University of Connecticut
Edwin Way Teale Lecture Series on Nature and the Environment
Thursday, November 12th, 2026 at 4:00pm (EST)
Molly Burhans
Cartographer, Data Scientist, Environmental Activist
"The Geography of Hope: Unlocking Property for Planetary Stewardship"
Please join us for an in-person Teale lecture, on Thursday, November 12th at 4:00pm in the Konover Auditorium in the Dodd Center on the UConn Storrs campus.
The lands we love and live on shape biodiversity, climate resilience, food systems, and community well-being, yet some of the world's most extensive property networks owned by religious institutions remain largely unmapped and underutilized. The United Nations estimates that 8% of habitable land on earth is owned by faith-based institutions and supporting their regenerative land use has the power to change the current trajectory of biodiversity loss, climate change and its concomitant social impacts. This talk explores how advances in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial data science can reveal new opportunities for environmental stewardship across faith-owned lands. Molly Burhans demonstrates how integrating historical institutions with cutting-edge geospatial technologies can support conservation, climate adaptation, human flourishing and the common good. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on how interdisciplinary collaboration with unexpected partners can transform overlooked landscapes into measurable environmental and social impact.
Although the talk will be in-person, it is also available to watch (live) on the UConn Kaltura platform. The live stream link is on the Teale Series web page: https://environment.institute.uconn.edu/teale-lecture-series/
This event is free and open to the public. If you need accommodation to access or participate, please contact CSMNHinfo@uconn.edu
For more information, contact: Dr. Erin Kuprewicz at csmnhinfo@uconn.edu