Out of Africa, Into the Adirondacks: Lessons from a Conservation Journey

PAUL SMITHS, NY (01/18/2012)(readMedia)-- The authors of a landmark book about saving Rwanda's wild mountain gorillas will lead off this spring's Fisheries and Wildlife Seminar Series on Friday, Feb. 3, at Paul Smith's College.

Bill Weber and Amy Vedder's 2002 book, "In the Kingdom of Gorillas," was hailed by one reviewer as one of "the most influential books from the past 40 years of wildlife publishing." The duo has worked for the past 30 years in international conservation, combining protection of wildlife and wild lands with concern for local human needs. They have served in senior leadership positions with the Wildlife Conservation Society and The Wilderness Society addressing key issues in wildlife science, reserve creation, energy development and community-based conservation.

Their upcoming lecture at Paul Smith's College will describe the challenges and lessons learned from working with a great diversity of wildlife, habitats and human contexts on their conservation journey from Africa into North America and the Adirondack mountains they call home.

Their talk is free and open to the public. It will be held from 10:10-11 a.m. in the college's Pine Room, which is in the Joan Weill Adirondack Library.

Other sessions in this spring's series will be held in March and April.

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