Talks

Public speaking on conservation, ecology, and natural history

Public Speaking

I am often invited to speak on birds, biodiversity, and conservation. Reach out to me (scot@alaudubon.org) if you are interested in my talking to your group. See farther below for a list of public speaking engagements and links to recorded talks posted online.

I have several talks to choose from:

  • Alabama’s Amazing Birdlife: Crafting a Bright Future for Birds and People.  An introduction to Alabama’s birds and Alabama Audubon’s important bird conservation work across the state.

  • Southern Rivers: Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity. A talk based on my new book Southern Rivers:  Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity (UA Press 2024).

  • Alabama’s Amazing Biodiversity:  What we have, how we have it, and why it matters. A talk based on my award-winning book Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity (2013, UA Press).

  • Alabama's Birdlife and the Climate Crisis: Changes, Challenges, and Choices.  A dive into what scientist have learned about how southeastern birds are being affected by climate change and whether and how they are adapting.

  • How Alabama Gardeners Can Help Stem the Climate and Biodiversity Crises.  A talk exploring how climate change is affecting biodiversity and our way of life, and how land stewards and gardeners can help.

Links to recorded presentations

Water is Life: Southern Rivers with Dr. R. Scot Duncan. 16 July 2024. Alabama Rivers Alliance

Alabama’s Birdlife and the Climate Crisis: Changes, Challenges, and Choices. 27 January 2022. Alabama Audubon

Why Alabama is a Biodiversity Superstar (and Why it Matters!) 4 September 2021. Hoover Library.

Climate Impacts to Southeastern Rivers: Challenges and Solutions. 9 September 2021.  Friends of Shades Creek.  

Water is Life: Climate Impacts to Southeastern Rivers with Scot Duncan.  11 May 2021. Alabama Rivers Alliance.

Alabama’s Biodiversity – Three part series with Wild Alabama.  April 2021.  A deeper exploration than the typical 45 minute presentation.  Part 1: What we have.  Part 2: Why we have it.  Part 3:  Why it matters.  

Alabama Biodiversity Overview.  1 April 2021.  Interview by Dr. Marilyn Vogel from Auburn University for the 2021 Southeastern Section Meeting of The Geological Society of America. A visually enthralling Zoom interview  about why Alabama has so many species.

Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity. 19 September 2020. Alabama Rivers Alliance. River Rally, Virtual Conference. 

The Future of Southeastern Rivers. Virtual Conference. 19 September 2020. Alabama Rivers Alliance. River Rally Virtual Conference. 

BSC Provost Forum, Spring 2019

TEDx Birmingham 2015

Public Speaking Engagements

  • 2025 [tentative] Alabama Authors Day, Historic Blakely State Park, Mar 16

  • 2025. Edgewood Garden Club, Homewood, Jan 15

  • 2024. Pell City Library, Pell City, AL, Nov 20

  • 2024. Triangle Garden Club, TBD, Oct 23

  • 2024. Encore, Hoover, AL, Sep 26

  • 2024. Endangered Species Tour, Freshwater Land Trust, Birmingham, AL, Sept 20

  • 2024. OLLI, Tuscaloosa, AL, Sept 16

  • 2024. Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Flint Stakeholders (ACFS), Zoom, Sept 4

  • 2024. Center for the Book, Tuscaloosa, Aug 23

  • 2024. OLLI, Vestavia, AL, Aug 15

  • 2024. Alabama Rivers Alliance, Birmingham, AL, July 16

  • 2024. Hoover Public Library, Hoover, AL, June 26

  • 2024. Hale County Library, Greensboro, AL, June 23

  • 2024. Bessemer Library, Bessemer, AL, June 11

  • 2024. Dekalb County Master Gardeners, Ft. Payne, AL, June 6

  • 2024. Selma Dallas Co. Public Library, Selma, AL. May 2.

  • 2024. Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism, Gulf Shores, AL. Feb 22.

  • 2024. The Society for Natural Resources, Auburn, AL. Feb 15.

  • 2024. American Assoc. of University Women, Hoover, AL. Feb 13.

  • 2024. OLLI, B’ham, AL. Jan 24.

  • 2024. OLLI, Auburn, AL. Jan 22.

  • 2024. Village Garden Club, Mountain Brook, AL. Jan 11.

  • 2024. Jefferson County Master Gardeners, B’ham, AL. Jan 9.

  • 2023. Little Garden Club, Mountain Brook, AL, Dec 6.

  • 2023. Foley Public Library, Foley, AL. Nov 7.

  • 2023. AOS Fall Conference, Dauphin Island, AL. Oct 14.

  • 2023. Highland Park Neighborhood Assoc., B’ham, AL., Oct 10.

  • 2023. Endangered Species Tour, B’ham, AL. Sep 29.

  • 2023. Jasper Rotary Club, Jasper, AL. Sep 19.

  • 2023. Mountains to the Gulf, Camp McDowell, AL. Jul 9.

  • 2023. Moon Lake Library, Mentone, AL. 23 Jun.

