The Jewel Box: How moths illuminate nature’s hidden rules.
Every morning, ecologist Tim Blackburn is inspired by the diversity contained within the moth trap he runs on the roof of his London flat. Beautiful, ineffably mysterious organisms, these moths offer a glimpse into a larger order, one that extends beyond individual species, beyond lepidoptera or insects, and into a hidden landscape. Just as Michael Faraday’s iron filings arrange themselves to articulate a magnetic field that would otherwise be invisible, Tim shows us that when we pay proper attention to these tiny animals, their relationships with one another, and their connections to the wider web of life, a greater truth about the world gradually emerges into focus. In THE JEWEL BOX, Tim reflects on what he has learned in the last thirty years of work as a scientist studying ecosystems and demonstrates how the contents of one small box can illuminate the workings of all nature.

Biography: Tim Blackburn is Professor of Invasion Biology at University College London. Previously, he was the Director of the Institute of Zoology, the research arm of the Zoological Society of London, where he still has a research affiliation. He has been awarded Honorary Professorships at the Universities of Adelaide, Birmingham, and Oxford, and has been named an Honorary Research Associate at the Centre of Excellence in Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch.

This event will be followed by a book signing and drinks reception, everyone is welcome.
Date: 19 May 2023, 16:15
Venue: Dyson Perrins Building, off South Parks Road OX1 3QY
Venue Details: Atmosphere room
Speaker: Tim Blackburn (University College London)
Organising department: School of Geography and the Environment
Organisers: Carlyn Samuel (University of Oxford), Jane Applegarth (University of Oxford, Oxford University Centre for the Environment)
Host: Professor Yadvinder Malhi (University of Oxford)
Part of: Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and the Biodiversity Network seminar series
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://bookwhen.com/oxfordbiodiversitynetwork#focus=ev-sbkz-20230505161500
Audience: Public
Editor: Carlyn Samuel