#  Half-Earth Day 2026: Half-Earth at Ten, Honoring a Legacy of Hope 

 



####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **October 12, 2026** 

 12:00PM - 05:30PM EDT 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA**  



 

 



 

 ![Half Earth Day banner](/sites/g/files/omnuum6796/files/2026-09/HalfEarthBanner.png)

 

Join the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Harvard University Herbaria, the Harvard University Native American Program, the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation for Half-Earth Day 2026 — the tenth anniversary of both E.O. Wilson’s landmark book Half-Earth and of Half-Earth Day itself.

The theme is *Half-Earth at Ten: Honoring a Legacy of Hope*. The day asks the question at the heart of Wilson’s work and life: how do courage, imagination, and wisdom pass from one generation to the next in the service of life on Earth?

The program moves between science, art, and testimony — wild places brought to life through film and photography; Indigenous voices renewing our relationship to land; a tribute to E.O. Wilson through the people who knew him best; poetry and music that carry what data alone cannot; and the presentation of the *E.O. Wilson Legacy Award for Transformative Conservation Leadership* to the Gorongosa Restoration Project.

**Scholar, writer, and artist Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation)** guides guests through the full program as emcee.

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## **Program Highlights**

**Opening**

Land acknowledgment by Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Hassanamisco Nipmuc Nation), followed by welcome remarks.

**A Voice for Wild Places**

Wildlife photographer and filmmaker Florian Schulz presents photography, film, and story from the wild places at the heart of the day’s themes.

**Roots of Resilience: Forests, Biodiversity & the Long View**

Moderated by Jeannine Cavender-Bares (Harvard University Herbaria). Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot Nation) speaks to the disruption of Indigenous relationships with land and the possibility of renewal through rematriation; Jonathan Thompson traces land use change across New England.

**E.O. Wilson Tribute · In His Own Words**

Bert Hölldobler — who shared the Pulitzer Prize with Ed for *The Ants* and was among his closest scientific collaborators — joins Naomi Pierce, with a reflection from Henry Louis Gates Jr. Archival footage and Ed’s own words are woven throughout.

**Beyond Measure**

Larry Spotted Crow Mann takes the stage for poetry, music, and story.

**What Holds the World Steady**

Andrew Mergen’s keynote on the Endangered Species Act and what endures when the language of protection falls away, paired with a performance by Julian Brave NoiseCat.

**E.O. Wilson Legacy Award for Transformative Conservation Leadership**

The award is presented to the Gorongosa Restoration Project. Harrison Ford, the award’s inaugural recipient, passes it forward by video. Aurora Malene delivers a keynote, followed by conversation with Adrienne Keene and Susana Carvalho, Director of Science at Gorongosa.

**Closing Performance**

Larry Spotted Crow Mann closes the day in performance with young people from the Ohketeau Cultural Center.

## **Get Tickets**

Tickets are available through the Harvard Box Office: [Purchase tickets at the Harvard Box Office](https://boxoffice.harvard.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=half-earth-day)

For full event details and program information, visit the Half-Earth Day 2026 website: [eowilsonfoundation.org/programs/outreach/half-earth-day/](https://eowilsonfoundation.org/programs/outreach/half-earth-day/)

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*Half-Earth Day 2026 is presented with support from the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation and Andrew Saunders.*



 

 



 

 

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