  • 2023. Irondale Library, AL. May 23.

  • 2023. Lily Adult Retreat at Living River, Shelby Co., AL. May 20.

  • 2023. Alabama Master Gardeners State Conference, Tuscaloosa, AL. Apr 5.

  • 2023. Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism, Gulf Shores, AL. Jan 31

  • 2022. UAB Honors Program, Birmingham, AL. Sep 2.

  • 2022. League of Women Voters, AL chapter. May 3.

  • 2022. Guest speaker, Envt’l History class, UA, Apr 14.

  • 2022. 26th Annual Urban Forestry and Horticulture Conference, Florence, AL. Mar 18.

  • 2022. Guest speaker, Conservation Bio. Class at UA. Mar 1.

  • 2022. Envt’l Education Association of Alabama. 26 Feb

  • 2022. Alabama Audubon. Jan 27.

  • 2022. Alabama Envt’l Youth Council. Jan 7.

  • 2021. Freshwater Land Trust, Darter Conference, Dec. 8.

  • 2021. Guest Lecture PHS 213 Intro to Public Health. Climate Change and Public Health. Oct 26.

  • 2021. Bessemer Library. Nov 4.

  • 2021. Hoover Library. 14 Sep.

  • 2021. Friends of Shades Creek. 9 Sep.

  • 2021. Red Mountain Community School.  27 Aug.

  • 2021. Wild Alabama. Parts 1-3 (3 presentations) April.

  • 2021. Water is Life Series. Alabama Rivers Alliance. May 11.

  • 2021. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Alabama Rivers Alliance. June 14.

  • 2020. Climate Change Teach-in. Birmingham-Southern College. Mar 6.

  • 2020. Homewood/Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club. Aug 5.

  • 2020. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Alabama Rivers Alliance. June.

  • 2020. Alabama Rivers Alliance. Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity. Virtual Conference, AL. Sep 19.

  • 2020. Alabama Rivers Alliance. The Future of Southeastern Rivers. Virtual Conference, AL. Sep 19.

  • 2020. Alabama Leadership Initiative. Gulf Shores, AL. Feb 13.

  • 2020. Workshop for Certif. in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. Jan 25.

  • 2020. Birmingham Rotary Club. Birmingham, AL. 22 Jan.

  • 2019. Guest Lecture PHS 213 Intro to Public Health. Climate Change and Public Health. Nov 7.

  • 2019. Climate Change and Alabama. Global Climate Strike,  Birmingham, Sep 19

  • 2019. Creative Montessori Middle School Science class.  Sep 13

  • 2019. Alabama’s Awesome Biodiversity, and Why it Matters. Samford University. Sep 9.

  • 2019. Endangered Species Tour. Freshwater Land Trust. Sep 3.

  • 2019. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Alabama Rivers Alliance. June.

  • 2019. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2019. Provost Forum. Confluence: Hope for the Southeastern River. BSC. May 2.

  • 2019. Mountains to the Gulf Teacher Workshop, Legacy. Cheaha State Park. June 25

  • 2019. Workshop for Certif. in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. Feb 9.

  • 2018. Endangered Species Tour. Freshwater Land Trust. Oct 12.

  • 2018. Mountains to the Gulf Teacher Workshop, Legacy. Dauphin Island. Jun 30

  • 2018. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Alabama Rivers Alliance. June.

  • 2017. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2017. Highline College, Seattle. Oct 31.

  • 2017 Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2017. Hudson Alpha, Huntsville. Apr 9.

  • 2017. Alabama Coastal Foundation/Green Coast Council Sustainability Symposium. Jan 27.

  • 2016. Tuscaloosa Master Gardeners Fall Conference.  Tuscaloosa. Oct 29.

  • 2016. JSU Biology Department. Jacksonville, AL. 14 Oct.

  • 2016. Teacher Workshop. Inquiry-based learning. Red Mountain Community School. 18 Oct

  • 2016. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2016. River Network’s River Rally. Mobile, AL. 21 May.

  • 2016. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Southern Environmental Law Center. June.

  • 2016. Workshop for Certif. in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2016. Mountains to the Gulf Teacher Workshop, Legacy. Camp McDowell, AL. 12 Jun.

  • 2016. The Nature Conservancy, Alabama Chapter, Board of Directors. Aug 26.

  • 2016. Alabama Water Resources Conference. Orange Beach. Sep 9.

  • 2016. Independent Presbyterian Church. Birmingham. Mar 2

  • 2015. Auburn University at Montgomery, Mountains to the Gulf Class, Desoto State Park, AL. Aug 2

  • 2015. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2015. Coosa Valley Sierra Club, Gadsden, AL. July 9.

  • 2015. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Southern Environmental Law Center. June.

  • 2015. Alabama Literature Press Tour, Fairhope, AL. July 1.

  • 2015. McWane Science Center’s Science Café, Birmingham, AL. Jun 16.

  • 2015. Samford University, REU summer program. Birmingham, AL. Jun 11.

