When biologist Hanna Bjørgaas spots a sunburst lichen in Antarctica, she is surprised to recognize it from her own backyard in Oslo. When she returns home, she embarks on a journey into urban nature, visiting city parks, cemeteries, and concrete rooftops to investigate the species that live in urban spaces.

Along the way, she meets songbirds, ants, bats, fungi, and the experts who study their surprising abilities to survive, and thrive, in the city. Hanna's book, Secret Life of the City invites us to pay more attention to the sounds, sights, and smells of urban nature right outside our door. And a call to save our city plants, animals, and fungi before we lose them, too.

Join in this virtual program where Hanna will be in conversation with Julian Victor, a Toronto-based professional wildlife filmmaker and host of Breakfast Television's wildlife conservation segment, On The Wild Side.

This Live & Online event is part of Toronto Public Library's Our Fragile Planet program series, supported by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF).

This 1-hour program will be recorded and available for replay at this same link.

Questions about online programs? Please email us at programproposals@tpl.ca

Toronto Public Library is committed to accessibility. Please call or email us if you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to participate in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to meet your request. At least three weeks' notice is preferred. Phone 416-393-7099 or email accessibleservices@tpl.ca

Secret Life of the City: How Nature Thrives in the Urban Wild