SUNY Potsdam Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Wilderness Act

SUNY Potsdam Hosts Lectures, Performances and Hikes in Celebration of 50th Anniversary of National Wilderness Act

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SUNY Potsdam will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act with public lectures, a special concert and outdoor activities in the Adirondacks this fall.

POTSDAM, NY (09/10/2014)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will hold a number of events this fall in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the Wilderness Act protected 9.1 million acres of federal land and created the National Wilderness Preservation System.

SUNY Potsdam will offer two public lectures and a special concert, in addition to leading a number of free ventures in the Adirondack Park. The events begin next week and run through November. All events are free, and the public is invited to attend. Parking will be available in Lots 1, 2, 6 and 9 for these events.

Distinguished Adirondack historian Dr. Philip Terrie will open the celebration next week, with a public lecture on Monday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in Kellas Hall Room 106. Titled "A Shared History: The Adirondacks and the National Wilderness Act," the lecture will address the unique role of New York State in the formation of our nation's wilderness legacy. A professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University, Terrie is also the author of "Contested Terrain: A Cultural History of Wilderness in the Adirondacks." This event is free and open to the public. There will be a reception following the lecture.

Adirondack folk musician Dan Berggren will continue the Wilderness Act anniversary series, with a performance on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Berggren describes his music as "stories of human nature, love, hard work, failure and success." Since 1985, Berggren has released 15 albums and performed all over the United States, as well as in Germany, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria and Central Africa.

Dr. Chad Dawson will give a public lecture, titled "The National Wilderness Preservation System: Milestones to Date and Challenges Ahead," on Monday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m., in Stowell Hall Room 211. A professor emeritus of recreation resources management at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Dawson will also visit classes across the SUNY Potsdam campus on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Throughout the fall semester, the College's Wilderness Education Program and the Venture Outdoors club, will provide a series of outdoor activities, in collaboration with the Laurentian Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club. These activities are of varying levels of difficulty, and range from hiking, rock climbing, paddling and day trips to overnight treks.

The Wilderness Act 50th anniversary events are also sponsored by the SUNY Potsdam National Endowment for the Humanities Committee, the Provost's Office, the Department of History, the Honors Program and the Associated Colleges Faculty Development Program.

For more information about the 50th anniversary celebration of the Wilderness Act at SUNY Potsdam, contact Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology Dr. Kristen Van Hooreweghe, at vanhookl@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2551.

To keep track of all the events on SUNY Potsdam's busy campus calendar, visit www.potsdam.edu/events.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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