Telling Stories of Nature in Times of Darkness

Drawing from his extensive experience as a science writer and his newfound passion for birding, Ed Yong talks about the necessity, potential, and limits of storytelling at a time when the living world is under enormous threat. In this lecture, Yong shows how he crafts compelling narratives, maintains hope, and inspires people to care about nature.

Please note that this lecture will take place in the Old Auditorium at UBC. 

Registration for the in-person event is now closed. If you are still interested in attending, please email us to check whether seats are available.Registration for the livestream will close on Thursday, September 17 at 10:00 am.

A recording of the lecture will be available for a brief period following the event. If you wish to have access to view this recording once it is available, please write gc.programs@ubc.ca. 

This lecture is co-sponsored by UBC's Faculty of Science, UBC's Michael Smith Laboratories, and the North Family Foundation. In partnership with the Vancouver Institute. 

Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter whose fascinating presentations on animals and the natural world are infused with humour, joy, wonder, and infectious enthusiasm. His New York Times-bestselling book, An Immense World, is an astounding tour of the radically different ways that animals perceive the world. Yong dives into each animal’s umwelt—their specific “sensory bubble”—with curiosity and awe, exploring how different senses like heat, sound, smell, and echolocation inform how animals interact with their surroundings.

A New York Times bestseller, An Immense World won the Andrew Carnegie Medal, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award, and was longlisted for the PEN America 2023 Literary Award, as well as appearing on many Best Books of the Year lists. In 2025, the book was a recipient of the Science + Literature award by the National Book Foundation and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.