Wilderness speaker series kicks off next month, runs into spring

This year’s Wilderness Speaker Series will be done virtually due to coronavirus concerns. This year it’s hosted by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Association, the Flathead-Kootenai chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association and the Northwest Montana Lookout Association, with each organization hosting a different month of the series.

The first speaker is Dr. J. Drew Lanham who will host a conversation about diversity and inclusion in the outdoors titled “A New Way into the Wild – Inclusion as a Criterion for the Future of Conservation.” The discussion will cover the role that race has played over the history of public lands and how to create more equitable access to outdoor spaces.

The talk is Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.

On March 3 author John McCarthy discuss “Working the Wilderness: Early Leaders For Wild Lands” which focuses on true stories about four men and one woman who established how to work in and be in the wilderness. They were guides for protection of wilderness and for the protectors who followed them. Their stories celebrate heroes for the enduring resource of wilderness and point to the future to keep their legacies thriving.

The April talk has yet to be determined.

Registration is required. Go to: https://www.bmwf.org/wilderness-speaker-series