Evo Edu Outreach (2008) 1:306–311 DOI 10.1007/s12052-008-0060-9 CURRICULUM/EDUCATION ARTICLE Celebrate Darwin Day, An Event for Education and Outreach in Evolutionary Biology Rachel M. Goodman Published online: 10 June 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008 Abstract Darwin Day is an international celebration of Americans mistakenly believe that there is a legitimate Charles Darwin’s birthday, February 12, and is used as an controversy among scientists regarding the general accep- occasion for education and outreach in evolutionary tance and status of evolutionary biology, a belief recently biology. I describe the history and structure of Darwin fueled by the “teach the controversy” strategy among Day at the University of Tennessee, one of the oldest antievolutionists including the leading organization, the Darwin Day organizations in the world. I detail past events Discovery Institute (http://www.discovery.org/ accessed including speakers, themes, and advertising ideas that have Apr 2008; DeWolf et al. 1999; Matzke and Gross 2006). worked for us and suggestions for getting a Darwin Day As scientists and educators, we are responsible for started. I encourage interested groups especially those at countering this misinformation and communicating the schools, museums, libraries, nature centers, and other importance of evolutionary biology for many areas of institutions to adapt ideas from our organization to fit their public benefit, such as agriculture, medicine, and industry. own circumstances and to start planning their own Darwin Darwin Day at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Days for the celebration of Darwin’s 200th birthday in (UTK) serves the east Tennessee community. Our organi- 2009. zation is open to all community members, though primarily composed of UTK students and faculty. Annual events Keywords Charles Darwin . Evolutionary biology. draw in several hundred people from the university and History . Community. Intelligent design . Tennessee surrounding community, and these events are especially important and relevant to east Tennessee. The famous Every year, groups of volunteers around the world celebrate “Scopes Monkey Trial” of 1925 took place in nearby ’ evolutionary biology on the occasion of Charles Darwin s Dayton, TN, USA, and laws prohibiting the teaching of birthday, February 12. These events are collectively evolution remained on the state books for four decades “ ” referred to as Darwin Day. The goals of Darwin Day thereafter. In 2005, textbook stickers with antievolution are to reach out and inform the public about the importance disclaimers were proposed in one county school board of evolution as the foundation of modern biology, the life (Slevin 2005), and another county school board passed a and findings of Charles Darwin, and to promote scientific resolution encouraging teachers to present intelligent design literacy in general. Darwin Day is especially important in alongside evolutionary biology (Blount County Board of the United States today because the percentage of citizens Education 2005). In the same year, then Senator Bill Frist who accept the evidence for evolution is among the lowest of Tennessee said that intelligent design should be taught in of industrialized nations (Miller et al. 2006). Many public schools alongside evolution (Stout 2005). We of Darwin Day at UTK try to counteract the misunderstand- R. M. Goodman (*) ing, ignorance, and/or distrust of evolutionary biology Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, among many in our community by providing the occasion University of Tennessee, for a noncombative and rational discussion of the field 569 Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, USA while remaining sensitive to the diversity of cultural and e-mail: [email protected] religious perspectives we encounter. Evo Edu Outreach (2008) 1:306–311 307 History of Darwin Day at UTK some Christian faiths. Unfortunately, Darwin Day events in general may be perceived as such, regardless of their Since Darwin’s death in 1882, there have been many content or sponsorship. In recent years, we have moved organized celebrations of his contributions to evolution, increasingly towards a noncombative approach that is including a celebration of his 100th birthday by the New sensitive to diverse groups, culminating in the theme of York Academy of Sciences in 1909 and “Phylum Feasts,” “Science and Religion” in 2006. Events included presenta- wherein food items encompass all living phyla, beginning tions by Rev. Michael Dowd on campus and at churches of in the 1970s (Anon 1909; Schueler accessed Jan 2008). A the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist week-long “Darwin Festival” has been ongoing at Salem Church, and a teachers’ workshop at a the Unitarian State College in Massachusetts since 1980 (Darwin Festival Church. We discussed the diversity of religious denomina- accessed Jan 2008), and the Stanford Humanists student tions that do not find any conflict with evolution and stressed group and Humanist Community began a series of events in that science