The final installment of the Belfast Garden Club Evening Lecture Series co-sponsored by the All of Belfast Climate Dialogues (Belfast Free Library) will take place on Tuesday, March 28, at 6:30 pm., with a virtual talk by Dr. Laurie Osher titled “Rx for a Chaotic Climate: Healthy Soils.” To register for the zoom link please go to https://belfastlibrary.org/abcd-events/ and find the link.

In recent years, Mainers have noticed chaotic weather patterns caused by climate change. In this program, state representative and soil scientist Laurie Osher will discuss the impact of climate change on the $3.6 billion agricultural industry, and describe how land management practices can be improved to decrease that impact.

Osher’s rare combination of scientific research and public leadership makes for a rich conversation. She’ll discuss practices that preserve and enhance soil organic matter to increase sequestration of carbon in soils. She’ll also describe the bills she’s introduced and co-sponsored with the aim of improving land management. Finally, she’ll speak about helping communities in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties obtain funding from the state so they can become more resilient to climate changes.

A former University of Maine faculty member, Osher has worked at the EPA’s Natural Exposure Research Lab in Athens, Georgia and several other federal agencies. She has represented Orono in the Maine legislature since 2020 and served as an Orono Town Councilor from 2017 to 2022.