Naturalist Nights is back for another season of learning, building community, and of course, our famous cookies and tea!

Each winter, our Naturalist Nights speaker series brings in experts to explore topics of the natural world with our community. This year's topic's range from wildlife and public lands to rivers and technology.  

The Naturalist Nights lecture series is a partnership with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and the Roaring Fork Audubon.

Presentations are Wednesdays at 6 pm at the Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale and Thursdays at 6pm at ACES' Hallam Lake in Aspen. We also offer virtual options on Thursday nights though Wilderness Workshop's Facebook and YouTube channels and Grassroots TV. 

Registration for in-person presentations is greatly encouraged. This registration page is for Wednesday night's presentation in Carbondale of "The Economics of Public Lands and Protected Areas,” by Evan Hjerpe, Executive Director of the Conservation Economics Institute. If you plan to attend Thursday night's presentation in Aspen, registration can be found at ACES' website. 

Date and Time:

Wednesday, March 6, 6-7pm

Location:

Roaring Fork High School (2270 CO-133, Carbondale, CO 81623)

About the presentation:

Public lands have historically operated under multiple-use mandates ranging from mining to grazing to recreation to conservation. The multiple uses of public lands have various economic ramifications and distributional effects for adjacent communities and for the public. In this presentation, join Evan Hjerpe as he details how economic activities on public lands affect regional economies, summarizes recent research conducted on the economic influence of protected areas, and illustrates economic transitions occurring in and near public lands.

About the speaker:

Evan Hjerpe is the founder and Director of the Conservation Economics Institute (CEI), a non-profit research organization. He holds a Ph.D. in forest economics and management from Northern Arizona University, where he also was a Visiting Assistant Professor. His expertise includes conservation benefits, regional economics, public-lands policy, and recreation economics. Evan has consulted for private businesses, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and universities. He has authored numerous journal articles and technical reports.

Unable to make the presentation in Carbondale? Catch Evan's presentation the following evening in Aspen or virtually through Wilderness Workshop's Facebook and YouTube channels or Grassroots TV.

Photo credit to Jon Mullen via EcoStock.