WHO:

The Historic New Orleans Collection

WHAT: 

18th annual Williams Research Center Symposium 

"Seeking the Unknown: Perspectives on Louisiana's Natural History"

WHEN: 

Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013

Registration: 8–8:30 a.m.; Sessions: 8:45 a.m.–4 p.m.

Registration includes a preview event Friday, Feb. 22, from 6–8 p.m. and a post-event reception

WHERE: 

Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St. in New Orleans

HOW: 

Registration is required and rates range between $40 and $85. Visit www.hnoc.org or call

(504) 523-4662 for more information and to register.

WHY: 

On Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 scholars will discuss the state's natural history at The Historic New Orleans Collection's 18th annual Williams Research Center Symposium.

An all-day event, "Seeking the Unknown: Perspectives on Louisiana's Natural History" will take place at the Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St. in New Orleans, and will feature presentations by faculty members from Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Tulane University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Mississippi, as well as independent art historians and curators. Robert A. Thomas, director of the Loyola University Center for Environmental Communication, will serve as the symposium moderator. With sessions on pre-colonial American Indians, early naturalists, John James Audubon and more, the presentations will examine several centuries of human interactions with the Louisiana environment.

Registration is required and rates range between $40 and $85. Registration fees include the full day of presentations plus a special preview of the companion exhibition "Seeking the Unknown: Natural History Observations in Louisiana, 1698–1840," on Friday, Feb. 22, and a post-event reception on Saturday. Attendees will have the option to register for a special prix-fixe lunch at Criollo Restaurant and Lounge in the Hotel Monteleone. For more information, including a complete schedule of talks and links to online registration, visit www.hnoc.org/programs/symposia.html.

The 2013 Williams Research Center Symposium is presented by The Historic New Orleans Collection with support from ClearBridge Advisors, A Legg Mason Company; the Consulate General of Canada; Hotel Monteleone; LaPorte, CPAs and Business Advisors; Premium Parking; Solaris Garage; and Villere & Co.