What: A presentation by author Christopher Preston, with a Q&A moderated by IPR's Ellie Katz
When: 6 p.m., Thursday
Where: Grace Memorial Harbor Pavilion
Admission: Free, with $10 suggested donation
Hear about the challenges facing our environment and the tensions between humans and recovering wildlife at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21 in Elk Rapids.
Christopher Preston, professor of environmental philosophy at the University of Montana, will talk about the ethics of wildlife restoration and the changing relationship between humans and animals.
Preston is the award-winning author of several books, including "Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals" and "The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World."
He grew up in England, and later moved to the United States to pursue a graduate degree. His career took him to Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, before he found his current position in Missoula, Montana.
Despite a dire outlook for wildlife, Preston's recent work centers on the glimmers of hope and crucial lessons to be learned from animals that have defied global trends toward extinction, including creatures familiar to northern Michigan, like bears and wolves.
In Elk Rapids, Preston will discuss conservation success stories and three important principles for wildlife recovery: "they must live," "they must roam" and "we must change."
His presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by IPR environment reporter Ellie Katz.
