JOHNSON CITY – Dr. Anne LaBastille will present an address and slide show entitled “Environmental Restoration at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala: A Dangerous Case Study” on Monday, Nov. 12 at East Tennessee State University.
LaBastille's work as an ecological consultant and photojournalist includes varied interests, from the Adirondacks of New York and the Florida Everglades, to the wilderness areas of Central and South America. Her 30 years of research experience in Guatemala has centered upon ecological restoration and environmental risk education regarding Lake Atitlan. She has served as principal investigator in a study conducted by Cornell University's department of natural resources, worked with the World Wildlife Fund toward the establishment of a private Quetzal cloud forest reserve, and lectured at the University of the Valley, Guatemala, promoting the protection of Lake Atitlan, considered “one of the loveliest on earth.”
The internationally known author and ecologist holds the ETSU Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence for the Integration of the Arts, Rhetoric and Science this fall semester.
LaBastille lives in a log cabin she built in 1965 in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. She is a widely recognized photojournalist, as well as the author of more than a dozen books, including her Woodswoman trilogy and Jaguar Totem, an account of her adventures as an ecological advocate. Her many awards and honors include being the first woman to receive a Citation of Merit from The Explorers Club.
The presentation on Lake Atitlan is the third in LaBastille's series of four lectures planned during the coming weeks. In addition, LaBastille is teaching “Wilderness Literature and Writing” during the fall semester at ETSU.
This lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be given at 7 p.m., in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium, located in ETSU's D.P. Culp University Center. A book signing will follow the address.
For information, or special assistance for persons with disabilities, contact the ETSU department of biological sciences, (423) 439-4339.