In the desert, water appears when we least expect it and hides when we want it most. Rain falls but never reaches the ground, and dry washes abruptly become rivers. One constant holds true: water enables life. On Sunday, September 11 at 2 p.m. in the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Branigar Hall, water’s different roles in the desert will be discussed by Thomas Lowe Fleischner, a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies, with a book signing following. The lecture and book signing are free with admission.
“Exploration of desert wetlands—whether on foot, with photographs, or in words—involves vacillating between tremendous, uplifting beauty and great, heartbreaking degradation. We offer the images and words in your hands that you might grasp the beauty more readily, and join the chorus of voices calling for an end to despoiling of these treasurelands.” —Thomas Lowe
Fleischner in Desert Wetlands.
In Desert Wetlands, passionate naturalist Tom Fleischner and distinguished photographer Lucian Niemeyer document sites in the American Southwest and Mexico that are gauges to the environment. The wetlands included are Cuatro Cienegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico, the San Pedro River in Arizona, the Escalante River in Utah, the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the playas and wetlands in Arizona, the Mohave Desert in California, and the Big Bend National Park in Texas.
“I believe in the life-changing power of a simultaneous immersion in wild nature and rigorous educational process,” states Fleischner.
Fleischner teaches in the Environmental Studies Program at Prescott College. His earth sciences studies began at Evergreen State College in Field Biology, then at Western Washington University in Biology, and The Union Institute in Environmental Studies, receiving his Ph.D. in 1998. Fleischner teaches Conservation Biology, Natural History, and a variety of interdisciplinary environmental studies courses integrating the humanities and sciences. His interests include nature writing, the historical and philosophical aspects of the human-nature relationship, and the relationship between science and public policy. Tom is the author of Singing Stone: A Natural History of the Escalante Canyons, as well as numerous professional articles on topics ranging from the ecological effects of livestock grazing, to wilderness management and biodiversity. His field studies of birds and marine mammals have taken him from the Pacific Northwest to the Alaskan Arctic and Sonoran Desert. He co-founded and directed the North Cascades Institute, an environmental field school, and worked for the National Park Service.
Lucian Niemeyer’s previous books include Chesapeake Country, Okefenokee, and Old Order Amish. He lives in Santa Fe.
Book Reviews:
“This book exposes the raw natural beauty of desert wetlands and emphasizes their ecological necessity, as well as how human impact affects their existence. . . [Desert Wetlands] is filled to the brim with fascinating information.”—The Times-Independent, UT
“[Fleischner] does a superb job interjecting interesting narratives and useful information on the subject of desert wetlands. . [Niemeyer’s] work thrills the senses.”—Tucson Weekly
“[Desert Wetlands] reveals the beauty and vibrant life of these vital and imperiled lands in the Southwestern United States and Mexico.”—Las Cruces Sun-News
“Desert Wetlands is a serious environmental book wrapped in disarmingly beautiful imagery.”—The Durango Herald, CO
“Desert Wetlands is an appealing photo essay with an extensive accompanying text.”—Winging It: Newsletter of the American Birding Association
“Lucian Niemeyer’s photographs capture all the beauty of the Southwest.”—Waterbury Sunday Republican, CT
“Mr. Niemeyer’s photography . . . is utterly superb.”—Southern Living