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Darwin Day 12 February Approaches

Charles Darwin turns 203.

Charles Darwin was a great scientist and observer. He would have been famous for his studies of barnacles and tropical life even without his great insights into evolution. He did not invent the idea of evolution but came to understand how it works in terms of slow internal change, huge amounts of time and the survival of only those organisms capable of living in evolving circumstances.

Set aside some time on Sunday 12 February 2012 to be thankful that you live in an age freed of the tyranny of wondering where we came from.

Charles Darwin came to an understanding of the 'Origin of Species' during a world trip on the 'Beagle' between 1831 and 1836. After visiting South America the Beagle visited the European and Missionary settlements at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. He had trained as a clergyman but did not take up that profession so he could continue his study. He resisted publishing his findings until 1858 to avoid giving offence to his religious friends and relatives, particularly his wife. When Alfred Wallace prepared to release the same findings, Darwin published and shared the accolades with him.

On 1 July 1858, papers on the development of animals by Darwin and fellow scientist Alfred Wallace were presented to the Linnean Society in London. There was very little reaction. But when Darwin published 'On The Origin of Species' the following year a debate not yet over began.

This original paper, now 153 years old, is significant because for the first time a species (us) had an understanding of where it came from. Until that time the apparent 'design' of humans had left us bewildered over origins, resulting in the myriad 'creationist theories' that each culture has adopted.

Join us and a world community as we rejoice in our natural origins and the respect for ourselves, humanity, other species and the natural environment that that knowledge brings.