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Dear Friend,
We are pleased to invite you to the first annual meeting of the Polistes Foundation, this September 28th and 29th in Cambridge. In addition to our own board, we are inviting representatives from collaborating private institutions, government agencies, and foundations. Many of you have enthusiastically requested such a meeting and we apologize for the tardy date of this invitation. The truth is we have been polling many of you to find dates that could fit into your busy schedules. We have had a busy year. The Polistes Foundation has been assembling a team and developing technology for our website "Discoverlife". Our goal continues to be to provide the technology that will allow the unimpeded flow of information across international networks for the purpose of bettering the state of humans and nature. The plan is to implement this technology - creating a global network of "nodes" to deliver data critical for education, health, agriculture, and conservation. We are seeking your help and advice on how best to engage everyone from the lay public to the senior research scientist in the ways they can help gather the scientific data necessary to protect biodiversity and plan effective conservation programs. By providing a free internet based technology, we are convinced that the next generation will be far better informed on environmental issues and the role of science in addressing them. As a result, they will be prepared to become active guardians of their own future. The schedule for our meetings is described at www.discoverlife.org/pa/or/polistes/ev/schedule.html. The essential sessions are the "Technology Sessions", 10-12 AM Sunday, regarding the current state of technology development, recent GIS efforts, and collaborations with others. And the "General Sessions", on Sunday at 1:00-3:00 and 4:30-6:30. We have also planned a number of ancillary diversions. Peter Alden has kindly agreed to lead a nature walk in the Walden Pond woods Saturday afternoon. There will be a get-acquainted wine reception at the Peabody Museum 5-6:30 Saturday. You should make your own plans for dinner and the evening Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, during a break between sessions, we have arranged for you to become acquainted with the 7 million-year-old hominid from Lake Chad, featured last week in Nature, the N.Y.T., etc. You will be among the very few to have had this opportunity. We look forward to welcoming you to Cambridge. Best regards,
John Pickering , |
| Discover Life | All Living Things | IDnature guides | The Polistes Foundation | Annual Meeting, 2002 | Invitation |