Talks and Lectures

Nat Talks, made possible with support from presenting sponsor The Downing Family Foundation and media partner KPBS, feature museum staff and outside experts speaking on an array of topics, including the latest in scientific research, history, conservation, and the natural world.

Purchase tickets by clicking on the link associated with each event. To view recorded talks and lectures, visit our YouTube playlist. Please note that all talks are offered in local time (PST/PDT).

Upcoming Events


Keep Looking Up–The Powerful Healing of Birding

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 7 PM

Calling all bird enthusiasts and nature lovers! Join Tammah Watts, author of Keep Looking Up – The Powerful Healing of Birding, as she takes us on an exhilarating journey into the avian world.

Experience an enlightening and interactive presentation that will connect you with the many benefits of spending time with our feathered friends at home, in the community, and beyond.

Tammah Watts, the brilliant author of Keep Looking Up – The Powerful Healing of Birding (Hay House Publishing), will share her insights on how connecting with birds can benefit your physical and mental health, as well as deepen your appreciation for the natural world and yourself. Learn ways to develop heightened awareness and acceptance for birding in various settings and capacities, from your own backyard to far distant lands.

Stop by the Museum store after the talk for a book sale and signing of Keep Looking Up – The Powerful Healing of Birding.

Tickets are $9 for members and $12 for non-members.

RSVP now



Exclusive Screening of PBS Series Human Footprint

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 7 PM

See it here first! Join The Nat and KPBS for an exclusive pre-screening of Human Footprint, a brand-new, six-part documentary series that will air this summer on all PBS platforms.

Hosted by biologist and Princeton University professor Shane Campbell-Staton, Ph.D., the series dissects all the ways humans have transformed the planet. Part science series and part travel show, Shane journeys from farms to restaurants, from high-tech labs to sweltering street markets, discovering the impact of humans and how our actions give us a clearer vision of who we really are as a species.

This Nat Talk serves as a chance to see one of the episodes before it airs, meet Shane, and hear from the filmmakers at Day’s Edge Productions, which is based here in San Diego. 

In the episode “The Urban Jungle,” Shane meets three species thriving in the city, reckons with our complex history in cities, and envisions a new and wilder urban future. Learn more about Human Footprint and Day’s Edge.

Tickets are $9 for members and $12 for non-members.

RSVP now



Past Talks

Check out our top five most viewed talks from the 2021 season on YouTube.


Climate Change Series

Throughout 2021, The Nat and Climate Science Alliance collaborated to offer a series of evening talks and daytime lessons around climate change. These quarterly events dove into the complex topic of our changing climate. The more we know, the better we can respond to what is happening. Watch the series and be empowered.