Provost’s Lecture Series at Colorado State Begins April 6; Will Link Cultural and Biological Diversity in the West

The Provost’s Lecture Series and Award for Interdisciplinary Environmental Achievement at Colorado State University will feature one of the American West’s more notable nature authors and ecologists. Gary Paul Nabhan, recipient of both a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship and Pew Scholarship for conservation research, will discuss "Linking Cultural and Biological Diversity in Western North America" on April 6 at 4:15 p.m. in Room 146C of the Plant Sciences Building on Colorado State campus. The event is free, open to public and will include refreshments. Following the discussion, the Provost’s Award for Interdisciplinary Achievement will be given to the individual or group at Colorado State whose work has promoted a wide spectrum of environmental study. Two other special events are planned around Nabhan’s visit to Colorado State. Both are free, open to the public and will include refreshments:

April 7

• 6-8 p.m. at Jade Creek Book Store, in the Opera Galleria at 123 North College Avenue: Nabhan will read from a selection of his works including: "The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country;" "Gathering the Desert;" "Songbirds, Truffles, and Wolves: An American Naturalist in Italy;" and "Counting Sheep: 20 Ways of Seeing Desert Bighorn."

April 9

• 6-7:15 p.m. in Room 232 Wagar Building, Colorado State University campus: Nabhan will be discussing his latest book, "Coming Home to Eat: The Sensual Pleasures and Global Politics of Local Foods," which speaks to the importance of biodiversity and its effects on our health. Nabhan has published numerous books and over 100 technical articles on ethnobotany, nutrition and plant conservation. His first book, "The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country" won him immediate recognition as a gifted writer. His second, "Gathering the Desert" received the John Burroughs award for nature writing. Nabhan specializes in the desert cultures of the American Southwest and Mexico, focusing on the importance of nature in human well-being. As an agricultural ecologist and ethnobatonist, Nabhan studies plants lore and agricultural customs. He is the cofounder of Native Seeds/SEARCH, a nonprofit organization that works to conserve traditional crops, seeds, and farming methods that have sustained native peoples for centuries throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. For more information, contact Marie O’Neill at (970) 491-4697.