Shepherd University, at Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is hosting two talks by The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia that will focus on actions for climate resiliency and forest conservation in the state and the Appalachian Mountains on Monday, February 28, at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium.
The presentations, which are free and open to the public, will take place in person and live-streamed on YouTube.
Mike Powell, director of lands, will present “Restoring an Iconic West Virginia Ecosystem: Status and Outlook for High Elevation Forests in West Virginia” at 5 p.m. Thomas Minney, executive director, will present “Resiliency in Appalachia: Conservation, Climate, and Community Actions” at 7 p.m.
Both presentations are sponsored by the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, the Shepherd University Department of Environmental and Physical Sciences, Shepherd University Lifelong Learning, and Shepherd University’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities.
Powell is director of lands for The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia, where he manages a portfolio of conserved lands, including a network of nature preserves and conservation easements. He has been principally interested in the restoration of the red spruce ecosystem since joining the Conservancy in 2006.
Minney, a Shepherd graduate, has been the executive director of The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia since 2015. He has worked closely with private landowners, industry, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, researchers, scientists, energy industry partners, and others to identify, prioritize, protect, and restore the central Appalachians and West Virginia’s natural resources.
Those attending the events in person will be required to follow Shepherd University’s current COVID-19 policy that requires wearing a mask indoors. For more information and to sign up for the live stream link, visit https://www.byrdcenter.org/.
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