Sonya Carpenter
Thanks to an anonymous donor, the Highlands Biological Foundation has created a new lecture series in honor of former director Sonya Carpenter.
“Sonya was our director for many years and really shaped the biological foundation into what it is today,” HBF director Charlotte Muir said. “When she stepped down as director, we had an anonymous donor make a significant contribution in her honor. Sonya has always been focused on community, that we knew we wanted this new Carpenter Fund to support something positive for our community.”
After much deliberation, Muir said the board decided on a high profile, free, public lecture.
“Hopefully, this will be annually and completely free to attend,” Muir said. “Each lecture, we want to bring in a notable scientist or author to share their ideas with the public.”
For the first ever Carpenter Lecture, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson will be the speaker.
Wilkinson is an author, strategist, and teacher working to heal the planet we call home. Her books on climate include the bestselling anthology All We Can Save, The Drawdown Review, the New York Times bestseller Drawdown, and Between God & Green. Dr. Wilkinson co-founded and leads The All We Can Save Project with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, in support of women leading on climate, and she co-hosts the podcast A Matter of Degrees, telling stories for the climate curious with Dr. Leah Stokes. Previously, Dr. Wilkinson was the principal writer and editor-in-chief at the climate solutions nonprofit Project Drawdown. She speaks widely, including at National Geographic, Skoll World Forum, and the United Nations, and her TED Talk on climate and gender equality has more than 1.9 million views. She serves on the boards of the Doc Society, Chattahoochee Now, and Wild Ark and advises numerous climate-focused initiatives. A homegrown Atlantan, Dr. Wilkinson holds a doctorate in geography and environment from Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and a BA in religion from Sewanee, where she is now a visiting professor. Time magazine featured Dr. Wilkinson as one of 15 “women who will save the world” and Apolitical named her one of the “100 most influential people in gender policy.” She is happiest on a mountain or a horse.
“Our education committee suggested Dr. Wilkinson,” Muir said. “She is just a total superstar. She is a woman who is leading the charge on how we can make significant actions to combat climate change. She actually lives in Atlanta and is familiar with the area. She loves the Highlands-Plateau and spends a lot of time here.”
Muir said she hopes that people will come learn and take away something that they can use in their lives.
“We live in an absolutely beautiful area,” Muir said. “So, I hope people take away some things that they can do to keep this area beautiful. We are looking forward to finally honoring Sonya for all she has done for the Highlands community. We are also excited for Katharine to come here and learn from her. Our book club has studied her books and we are all big fans.”
The inaugural Carpenter Lecture is scheduled for Oct. 22, at 11 a.m., at the First Presbyterian Church. The event is free, and registration is required. Masks are also required inside.
