Mitch Friedman to present 'Keeping the Wild in Washington ' March 15

Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest, will present "Keeping the Wild in Washington" as part of the WWU Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 in Academic Center West room AW-204 on the Western Washington University campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Washington’s diverse landscape, from rainforest to sage steppe, supports diverse wildlife treasured by our people who live here. But with a rapidly growing human population and changing climate, focused and resourced conservation action is needed to sustain that biodiversity. Friedman will share observations from over three decades of protecting wildlands and wildlife, including some inspiring successes. He’ll also explain how the state is under committing to our wildlife, and what can be done about that.

Friedman never held the same job for longer than a few months prior to founding Conservation Northwest in 1989, working prior to that as a gas pumper, ranch hand, fork lift driver, North Pacific fisheries biologist, and other odd jobs. He has a degree in zoology from the University of Washington and raised two daughters in Bellingham before recently moving back to Seattle.

The Huxley College Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, contact WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2949 or visit the website: https://huxley.wwu.edu/huxley-college-speaker-series.

Academic Center West (map): http://www.wwu.edu/map/?building=AW

Conservation Northwest: https://www.conservationnw.org/