Free climate change talk in Shepherdstown 3/4

On Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm, mountaineer and geographer Forrest McCarthy will present a Arctic Alaska: A Photographic Journey in a Changing Landscape in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV.

McCarthys pioneering work utilized historic photos and contemporary excursions to chronicle the significant changes occurring over the last hundred years in arctic landscapes. Global climate change was visible on glaciers, tree cover, and watersheds. The character of these observations describes a landscape-wide response to observed changes in the arctic climate and suggests the nature of future environmental responses to global warming.

Forrest McCarthy has been a wilderness advocate and backcountry skier for more than 20 years. As Public Lands Director for the Winter Wildlands Alliance he couples his zest for backcountry skiing with his passion for conservation. Forrest received a Bachelors Degree in Outdoor Education from Prescott College and a Masters Degree in Geography from the University of Wyoming. He is a senior guide with Exum Mountain Guides and has led expeditions from Alaskas Mount McKinley to the Central Plateau of Antarctica. Before joining Winter Wildlands Alliance, he was the Jackson Hole Wildlands Organizer for the Wyoming Wilderness Association.

The talk is free and open to the public. The NCTC is located at 698 Conservation Way along Shepherd Grade Rd. in Shepherdstown, WV 25443 approximately 70 miles west of Washington and Baltimore. No tickets or reservations are required. For more information on the series please visit: http://training.fws.gov/history/publiclectures.html or contact Mark Madison (Mark_Madison@fws.gov; 304 876-7276).