Contact: Jason A. Smith, communications director, 608.263.1692 x21
Jennifer Smith, Academy Evenings director, 608.263.1692 x12
BAYFIELD, WI—In a first-ever partnership between the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters and Big Top Chautauqua, respected conservationist Mike Dombeck will present a free Academy Evening talk under the tent in Bayfield on Friday, July 27 at 3:00 pm. Titled People and the Land: Conservation Milestones, the talk will take place in the “Big Tent” at Big Top Chautauqua. It is free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary.
In his talk, Dombeck will explore the complex and often controversial relationship that humans have had with the land in the Great Lakes region and North America more broadly, from the Native Americans and early explorers to current conservation challenges. People have always depended on the land and Dombeck will address what we, as individuals, can do to make a difference.
This talk is a special afternoon presentation of the Wisconsin Academy’s series of thought-provoking public talks held around the state called Academy Evenings. Its theme ties in with “The Mountains Call My Name,” a new musical show at Big Top that explores the life and legacy of John Muir, founder of the national park system and the Sierra Club. The show will be performed at 7:30 pm on the day of Dombeck’s talk. Those interested in purchasing tickets to “The Mountains Call My Name” should visit bigtop.org or call 888-BIG-TENT.
The 3:00 pm talk by Dombeck is free regardless of whether or not attendees stay for the ticketed evening performance of “The Mountains Call My Name.” For more information about the Wisconsin Academy and its other free, public events, visit wisconsinacademy.org .
About Mike Dombeck
Mike Dombeck, PhD, dedicated a quarter of a century to managing federal lands and natural resources in the long-term public interest. His leadership in the Bureau of Land Management and as former chief of the Forest Service impacted nearly 500 million acres. He is the only person ever to lead both of the largest public land management agencies in the U.S. As the capstone to his long career in public service, he was granted the highest award in federal service, the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive. Dombeck also served as UW System Fellow and Professor of Global Conservation at UW–Stevens Point. Dombeck is a Wisconsin Academy Fellow and the recipient of the prestigious Audubon Medal, the Ansel Adams Award, and the Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award. He has authored, co-authored, or edited over 200 popular and scholarly publications. He knows the Northwoods very well, having grown up near Hayward and having spent eleven summers as a fishing guide. He lives near Stevens Point with his wife, Pat.
About Academy Evenings
Academy Evening talks engage the public in a wide variety of topics of public interest and feature leading thinkers, scholars, and artists. These free forums are intended to encourage interaction with these leaders in an intimate atmosphere that fosters discussion and builds community. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters sponsors Academy Evenings regularly in Overture Center for the Arts in Madison and at other venues across the state. For more information on Academy Evenings, visit wisconsinacademy.org/talks.
