Celeste. Additionally, the 2011 State of the Rockies Report Card will be unveiled, with chapters featuring an in-depth look at the Rockies region, the Eastern Plains, infrastructure in the Rockies and nature-based recreation in the region.For Immediate Release
Contact:
Leslie Weddell
(719) 389-6038
Leslie.Weddell@ColoradoCollege.edu
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – March 14, 2011 – Colorado College’s eighth annual State of the Rockies Conference will kick off at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 4, with conservationist Terry Tempest Williams receiving the 2011 Champion of the Rockies Award from Colorado College President Richard F. Celeste. Additionally, the 2011 State of the Rockies Report Card will be unveiled, with chapters featuring an in-depth look at the Rockies region, the Eastern Plains, infrastructure in the Rockies and nature-based recreation in the region.
The award presentation and unveiling of the 2011Report Card will take place in Armstrong Theatre, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St, on the Colorado College campus. All events at the three-day conference, to be held April 4-6 at Colorado College, are free and open to the public.
Another highlight of the conference is the authorized screening of National Geographic’s “American Serengeti,” a documentary examining the American Great Plains, once an epic grassland and now an ecosystem in danger. The film will be shown on Wednesday, April 6, the final night of the conference, in the South Theatre at the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave.
The State of the Rockies Conference is a forum for discussing issues critical to the West. The conference examines critical issues that affect the eight-state Rocky Mountain region, composed of Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Williams, author of the book “Refuge,” will present several selected readings at the opening event. Her work ranges from issues of ecology and wilderness preservation, to women’s health and exploring one’s relationship with nature. In 2006, Williams received the Robert Marshall Award from The Wilderness Society. She also received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Western American Literature Association and the Wallace Stegner Award, given by The Center for the American West. In 2009 Williams was featured in Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America's Best Idea” PBS series.
Former recipients of the Champion of the Rockies Award include Ted Turner, environmentalist, philanthropist and media giant; and Ed and Betsy Marston, the former publisher and editor, respectively, of the High Country News in Paonia, Colo. The award, initiated in 2006-07, is presented to outstanding leaders of vision, drive and determination who are helping to shape the future of the Rocky Mountain region.
Each year, the State of the Rockies Project team, which includes Colorado College undergraduate students, recent graduates and a faculty adviser, conducts extensive research and creates a comprehensive report on the region, which is known as the Report Card.
For more information on the conference, call (719) 227-8145 or visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu/StateoftheRockies.
2011 Conference Schedule:
Monday, April 4:
Conference: Terry Tempest Williams: State of the Rockies Spring Conference, Day 1 — The first of the three-day conference, this event will showcase the revealing of the 2011 State of the Rockies Report Card. After the Report Card, the main event of the night is the awarding of the 2011 Champion of the Rockies Award. This year President Richard F. Celeste will award the 2011 Champion of the Rockies Award to conservationist, advocate for free speech, and author of “Refuge,” Terry Tempest Williams. Williams will then address the audience with several selected readings. This event is followed by a book signing, and refreshments will be available after the event. The 2011 Rockies Report Card and selected titles from Williams will be available for purchase in the lobby before and after the event. Sponsored by the State of the Rockies Project and CC’s Cultural Attractions Fund.
7:30 p.m., Colorado College, Armstrong Theatre, inside Armstrong Hall, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., free
Tuesday, April 5:
Conference: Mike Kaplan: CEO, Aspen Skiing Company, State of the Rockies Spring Conference, Day 2 — The second of the three-day conference, this event will showcase the 2011 Rockies Report Card with an overview of the section on recreation. The main event of the evening is a presentation by Mike Kaplan, CEO of Aspen Skiing Company. His presentation is titled “What Do We Want To Be? Business and Community Coming of Age in the Rockies.” Following the presentation there will be a question and answer session. Refreshments will also be available. After questions there is an optional screening of “Carbon Nation: A Climate Solutions Movie.” Sponsored by the State of the Rockies Project and CC’s Cultural Attraction Fund.
7:30 p.m., Colorado College, South Theatre, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave., free
Wednesday, April 6:
Conference: “American Serengeti,” State of the Rockies Spring Conference, Day 3 — The final day of the conference, this event will showcase the 2011 Rockies Report Card with an overview of the section focusing on the Eastern Plains. The main event of the night will be an authorized screening of National Geographic’s documentary, “American Serengeti,” followed by presentations from Martha Kauffman and Dick Dolan. Kauffman is managing director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Great Plains Program. Her presentation is titled “The Northern Plains: Conservation Opportunity of the Century.” Dolan is the managing director of the American Prairie Foundation; his presentation is titled “Building America’s Serengeti: The Effort to Assemble a Multi-Million Acre Grassland Reserve in Northeast Montana.” There will be a question and answer session, followed by refreshments. Sponsored by the State of the Rockies Project and CC’s Cultural Attraction Fund.
7 p.m., Colorado College, South Theatre, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave., free
For information, directions or disability accommodation at the event, members of the public may call (719) 389-6607.
About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 2,025 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 3½-week segments. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu <http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu>.