“National Parks: Past, Present, and Future” Speaker Series

There is growing concern about the impact of large wildfires, not only in the West, but increasingly in other parts of the U.S. Yet there is also widespread misunderstanding about the causes of large wildfires and management actions to address them. Contrary to conventional wisdom, fire risk and intensity are generally lower in national parks and wilderness areas, in contrast to lands that are intensively managed. Expanding these protected areas is one of the most effective ways to allow ecologically vital natural fire regimes to operate while minimizing threats to human communities.

George Wuerthner is an ecologist, writer, and photographer. He has published 34 books on geography, national parks, wilderness, conservation history, and environmental issues. George served as the Ecological Projects Director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Tompkins Conservation and is currently executive director of Public Lands Media — as well as board chair of RESTORE: The North Woods.

If you missed the presentation or want to see it again, you can watch it here.

The speaker series is sponsored by RESTORE: The North Woods, in partnership with Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut, Walden Woods Project, Wildlands Campaign of Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts, and Olmsted Network. Attendance is free of charge.