge natural history with national destiny far beyond the vision of Englishman Cole. This lecture will focus on Church's great icons of North and South America-- including Niagara, Heart of the Andes, and Twilight in the Wilderness--with an eye to revealing their nationalistic meanings. Church's home on the Hudson, Olana, is his last masterpiece.

Janice Simon taught art history at UGA for thirty-five years, specializing in American Art, spirituality in modern art, and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. She received all her degrees in art history: her BA from SUNY/Buffalo (her home town), and her MA and PhD. with great distinction from the University of Michigan. At UGA she received many teaching awards including the University’s highest designation, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor.