Scientist and mountaineer John All to speak Feb. 17

John All, associate professor at Western Kentucky University, will present "An Integrated Assessment of Recent Environmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca Mountains of Peru" as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 in Academic West room 304 on the Western campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

All will present his experiences in the mountains of the world and his current projects in Peru. He has been working for several years to develop environmental science expeditions to indicator mountain ranges such as the Everest region and the tropical Andes in Peru. He is working with the American Alpine Club’s (ACC) Climber Science Program to build field techniques, a knowledge base and educational tools needed for long-term scientific work in the world’s mountains. He will talk about his ongoing project in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range in Peru. Analysis of data collected from the range’s lower elevations will be widely shared for building practical models that can help planners and educators devise ways to deal with diminishing supply and quality of water and altered seasonal patterns for agriculture, grazing and other ecological services. All is recruiting possible team members with scientific interest and mountaineering experience.

All has 24 peer-reviewed publications and he worked with the United Nations for six years as a program officer for the Climate Change and Human Health Initiative. He is a scientist, a climber and a lawyer who studies how climate change and resource management interact to impact the biosphere, primarily in mountainous regions. He has climbed Mount Everest, as well as Denali, Artesonraju, El Capitan, and many other mountains around the world. Currently he is the chair of the American Alpine Club's Climber Science Program and the Expedition Director for AAC trips to Peru in 2012 and 2013.

Anyone interested in this topic is encouraged to come and participate; the presentation will include a question-and-answer period. The speaker series is held by Western's Huxley College of the Environment to bring together the environmentally minded community and other interested members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

For more information, please contact the main office of Huxley College of the Environment, at (360) 650-3520.

Western’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College’s academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.