Practical
Friday, 4 September, 2026
- 16:00 until 17:00
Free of charge
Registration until
Vrije Universiteit Brussel and professor Valerie Trouet invite you for the inaugural lecture 'Standing on the shoulders of ancients' in which she demonstrates the relevance of dendrochronology for the study of interactions between humans and environment. You are kindly invited to join the festive reception afterwards
Dendrochronology for the study of human-environment interactions
Over the past century, thousands of tree-ring chronologies have been developed worldwide that combined cover much of the Holocene, the most recent geological epoch. This global tree-ring network can be used to study climate history, forest history, and human history, as well as their interactions. As such, dendrochronology sits at the policy-relevant nexus of climate systems, ecosystems, and human systems.
In her inaugural lecture, Prof. Valerie Trouet will discuss how her research contributes to and builds on the global tree-ring network to study past climate variability and to put recent anthropogenic climate change in a long-term context. She will show how her research has focused not only on past mean climate, but also on climate extremes - such as drought, hurricanes, and wildfires - and climate dynamical patterns, such as the jet stream. She will further outline her future research plans and how they will contribute to our improved understanding of the extraordinary climate and ecosystem situation in which we find ourselves.
About Valerie Trouet
Prof. Dr Valerie Trouet has been studying climate change using tree rings for more than twenty years. She is recognised worldwide as one of the leading experts in the field of dendrochronology. She is currently affiliated with the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona (USA) and has previously published in journals including Nature and Science.
I have been a dendrochronologist for almost two decades and my research focuses on the climate of the past ~2,000 years and how it has influenced human history and ecosystems. I have used tree rings to study hurricanes, snowpack, wildfire, and the jet stream. I have studied the influence of climate on historical events, such as the Fall of Rome, the Ottoman Crisis, and the Golden Age of Piracy. My research has brought me to sub-Saharan Africa, Siberia, the Californian Sierra Nevada, and the Balkans, where I was part of a team that found the oldest-known (1,075 years!) living tree in Europe. I have published more than 100 scientific papers.
The world needs you
This initiative is part of VUB's public programme, a programme for everyone who believes that scientific knowledge, critical thinking and dialogue are an important first step to create impact in the world.
As an Urban Engaged University, VUB aims to be a driver of change in the world. With our academic edcuational programmes and innovative research, we contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and to making a difference locally and globally.