Author and naturalist Doug Peacock will be the featured speaker at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in June.
Peacock’s presentation will cover his 50 years of working to protect grizzly bear habitat in the Northern Rockies. Following Peacock’s talk, outgoing Executive Director John Sterling will reflect on his tenure at the helm of The Conservation Alliance, and review the organization’s accomplishments as it reaches its 30th anniversary. The breakfast, which is open to the public, is Wednesday, June 19, from 7:00-8:50 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
Peacock is best known for his book Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness, a memoir of his experiences spent alone in the wilderness observing grizzly bears. Peacock served as a Green Beret medic during the Vietnam War and, upon returning, felt so disillusioned with human society that he sought solace in the beauty of the wilderness. With little scientific background, his firsthand experience with bears brought him recognition as an expert in grizzly behavior. He was a friend of author Edward Abbey, and served as the model for the character George Hayduke in Abbey’s famous novel The Monkey Wrench Gang.
“As we reflect on our own 30th anniversary, we wanted to present a speaker who has been part of the American conservation movement since before our founding,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “As we look forward to the next 30 years, it’s important to gain perspective on conservation ups and downs over the past five decades.”
Earlier this year, Sterling announced that he would transition out of his position at The Conservation Alliance by the end of 2019. At the breakfast, he will take the opportunity to reflect on his work at the organization, and in the context of the group’s work over the past 30 years.
