Zane Lawyer, CFA’s Education Arborist, will give a talk on the evolving meaning of wilderness in American history and its significance for the future of the Catskill region. Following the presentation, a wide-ranging open discussion of wilderness will be held with the audience to further clarify the role of humans in the environment. Participants are encouraged to tell their own stories, perspectives, and first-hand experiences with wilderness and how their own understanding has or hasn’t changed over time. 

Zane received a B.S. in Forest Health with a minor in Environmental Writing and Philosophy from SUNY ESF in 2016. Out of college he worked as a plant healthcare technician until becoming a Certified Arborist in 2018. He has worked in the field of arboriculture ever since. Both born and raised in Central New York, he and his wife Kayla moved to the Catskills in 2020 and hope to one day buy and manage their own woodlot.

Recommended readings for discussion: The Trouble with Wilderness or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature by William Cronon [short read] The Land Ethic by Aldo Leopold [short read] Wilderness and the American Mind by Roderick Frasier Nash [long read]