Annual Public Lecture Series

Watch the 2026 Spring Lecture

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Join us for an uplifting dose of inspiration and education as part of our Annual Public Lecture Series. Three times each year we bring you a free presentation or discussion with an inspired thought leader, grappling with real-world climate change and environmental issues. Together, we’ll explore the latest research and collaborative efforts to respond to our changing environment. As part of the series, every summer brings the Leeson Lecture in honor of Robert Leeson, Jr.

All lectures are free. All of our lectures are accessible for deaf and hard of hearing via live ASL interpreters, by request. Learn more when registering for each event!

Fall Lecture 2026

Metcalf Institute’s 2026 Annual Public Lecture Series Concludes with an Immersive Fall Lecture in North Woods

Join Metcalf Institute on Wednesday, Oct. 14, for our annual Fall Lecture highlighting the URI Digital Writing Environments, Location, & Localization Lab (DWELL Lab)’s North Woods Field Guide project. In a two-part event, the DWELL Lab team will lead an interactive walk through the North Woods, followed by a conversation about the field guide and a zine-making activity.

From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., RISD student and DWELL Lab team member Ellie Lin will lead participants on a walk through the North Woods, located on URI’s Kingston campus. This walk will explore the rich ecology, human history, and significance of the North Woods as a communal space. Following the Narragansett Story Walk, participants will also have the opportunity to sketch, reflect, and immerse themselves in the environment. Meet in front of the Coastal Institute Building, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, R.I. 02881. (Please note this is the Coastal Institute on the Kingston campus, not Narragansett!)

From 6 to 7:30 p.m., join us for a conversation, reception, and zine-making at Toray Commons, The Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, 2 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, R.I. 02881. The conversation will focus on the creation of the first edition of the North Woods Field Guide, featuring Lin; Madison Jones, associate professor of science communication and director of the DWELL Lab; Bonnie Phillips, ecoRI News editor, North Woods Field Guide partner, and a URI alum; and Stephanie West-Puckett, URI associate professor of professional and public writing, who’s leading the creation of the guide; and moderated by Metcalf Executive Director Fara Warner.

After the discussion and audience Q&A, attendees are invited to create zines documenting their experiences, also led by Lin.

This event, as part of Metcalf’s 2026 Annual Public Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. Notebooks and writing utensils will be provided for the walk as well as materials to make the zines.