Darwin Days 2025

Celebrating Charles Darwin
Darwin Days 2025 explores homininswhalesevolution educationand more!
February 12th – 15th

Darwin Day is an annualinternational commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Charles Darwina British naturalist born February 121809and author of the seminal book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The first organized Darwin Day events took place in 1995and were organized by the Humanist Community of Palo AltoCalifornia. The years since have seen Darwin Day celebrations around the world increasing annually at a steady rate.

In 2006the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earthin collaboration with Cornell University and Ithaca Collegecelebrated the first official Darwin Days in IthacaNew Yorkwith a five-day series of panel discussionsfilm screeningsspeakersand workshopsaimed at increasing awareness of Darwin’s theory and its relevance todayin the Ithaca community and beyond.

Join us this year from February 12- 15 to celebrate the work of Charles Darwin and the study of evolution. We will explore hominid evolution with John Gurcherecognize World Whale Dayand consider perspectives on education since Darwin’s day.

Most programs for this event this year are offered free of chargebut please consider contributing to our educational programs so that we can continue to offer resources and information to our community.

2025 Calendar of Events

Keynote Lecture with John Gurche at Museum of the Earth

Facing our relatives: The discoveryanalysisand reconstruction of the ancient Harbin cranium

WednesdayFebruary 122025 @ 7:00 pm EST – Museum of the Earth – Pay What You Wish Admission

Come hear John Gurche talk about the intersection of science and art in bringing to life an Ice Age hominin from northeastern China featured on the cover of the most recent issue of National Geographic. John is a world-renowned paleoartist and PRI’s  artist-in-residence.

Note: Due to restrictions from National Geographicwhich supports John to do the work he’ll be presentingthis talk may not be filmed or livestreamed.

John GurcheArtist-in-ResidencePaleontological Research Institution

Darwin Days Science in the Virtual Pub

What Darwin Can Teach Us about Today’s Studentsand Where Are We on Teaching Today’s Students about Darwin?

ThursdayFebruary 132025 @ 7:00 pm EST – Virtual

Dr. Wiles will explore how Darwin struggled with many of the same issues our students do today and how to see the greatness that lies in our students even when they aren’t wowing us at the moment. He’ll also cover some recent developments in evolution education around how we measure evolution acceptance.

Dr. Jason R. WilesAssociate Professor of BiologySyracuse University

Darwin Family Day Celebrating World Whale Day at Museum of the Earth

SaturdayFebruary 152025 @ 10:00 am to 4:00 pm EST
Museum of the Earth

Family Day will celebrate World Whale Day. It will include family activities and feature a talk about the study and conservation of North Atlantic right whalesthe sort of whale that hangs in the Museum of the Earth.

Schedule of Activities:

• 10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Family – friendly whale activities in the Borg Warner gallery

• 11:00 am: Featured Talk How do scientists count critically endangered whales? A story of audioairplanesand AI. Come hear Cornell University whale researchers Marissa Garcia and Irina Tolkova discuss their latest researchlistening to underwater sounds to estimate the population sizes of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

  Marissa Garcia is a PhD candidate and Irina Tolkova is a postdoctoral researcher at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell University.