is not meant to interfere with or dictate religious 1995 which continued on to become a Darwin Day beliefs. Our group has also changed our name from the celebration (The Humanist Community; http://www. original “Tennessee Darwin Coalition” to a more neutral- darwinday.org/englishL/home/2007.php; accessed Jan sounding “Darwin Day at the University of Tennessee,” and 2008). The first Darwin Day at UTK was organized recently, we have stopped displaying older merchandise independently of the other events in 1997 by Dr. Massimo containing the Darwin fish with legs (humorous to many but Pigliucci, then Assistant Professor in the Department of an unnecessary co-opting of a religious symbol). Impor- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). When he moved tantly, the board of directors reminds participants and on to Stony Brook University in 2004, the event came to be volunteers before all events to respect diverse opinions, to organized mostly by graduate students and continues to be present only the science and not their personal religious regularly housed under EEB. beliefs, and to remain calm and polite in all discussions. In 1997, the first Darwin Day consisted of an informa- Negative and aggressive responses from the community tion booth, a film series at the UTK library, a book display have toned down over the years, which we believe is in in the campus bookstore, initiation of the organization’s response to our noncombative approaches. Our speakers still webpage, and a keynote address by Dr. Douglas Futuyma receive challenging questions and students express opposing on “Evolution, Science, and Society.” Since that time, our opinions in follow-up essays for classes, but the general tone events have grown to include multiple speakers, panel is one of respectful and open discussion. discussions on issues, radio interviews, essay contests, Although we are consistently housed, funded, and distribution of merchandise and informational materials logistically supported through the EEB department at promoting evolution, and workshops for local area teachers. UTK, we receive wonderful support from many other Darwin Day and related events have sprung up all over the departments, programs, and offices in the university (see world, and in 2007, the International Darwin Day Celebration Acknowledgements). While merchandise sales bring in website listed over 800 such events (http://www.darwinday. some money, we primarily-fund raise at the university org/englishL/home/2007.php, accessed Jan 2008). These through letters from our faculty representative and current took place on every continent except Antarctica, though the student president. We have no fees for membership, vast majority occurred in the United States (725 events). The distribute information through a free list serve, maintain Discovery Institute has responded to the growing popularity free and inclusive public events, and have charged either of Darwin Day by sponsoring and advertising counter-events nothing or a small fee to cover materials for our teacher on the official Darwin Day Celebration website (seemingly workshops. to confuse potential attendees) as well as their own website, http://www.discovery.org (accessed Apr 2008). Also, their criticisms of Darwin Day and evolutionary biology have Typical Events during Darwin Day at UTK been publicized with the recent book Darwin Day In America: How Our Politics and Culture Have Been Keynote and Academic Lectures Our guest speaker always Dehumanized in the Name of Science by John West, a gives a keynote lecture intended for a general public senior fellow at the Discovery Institute (West 2007). audience and often also gives a more technical seminar on Each year, our Darwin Day group plans our main events a similar theme during the daytime for the academic on- for several days on or around February 12, according to the campus audience. In some years, we have had multiple UTK academic schedule. Recently, we have had a different guest speakers over a period of days (more recently) or theme each year, with speakers and movies that correspond weeks. After the lecture and Q & A session, we move to a to the theme (Table 1). The message and membership of the casual café or bar where audience members can carry on group in its early years were perceived as antagonistic to extended discussion with the speaker. 308 Evo Edu Outreach (2008) 1:306–311 Table 1 Themes for Darwin Day events at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with corresponding guest speakers and titles of talks Year Guest speakers Theme/titles of talks 2008 Eugenie Scott, Ph.D. Intelligent design: is it science? Should it be taught in schools? 2007 Randolph Nesse, M.D. Evolution and medicine Paul Ewald, Ph.D. 2006 Rev. Michael Dowd Evolution and religion Tim Berra, Ph.D. Darwin’s biography 2005 Michael Shermer, Ph.D. Science of good and evil: evolutionary origins of morality Why people believe weird things: creationism, holocaust denial, and beyond 2004 Stephen Palumbi, Ph.D. Rapid evolution in modern life 2003 Ian Tattersall, Ph.D Hominid evolution 2002 Elliot Sober, Ph.D.