The first will be held at 8 p.m. Jan. 24 when actress Kaiulani Lee, who has appeared on Broadway and television, stages the free one-woman show "A Sense of Wonder" in Miller Auditorium.

The show tells of Ms. Carson's love of nature and her fight to preserve it.

The College of Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts will promote area book discussions and events in art, music, philosophy, literature, history and other disciplines as part of the year's activities.

Ms. Carson (1907-1964) was the first scientist to expose the harmful effects of pesticides. "Silent Spring," which warned that the chemicals threatened to kill plants and insects, led to bans on uses of them and has served as a touchstone of the environmental movement.

"Her book was significant because it called into question existing scientific and agricultural beliefs and practices," said Dr. Diana Dreyer, assistant to the dean of the College of Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts. "Eventually, it resulted in a sea change of environmental conventional wisdom."

Ms. Carson, a marine biologist and zoologist, also was a poet.

Other events planned for the year include a pesticide panel at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 14 in the auditorium of Spotts World Cultural Building, Earth Day tree plantings, an appearance by environmental speaker Kim Farah in October, and a performance of "Silent Spring: Alarums and Excursions" in November.