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The Land Conservancy to host author Tony Hiss at Canisius College on May 25

May 19, 2023 | Events

The Western New York Land Conservancy is thrilled to host renowned author Tony Hiss, one of the strongest advocates for land protection in the United States, to discuss his seminal book Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth. Given a recent sobering report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, protecting our forests couldn’t be more urgent.

The free event will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 25 at the Montante Cultural Center on the campus of Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo. For individuals unable to attend in person, the event will also be livestreamed, but registration is required to get the link.

In-person registration: https://www.wnylc.org/tonyhiss

Livestream registration: https://www.wnylc.org/tonyhisslivestream

Western New York is a wonderful place to live. It’s home to a vast amount of fresh water, our forests teem with incredible wildlife, and we are the stewards of some of the world’s most fertile soils. But the region has also witnessed tremendous sprawl over the past 50 years, resulting in the development of large stretches of land. 

An Evening with Tony Hiss is part of the Land Conservancy community’s effort to advance a region-wide conversation about protecting forests in Western New York and beyond. It’s also part of our effort to save the Floating Fen in Chautauqua County — an extraordinary 223-acre property adjacent to the College Lodge Forest near Fredonia that our community is raising funds to purchase this year — and create the Western New York Wildway. The WNY Wildway is an ambitious long-term plan to protect and connect the largest of our region’s remaining forests. The Wildway will allow plants and animals to roam across the land as they once did, to move as climate changes, and to expand their ranges and ensure their survival. It will also allow wildlife that have disappeared from our region to return home. This ethos is at the core of Rescuing the Planet.

The event is free and open to the public, but donations to save the Floating Fen are always welcome. Copies of Rescuing the Planet can be purchased in advance at Buffalo’s Talking Leaves Books, which is partnering with the Land Conservancy. Books will also be sold at the event; a Q&A and book signing will follow.  

This event is sponsored by Renee Bush; the Bank of East Aurora, a wedding venue and boutique hotel; the Biology and Environmental Science Programs at Canisius College; Chautauqua Institution; Mark P. and Deborah E. Kisker; and the Nature Sanctuary Society of Western New York.

Praise for Rescuing the Planet

“Tony Hiss lays out what can — indeed must — be done to slow the tide of extinction. Rescuing the Planet is at once sobering and joyful — a celebration of life and the many people working to save it.” — Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Under a White Sky

“Inspiring … an upbeat and engaging account of the remarkable progress being made to preserve vast wild spaces for animals to roam. Hiss is an indefatigable reporter and graceful writer, traversing the continent to observe the animals being saved and profile their saviors. He tells a good story, whether he’s describing his traipses through the wild or chronicling the history of the conservation movement.” — John Tierney, The Wall Street Journal

“Rescuing the Planet vividly explores the past, present, and future of our relationship with the wilderness. Hiss crafts a strong argument for action in the face of mass extinction.” — Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator, Rhode Island

“Tony Hiss has not just captured the possibility of large-scale conservation, he’s understood that it needs to be connected with human beings. The idea of Indigenous Protected Areas that he describes is one of those prospects — simultaneously radical and obvious — that might give us a fighting chance in the decades ahead!” — Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?

The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, nonprofit land trust that has protected more than 8,000 acres of land with significant conservation value in Western New York for the benefit of future generations. We envision a future in which forests, farms, meadows and waterways are connected, cherished and protected in Western New York. Our clean air, clean water and fertile soils will equitably support the health and wellbeing of future generations of every living thing. The Land Conservancy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities or the mission of the Western New York Land Conservancy, please call (716) 687-1225 or visit wnylc.org.

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