Decline of the honeybee

Entomology's Nicholas Calderone presents "The Future of Beekeeping in the U.S.: Parasites, Pathogens and Pollination," Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. in Room 102 Mann Library. It is preceded by a honey-tasting fair 1-3 p.m. in Mann Library lobby, site of the exhibition "Bees in the Balance: The Perplexing Decline of an Essential Pollinator," through December.

Chamber music concert

Six music faculty members present a chamber music concert Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium. Xak Bjerken and Miri Yampolsky, piano; Tim Feeney, percussion; Judith Kellock, soprano; Joseph Lin, violin; and John Haines-Eitzen, cello, will perform music for piano and percussion, a song cycle for soprano and violin by Vaughan Williams on Housman texts, and Brahms' Piano Trio, op. 8.

Flicks are for kids

Cornell Cinema showcases children's films on the big screen in the Ithakid Film Festival with two Saturday afternoon screenings at 2 p.m. The series starts Nov. 22 with "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," starring Abigail Breslin. On Dec. 6, the 1959 version of Jules Verne's adventure "Journey to the Center of the Earth" features old-school special effects and Pat Boone, who also sings.

The 'Koala Woman' speaks

Learn about the work of the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) to conserve koalas and their habitat at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nov. 25 at 12:15 p.m. AKF director Deborah "Koala Woman" Tabart will give a seminar on threats and successes in koala conservation and concerns about the decline of Tasmanian devils. The AKF is online at savethekoala.com. Free and open to all. Bring your lunch.

Zen out

Zen meditation practice is held every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Founders Room, Anabel Taylor Hall. Prior sitting experience or attendance at an orientation session is required to participate. Information: Tony 277-1158 or Marissa 272-1419. Open to all.

Words as art

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art presents "Art of the Written Word: Calligraphy in Asia" through Jan. 4. Selections from the museum's collection explore diverse calligraphic traditions in religious and secular contexts, ranging from ancient times to the present. A variety of works will be featured, including oracle bones, Quran pages and works of Persian, Indian and Japanese literature, as well as contemporary interpretations by artists such as Wenda Gu.

Petrified beauty

The Museum of the Earth presents "Missing the Forest for the Trees: The Beauty of Petrified Wood," through December. Colorful crystalline specimens help visitors explore the science and the art of paleontology through an exhibition of petrified wood, a fossil in which organic wood has been replaced by minerals but have retained the original structure of the wood.