Civil War author to give evening talk September 29

DURANGO, COLORADO - September 22, 2010 - The Center of Southwest Studies will present a public lecture by D. Reid Ross, author of Lincoln’s Veteran Volunteers Win the War, on Wednesday, September 29th at 7:00pm in the Center’s Lyceum.

Civil War fans and scholars alike will enjoy a lively discussion by local author Reid Ross of his new book which outlines the major contribution of the Union’s veteran volunteers in its victory over the South. Based on 30 years of research drawn from correspondence, diaries, memoirs, and official records, Ross brings the story to life through the experiences of the Ross brothers- ancestors of the author. The brothers enlisted for religious ideals and family tradition and between the trio, engaged in nine of the bloodiest battles and sieges, two of the longest campaigns, and numerous skirmishes. They paid a heavy price: one was killed, two wounded, and a fourth held captive at the notorious Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Through his research, the author came to understand why Generals Sherman and Grant considered the volunteers their best soldiers. Why the volunteers endured the horrors of the war is a major theme of Ross’ book.
Reid Ross is the author of numerous articles about the Civil War. Ross earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University. After serving as a gunnery officer in the Pacific during World War II, he earned a master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Chicago. He worked in urban planning in Chicago, Milwaukee; Providence, Rhode Island; Cincinnati; St. Louis; and Madison, Wisconsin. After retiring, he earned a master’s degree in American History at the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Durango, Colorado.

New Common Earth Series continues with film screening and program on Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program

DURANGO, CO – September 17, 2010 – The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues the Common Earth Series: People and Predators: Who’s Eating Whom?, with a second screening of Green Fire Productions’ documentary, Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators on Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00pm in the Center of Southwest Studies building, room 230. The film, narrated by Peter Coyote, echoes the belief of legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, that top predators, like wolves and cougars, are cornerstone species that are vital for healthy, wild lands. A moderated audience discussion follows the screening.

On Wednesday, September 22 at 7:00pm, in the Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, the Common Earth Series will host a panel discussion, Wolves at our Doorstep: A Case Study. Representatives from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the ranching community, Michael Robinson from the Center of Biological Diversity, and others, will discuss the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program in NM and AZ. A moderated audience discussion will follow the panelists’ presentations.

Both events are free and open to the public.

The Common Earth Series is the result of a group of local partners who are interested in finding practical solutions to environmental and social issues facing us today through open public dialog. These partners include the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Durango Nature Studies, the Durango Public Library, La Plata County Living with Wildlife Advisory Board, San Juan Mountains Association, and the San Juan Public Lands Center. The annual series will focus on a different environmental topic each year, bringing in leading experts from multiple perspectives. The series coordinators welcome suggestions for topics for 2011.

New Common Earth Series continues with film screening and presentation on wolves and cougars

DURANGO, CO – September 10, 2010 – The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues the new, annual Common Earth Series: People and Predators: Who’s Eating Whom?, with a screening of Green Fire Productions’ documentary, Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators on Monday, September 13 at 5:30pm in the Center of Southwest Studies’ Lyceum. The film, narrated by Peter Coyote, echoes the belief of legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, that top predators, like wolves and cougars, are cornerstone species that are vital for healthy, wild lands. A moderated audience discussion follows the screening.

On Wednesday, September 15 at 7:00pm, the Center of Southwest Studies will host a follow up program to the film, Lords of Nature, featuring two of the foremost wildlife experts in the country: Ken Logan and Gary Ferguson. Logan is currently a Wildlife Researcher for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the author of Desert Puma: Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation of an Enduring Predator. He is considered a preeminent expert on mountain lions. Gary Ferguson is a renowned environmental and wildlife writer. He is the author of Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wolf to Yellowstone, Hawk’s Rest, Yellowstone Wolves, and most recently, The Great Divide: The Rocky Mountains in the American Mind. Logan and Ferguson will discuss the role of mountain lions and wolves in our ecosystem from a scientific standpoint.

Both events are free and open to the public.

The Common Earth Series is the result of a group of local partners who are interested in finding practical solutions to environmental and social issues facing us today through open public dialog. These partners include the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Durango Nature Studies, the Durango Public Library, La Plata County Living with Wildlife Advisory Board, San Juan Mountains Association, and the San Juan Public Lands Center. The annual series will focus on a different environmental topic each year, bringing in leading experts from multiple perspectives. The series coordinators welcome suggestions for topics for 2011.

New, annual Common Earth Series to kick off September 10th

New Common Earth Series begins with provocative talk about hunting and human nature

DURANGO, CO – September 1, 2010 – The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College announces its new, annual Common Earth Series, a lecture series dedicated to thought-provoking environmental topics, as brought to the community by scientists and experts in the field. This year’s inaugural topic, People and Predators: Who’s Eating Whom?, compliments the Center’s hugely successful Mountain Lion! exhibit, which continues on display through the fall.

The series kicks off with a provocative talk by two nationally-known anthropologists, Drs. Donna Hart from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and Robert W. Sussman from Washington University, authors of Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators and Human Evolution. They assert the provocative idea that human nature originated - not because we were hunters as is commonly believed - but because we were the hunted. The authors argue that early humans were the prey of a wide range of predators including large cats and canines, snakes, crocodiles, and even large birds. They base their theory on fossil evidence, observations of naturalists, and their own studies of primates. This free event will be held on the Fort Lewis College campus on Friday, September 10th beginning with an authors’ reception at 6:00pm, followed by their presentation at 6:30pm in Noble Hall, room 130.

The Common Earth Series is the result of a group of local partners who are interested in finding practical solutions to environmental and social issues facing us today through open public dialog. These partners include the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Durango Nature Studies, the Durango Public Library, La Plata County Living with Wildlife Advisory Board, San Juan Mountains Association, and the San Juan Public Lands Center. The annual series will focus on a different environmental topic each year, bringing in leading experts from multiple perspectives. The series coordinators welcome suggestions for topics for 2011.