Landscape ecologist Charles Curtin will read from and talk about his new book, The Science of Open Spaces: Theory and Practice for Conserving Large, Complex Systems at Elk River Books on Monday, October 12. Curtin focuses his attention at the intersection of human communities and wild lands, using a science-based approach to preserving large-scale ecosystems.
In the book, Curtin shares his first-hand experiences, drawing on years of work around the world and in the U.S., in places ranging from the ranches of the American Southwest to the fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine. He calls for a broad application of science that reaches across disciplines and is grounded in pragmatism.
According to Lynn Scarlett of the Nature Conservancy, The Science of Open Spaces, “presents an astonishing grasp of social, ecological, historic, and conservation knowledge, linking that interdisciplinary knowledge with the author’s experiences with fishing and ranching communities in large-scale conservation contexts. He shows us how to make conservation work for people and nature amid complexity and change.”
Curtin has helped design projects including the million-acre Malpai Borderlands Conservation Area in the Sonoran Desert, along with the 750,000 square mile Downeast Initiative off the coast of Maine. His international experience includes coordinating collaborative large landscape conservation projects in East Africa and the Middle East. He has helped establish academic programs in conservation design at MIT and Antioch University with a focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Curtin’s reading will take place upstairs at Elk River Books, 120 N. Main St. in Livingston at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Elk River Books specializes in collectible outdoor, regional and Western history books, and provides a lively venue for southwest Montana’s unique literary community. For more information, call 333-2330.
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