Famous Colorado Photographer John Fielder Presents ’50 Years of Colorado Wilderness’ at CSU April 21

Renowned Colorado nature photographer John Fielder has launched a special event tour celebrating 50 years of the Wilderness Act, and he will make his first stop on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins on Monday, April 21.

The “Celebrating 50 Years of Colorado Wilderness” event is free and open to the public. It is hosted by Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources in partnership with Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, City of Fort Collins Environmental Services department and ASCSU (Associated Students of CSU).

Celebrating 50 Years of Colorado Wilderness
Monday, April 21
7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.
Griffin Concert Hall, CSU University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St.
Free and open to the public

The event includes a 75-minute presentation by Fielder, featuring a stunning slide show of more than 200 images of Colorado and other American wilderness areas accompanied by music. Fielder, who has photographed all of Colorado’s wilderness areas during his 40 years of exploring, will also share stories of life on the trail.

Signed copies of all of Fielder’s Colorado books and calendars will be available for sale before and after the presentation, including a new edition of his best-selling Mountain Ranges of Colorado and a special Colorado Wilderness 50 poster. Proceeds will benefit nonprofit wilderness advocacy organizations, such as Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, Conservation Colorado, The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club and others.

Fielder’s statewide tour also includes a traveling exhibit of 20 limited edition photographs of Colorado wilderness areas, which will be on display at CSU’s University Center for the Arts April 9 – May 2. Copies of the prints will be available for sale and proceeds will again benefit nonprofit wilderness advocacy organizations.

Protecting wilderness for a half-century

In Colorado, 3.6 million acres have been protected as wilderness since the Wilderness Act passed in 1964, including the Rawah Wilderness Area in Poudre Canyon, which was one of the nation’s original wilderness areas. Other diverse Colorado wilderness areas include the Maroon Bells, Gunnison Gorge, Flat Tops, Great Sand Dunes and much of Rocky Mountain National Park. Today, Coloradans are working to add deserving places like Hermosa Creek and parts of the San Juan Mountains and Browns Canyon to the National Wilderness Preservation System.

“The Wilderness Act has conserved some of the most stunning places in the world, and will continue to benefit both natural and human communities for generations to come,” said Joyce Berry, dean of CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources. “The College is very honored that John is bringing this special event to our community and all for a great cause.”

Award-winning photographer

Fielder has worked tirelessly to promote the protection of Colorado’s ranches, open space, and wildlands during his renowned career as a nature photographer and publisher. His photography has influenced people and legislation, earning him recognition such as the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award and the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s first Achievement Award given to an individual.

The John Fielder “Celebrating 50 Years of Colorado Wilderness” tour is sponsored by Conservation Colorado, The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, and other nonprofit organizations working to affect future wilderness designations by Congress.

More information about the tour exhibit and slide show locations and dates, as well as how to purchase prints, books, and posters, can be found at www.johnfielder.com.

For more information about the event, visit http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/john-fielder-event. To learn more about the 50th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, visit www.wilderness50th.org.

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