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Lecture series highlights park programs

Grand Canyon National Park's Division of Science and Resource Management will present monthly community lectures in Flagstaff in collaboration with the Grand Canyon Association and Northern Arizona University's Cline Library.

The new Ranger Lecture Series, Conversations on the Edge, runs from February-May and features resource specialists from the park speaking about their work to monitor, manage and preserve Grand Canyon's natural and cultural resources.

"We're very excited about the new lecture series that Science and Resource Management is presenting in collaboration with the Grand Canyon Association, the park's non-profit interpretive and educational partner," said Park Superintendent Steve Martin. "This is the first time that there has been a community lecture series devoted to specific park resource issues featuring park staff. There is a lot of work done by park staff behind the scenes - this is an opportunity for us to share some that work and the associated benefits with those who care so much about the park."

The Conversations on the Edge series kicks off today, with "Excavating Along the Colorado River: New Archeological Research in Grand Canyon National Park" by archeologist Lisa Leap about the first major archeological excavations along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon in nearly 40 years.

On Wednesday, March 4, vegetation program manager Lori Makarick presents "Grand Canyon's Green Heart: Plants of the Canyon."

Air quality specialist Carl Bowman takes a long view at the planet's changing climate in a lecture entitled "Climate Lessons from Grand Canyon: Can 1.8 billion years of history help us predict the next century?" on Wednesday, April 1.

On Wednesday, May 6, Martha Hahn, Chief of Science and Resource Management concludes the series with "Science on the Edge: Preserving Grand Canyon National Park's Natural and Cultural Resources."

The lectures will be held at 7 p.m. at Cline Library, at the intersection of Knoles Drive and McCreary Road on the Northern Arizona University campus, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Parking is available to the west of the library (Lot P13 on Riordan Road). All lectures are free and open to the public.

"Grand Canyon Association has been presenting Canyon Country Community Lectures in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Glendale since 2004," said Grand Canyon Association Executive Director Susan Schroeder. "This is the first time we have partnered with Grand Canyon National Park to feature a series focused exclusively on science and resource management at the Canyon. This is a great addition to our existing lecture series as it provides another forum for park staff to provide information to the public on some of the issues affecting the park."

For more on the 2009 Ranger Lecture Series Conversations on the Edge, contact Allyson Mathis, Grand Canyon National Park, Science and Education Outreach Coordinator, at 638-7923 or Helen Thompson, Grand Canyon Association Public Relations and Outreach at 928-779-2195.


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