Past Events

Everyone notices birds. But how many of us are birders?

There is a difference, and it comes with its own language. Lifers and listers. Twitchers and stringers. Spark birds and nemesis birds. Birding is a subculture with its own rules, its own ethics, and its own obsessions, and right now, it is one of the fastest-growing communities in America.

Something unexpected is fueling this growth. Technology. The same force often blamed for pulling us indoors has become an unlikely ally. Platforms that track sightings, map migrations, and connect birders across the world, are transforming a solitary pastime into a global community. And they are raising new questions about ethics, competition, and what it means to love birds responsibly.

Scientists are also paying attention. What birding does to the brain, who is joining the community and why, and what this ancient practice of patient attention offers a generation raised on overstimulation. These are open questions, and the answers are only beginning to emerge.

Join John W. Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Erik Wing, neuroscientist at York University and Baycrest Hospital in Toronto, for a conversation about birds, brains, and a culture that is booming with young and old alike.

Join us at the GBH Studios at the Boston Public Library for NOVA science trivia! Get ready for creative categories that test your knowledge of science, from the depths of the universe to the history of science. This month, we will quiz you on the moms of nature, funky fossils, deepfake deceptions, and more!

Join host Alberto Vasallo III at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library for a special edition of GBH Amplifies celebrating the grand opening of La CASA: The Center for Arts, Self-Determination, and Activism. As the largest Latino cultural center in New England, this $33 million, 26,000-square-foot facility in Boston’s South End serves as a permanent anchor for Puerto Rican heritage, community building, and the arts. Vasallo sits down with a remarkable panel of guests to discuss how this state-of-the-art hub will empower the community and prevent displacement through activism and cultural expression.

Guests:

Mayra I. Negrón-Roche
IBA COO

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado
IBA CEO

Thomas Meléndez
La CASA Campaign Co-Chair

Natasha Espada
Founding Principal of STUDIO ENÉE

GBH Amplifies is a community conversation series focused on expanding the reach of local voices from Greater Boston and beyond. The series features community leaders hosting public conversations in the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, providing a platform for inclusive perspectives on the issues that matter most to New England communities. GBH Amplifies happens weekly on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm at the GBH BPL Studio. This event is free and open to the public.

GBH Amplifies is also being supported by the Barr Foundation.

Registration is encouraged for this free event.

Limited seating is available on a first come, first serve basis. If you require a seat, we encourage you to arrive before the start time of this event.

The Boston Symphony Chamber Players (BSCP), an ensemble comprised of the first-chair string and wind players of the Boston Symphony, will perform in Fraser Performance Studio. The program is hosted by Brian McCreath, host of CRB's Boston Symphony broadcasts. The performance will be recorded for future television broadcast on GBH 2 and as part of In Concert on CRB Classical 99.5. The program will feature Samuel Barber’s Summer Music for wind quintet, Carlos Simon’s Gardner Suite, and Antonín Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2 in G. Carlos Simon, who was appointed to a three-year term as BSO Composer Chair in 2024, wrote Gardner Suite after visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The BSCP presented the world premiere of his work earlier this season and will make a commercial recording of the piece in Fraser Performance Studio during their visit. The Boston Symphony Chamber Players include Nathan Cole (violin), Lorna McGhee (flute), and Richard Sebring (horn), and Steven Ansell (viola), Blaise Déjardin (cello), John Ferrillo (oboe), William R. Hudgins (clarinet), Haldan Martinson (second violin), Caleb Quillen (double bass), and Richard Svoboda (bassoon). The program is funded by the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.

Join GBH Education at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library for a powerful, timely exploration of how educators can teach the events and lasting consequences of September 11, 2001. This special event brings together teachers and community members for an evening of learning, conversation, and reflection.

During the event, we will screen brand‑new videos designed to help educators navigate the complexities of teaching 9/11 to students who were born long after the attacks. These videos plus an accompanying interactive lesson aim to support student understanding of the event and it’s impact on the world.

The conversation will also highlight Massachusetts’ central role in the story of 9/11. Two of the hijacked flights—American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175—departed from Boston Logan International Airport, making the events of that day deeply connected to our local communities and to many families across the Commonwealth.

Together, we will discuss why teaching this historical event matters, especially as the 25th anniversary approaches, strategies for teaching this difficult history, and ways to help young people understand both the human impact and the ongoing global consequences of that day.

This event is free and open to all. We invite you to join us as we reflect on the past and consider how best to teach it to the next generation. Refreshments will be provided.

As part of the The Massachusetts Historical Society's look at the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, GBH's Debra Adams Simmons will sit down with Jordan Taylor of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Michael D. Hattem of the Yale-New Haven Institute to examine commentary in Revolutionary-era newspapers and broadsides, consider how understanding of the Revolution has changed over time, and reflect on how the public sees the nation’s founding today. 

Please join us in celebrating the incredible achievements of the 2026 Paula S. Apsell GBH STEM Scholarship recipients, a group of 14 exceptional Boston Public Schools students pursuing their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and math.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend this FREE event.

Mothering can take many forms: a grandmother who stepped in, a chosen family member, a caregiver, or even a stranger who showed up at the right time. From parents and nurturers to friends and neighbors, these stories are about the many ways we look after one another.

Join us in the live studio audience for an evening of stories that look at the honest, sometimes complicated side of what it means to nurture and protect.

Each ticket includes: 

• A seat on the set of Stories from the Stage Celebrates Mothers
• A drink token for a refreshing glass of wine or beer* (additional beverages available for purchase on-site)
• Complimentary small potted flowers (provided by Mahoney's)
• Complimentary light refreshments
• Complimentary parking

*All guests must be 21+ with valid ID.
 
By RSVPing for this event, you agree to receive timely news and updates on events, films, and special offers from GBH.


ABOUT STORIES FROM THE STAGE

At Stories from the Stage, produced by GBH WORLD, ordinary people share extraordinary experiences that you will not soon forget. You’ll hear stories of love and loss, amazing adventures, incredible surprises, and unexpected triumphs. In each taping, we get up-close and personal with storytellers about what inspires them and the craft of storytelling. Join us!


 

This event is presented with support from our sponsors, PNC Bank and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

400 million books in print. 32 languages. One worldwide phenomenon. 

He’s been a Jeopardy! clue, a crossword puzzle answer, Buster Bunny’s “Scary Uncle Bob” on Arthur, and the reason millions of children stayed up past their bedtimes. Now, New York Times bestselling author and master storyteller R.L. Stine joins Beyond the Page for an unforgettable conversation.

From the 30-year legacy of Goosebumps to the chart-topping Fear Street films on Netflix, Stine has defined the horror genre for generations of readers. Whether you grew up devouring his paperbacks under the covers with a flashlight or you’ve discovered his new Disney+ series today, don’t miss this rare opportunity to spend an evening with a literary legend and one of the bestselling children’s authors in history.


Signed books can be added at the point of registration. All books will be shipped following the event.

Join Callie Crossley at the NEW Molly's Bookstore in Allston as she interviews Tara Menon, assistant professor of English at Harvard, about her buzzy debut novel, "Under Water." Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and inspiration behind the book, and hear excerpts from the novel read by the author. There will also be time for questions from the audience. Join us for this FREE special event!