  • 2015. Joint meeting Alabama Plant Conservation Alliance and Georgia PCA, B’ham, AL. May 22

  • 2015. Cahaba Connections: State of the River, Living River Retreat, Montevallo, AL. May 15

  • 2015. Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL. Apr 15.

  • 2015. State Master Gardner’s Annual Conference, Cullman, AL. Mar 24

  • 2015. Environmental Educator’s Association of Alabama Annual Conference, Columbiana, AL. Mar 20

  • 2015. TEDx Birmingham 2015, Birmingham, AL. Feb 28.

  • 2015. Sierra Club of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, AL. Jan 15.

  • 2015. Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2014. Progress Study Club, Mountain Brook, AL. Jan 14.

  • 2015. UAB’s New Horizon’s Study Group, Birmingham AL, Jan 13.

  • 2014. Bessemer Public Library, Bessemer, AL. Nov 6.

  • 2014. Annual Sierra Club of Alabama Retreat, Eufala, AL. Nov 1.

  • 2014. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2014. Birmingham Paleontological Society, Birmingham, AL. Oct 6.

  • 2014. Alabama Wildlife Federation Teacher’s Conference, Millford, AL. Oct 2.

  • 2014. Provost’s Forum, BSC. Birmingham, AL. Sep 25.

  • 2014. Tuscaloosa Rotary Club. Tuscaloosa, AL. Sep 23.

  • 2014. Mountains to the Gulf, Legacy Workshop. Cheaha State Park, AL. Jun 17.

  • 2014 Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2014. Shelby County Master Gardeners. Columbiana, AL. Jun 13.

  • 2014. Samford University, REU summer program. Birmingham, AL. Jun 9.

  • 2014. Annual Meeting, Francis M. Weston Audubon Society. Pensacola, AL. May 15.

  • 2014. Keynote Speaker, Birmingham Audubon Mountain Workshop. Mentone, AL. May 9.

  • 2014. Alabama Book Festival. Montgomery, AL. Apr 19.

  • 2014. Land Trust of Alabama. Huntsville, AL. Apr 8.

  • 2014. The Westervelt Company. Tuscaloosa, AL. Apr 3.

  • 2014. Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. Birmingham, AL. Apr 1.

  • 2014. Southern Environmental Law Center. Reed Award Ceremony. Charlottesville, VA. Mar 22.

  • 2014. BSC Alumni Association. Tallahassee, FL. Mar 20.

  • 2014. Alabama Booksmith. Birmingham, AL.  Mar 13.

  • 2014. Wildlflower Garden Club. Birmingham, AL. Mar 13.

  • 2014. 16th Annual Alabama Watershed Rally. Montgomery, AL. Mar 8.

  • 2014. University of Alabama’s Center for the Book. Tuscaloosa, AL. Mar 6.

  • 2014. Alabama Wildflower Society. Birmingham, AL. Mar 3.

  • 2014. 10th Annual Alabama Clean Water Partnership Watershed Confr. Montgomery, AL. Feb 19.

  • 2014. Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity. UAB’s Chapter Sigma Xi; B’ham; Feb 13.

  • 2014. Birmingham Botanical Society, Birmingham, AL. Feb 20.

  • 2014. Birmingham Fern Society. Birmingham, AL. Jan 15.

  • 2014. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Southern Environmental Law Center. June.

  • 2013. Wild South. Florence, AL. Dec 19.

  • 2013. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2013. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama. Mobile, AL. Dec 12.

  • 2013. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama. Huntsville, AL. Dec 5.

  • 2013. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama. Birmingham, AL. Nov 21.

  • 2013. Friends of Shades Creek. Homewood, AL. Nov 14.

  • 2013 Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2013. Alabama Ornithological Society Fall Meeting, Keynote speaker, Oct 12.

  • 2013. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Southern Environmental Law Center. June.

  • 2012. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2012. Southern Exposure Film Workshop, Southern Environmental Law Center. June.

  • 2012. Alabama Master Naturalist Program, Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, AL, Dec 6.

  • 2012 Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2011. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2011 Workshop for Certificate in Native Plant Studies, B’ham Botanical Gardens, B’ham, AL. January.

  • 2010. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2010. Cahaba River 101.  May 25th Presentation to the Cahaba River Society.

  • 2010.  Provost Forum, Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL.

  • 2010.  Earth Day celebration, Samford University, Birmingham, AL. April.

  • 2010.  Guest Lecture, UAB Honors Program, UAB, Birmingham, AL.

  • 2009. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2008. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2007. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2006. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2005. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL. May.

  • 2004. Forest Ecology Workshop. B’ham Audubon Society’s Mountain Workshop, Mentone, AL.

  • 1998. Smithsonian Institute for Tropical Ecology Africa Field Course.  Seed dispersing birds and tropical forest regrowth.  Kibale National Park, Uganda.

  • 1997. Bats, birds, seeds and trees:  the first steps of tropical reforestation. Graduate Student Forum.  University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.