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.