A summer lecture series dedicated to natural history and conservation will kick off with a talk from Dr. Lee Alan Dugatkin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Highlands Nature Center. 

Dugatkin is a biology professor at the University of Louisville, where he researches the evolution of social behavior, and is the author of the popular book Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose and The Prince of Evolution, as well as two textbooks and numerous magazine and journal articles. 

The Zahner Conservation Lecture Series serves to educate and inspire the public through a series of talks from well-known regional scientists, conservationists, artists and writers. They are held weekly at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays at the Highlands Nature Center. www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.