Michael Soulé, environmentalist, conservation biologist and author, will speak at noon Wednesday at the Henry Strater Theater, where limited seating is available, and then will give another talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Arts Center.
Michael Soulé, environmentalist, conservation biologist and author, will speak at noon Wednesday at the Henry Strater Theater, where limited seating is available, and then will give another talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Arts Center.Courtesy of Durango Arts Center

Michael Soulé, considered “The Father of Conservation Biology,” will speak at two separate events in Durango this week, focusing on a range of environmental topics and issues.

Soulé will headline the Green Business Roundtable’s first event of the fall at noon Wednesday at the Henry Strater Theatre, and then will give another talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Arts Center. The center is bringing him to Durango as part of the programming for its annual members environmental exhibit.

Soulé and a colleague are credited with coining the term ‘conservation biology,’ which is the study of biodiversity in the attempt to protect ecosystems from extinction.

His lecture at the DAC is titled “Courageous Carnivores & Compromised Conservationists.” According to a news release, the talk “speaks about morality, conservation, ethics, human nature and practical means of reducing society’s environmental impacts.”

Soulé earned a doctorate in population biology at Stanford University and studied under Paul R. Ehrlich, also a well-known ecologist, who wrote extensively about overpopulation.

“He is very outspoken about the role of biodiversity in conversation efforts,” said Erika Brown of the San Juan Citizens Alliance. “It was a great opportunity to harness a big name in the conservation movement coming to Durango. We hope it will educate people about biodiversity, which has not been in the current dialogue, locally, recently.”

Soulé is also co-founder of The Society for Conservation Biology, and was listed as one of the 20th century’s 100 Champions of Conservation by Audubon Magazine.

“The arts can play a huge role in more than just beautiful performances, paintings and visual delight,” said community activist Bliss Bruen, who credits Mary Puller, exhibits director at the DAC with both getting Soulé to town and getting the center involved in environmental outreach. “They can weave audiences into getting the big picture about the great extinction facing us – climate change, policy, human reluctance to address anything before it turns orange, etc.”

The DAC created the exhibit several years ago. The first exhibit focused on water in the West.

“We have been able to invite scholars, writers and researchers to Durango to share with the community their insights and knowledge, in regards to the planet and its resources,” Puller said in a news release.

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If you go

Michael Soulé will speak at noon Wednesday in the Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., during the Green Business Roundtable. The registration deadline for lunch has passed. A limited number of walk-ins will be available for $18.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the doors will open at the Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., for a reception featuring information from a number of local environmental groups before Soulé speaks at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the lecture are $10.
At 5:45 p.m. Sept. 10, in a continuation of its programming for the annual members environmental exhibit, the Durango Arts Center will present a screening of “The Great Divide,” a film documenting the history of water in Colorado. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for a reception for regional water-focused groups, and a panel discussion will be held after the film featuring Bruce Whitehead, executive director of the Southwest Water Conservation District, Dan Olson, executive director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, Kate Greenberg from the National Young Farmers Association and Michael Vicente from Ute Mountain Ute Enterprises.