Coming up next week from July 5 to 10, the 9th Annual International Association for Landscape Ecology World Congress will be held in Portland, Ore. At the end of the day’s presentations and poster sessions on Tuesday, July 7, our own Professor Jerry Franklin will be taking part in an evening of cocktails and ecology-themed stories, hosted by Springer Storytellers and The Story Collider.

The event, “Stories About Science,” lets scientists tell their own stories—inspirational, funny, surprising or just plain entertaining—and you’ll have the opportunity to connect with these researchers and learn what drives them to understand our place and our effect on the planet.

Other scientists taking part include Jack Ahern from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Jonaki Bhattacharyya from The Firelight Group; Virginia Dale from Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Aerin Jacob from the University of Victoria; and Janet Silbernagel from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Stories About Science” will be held in the Skyline Room (23rd Floor) of the Portland Hilton from 8 to 10 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public, and you can RSVP to reserve your spot as attendance is limited to 150 guests.