UNL to host national conference on natural landscapes Sept. 21-24

"Changing Natural Landscapes: Ecological and Human Dimensions," a national conference to evaluate and discuss natural landscapes will be held Sept. 21-24 at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, 333 S. 13th St.

The event is the 32nd annual conference for the Natural Areas Association and the 29th annual conference for its cosponsor, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Great Plains Studies.

The conference opens Sept. 21 with plenary talks by UNL professors James Stubbendieck and David Wishart and a keynote talk by Richard Manning. Author of eight books on environmental issues including "Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie," and "Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization," Manning's honors include the first Richard Margolis Award for environmental writing and the Montana Audubon Society Award for environmental reporting.

"We are excited to have Richard Manning speak to our conference participants. His talk on realizing the promise of the plains will give direction and energy to the conference theme," said conference chair and UNL faculty member Gary Willson.

Conference papers by 82 presenters from across the nation will be presented in concurrent sessions on Sept. 22 and 24. Paper topics range from landscape ecology and natural area use and planning, to issues in land management and human rights.

Participants may choose to attend one of two pre-conference field trips to the Niobrara Valley in north central Nebraska or the Konza Prairie in Kansas. On Sept. 23, they will have their choice of 15 field trips to sites located in or near Lincoln followed by a banquet, awards ceremony, silent auction, and featured talk by Lincoln photographer Michael Forsberg. The conference will close Sept. 24 with a luncheon talk by UNL biologist John Janovy Jr.

Stubbendieck's talk will focus on the dynamic vegetation of the Great Plains. He is the author of "North American Wildland Plants" and "Weeds of the Great Plains." Stubbendieck is director of the Center for Great Plains Studies and professor of grassland ecology at UNL. He conducts research and propagation of blowout penstemon, the only species of plant in Nebraska on the Federal Endangered Species List.

Wishart is the author of the acclaimed "An Unspeakable Sadness: The Dispossession of the Nebraska Indians," which won the J. B. Jackson Prize. Wishart, who is chair of the Department of Anthropology and Geography at UNL, is also editor of the recently published "Encyclopedia of the Great Plains." Wishart will speak about two centuries of environmental change on the Great Plains.

Forsberg, whose image, "Sanctuary--Nebraska Sandhills," is the icon of the conference, will speak about his journeys through the Sandhills. Forsberg's work has appeared in National Geographic Magazine and Audubon, and his image of Nine-Mile Prairie was selected by the U.S. Postal Service for an international postage stamp. In 2004, Forsberg received the Conservation Education Award from The Wildlife Society.

Janovy is the Paula and D. B. Varner distinguished professor of biological sciences at UNL. His books include "Keith County Journal," "Foundations of Parasitology," "On Becoming a Biologist," and "Teaching in Eden." Winner of the University of Nebraska's two highest awards, the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Outstanding Research and Creativity Award, Janovy also received the Clark P. Read Mentorship Award from the American Society of Parasitologists in 2003. He will speak about the landscape as a metaphor.

Student participation, which has always been a vital part of conferences for both organizations, will be highlighted by the presentation of awards in the student poster and paper competition. Support for student registration has been donated by the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Complete conference registration is $225 for Natural Areas Association members and $260 for non- members before Sept. 5 and $280 and $310 after. Single-day rates are available. There is a reduced-rate registration for students. Rates include four meals, conference materials, and some field trips. Online registration is available at www.unl.edu/plains. A block of rooms is reserved at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, (402) 474-7474, until Sept. 5.

Additional support for the conference comes from the Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit/National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, UNL School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Biology, Grassland Foundation, Audubon Nebraska, State of Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs and Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

For more information or to register for the conference, contact the UNL Center for Great Plains Studies at (402) 472-3082 or visit www.unl.edu/plains.

The links below are to color JPEG images of the four conference speakers and Michael Forsberg.

CONTACTS: Gary Willson, Conference Chair, Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit/National Park Service, (402) 472-5047;
James Stubbendieck, Director, Center for Great Plains Studies, (402) 472-3082; and
Kim Weide, Events Coordinator, Center for Great Plains Studies, (402) 472-3964