A panel discussion will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17, to discuss desert wilderness issues and mark the 25th anniversary of passage of the federal Arizona Desert Wilderness Act.
Among the speakers is Mark Trautwein, who played a key role in helping get the law passed while working as a staffer for the late U.S. Rep. Morris Udall of Tucson.
Longtime wildlife photographer Jack Dykinga will speak and share photos heβs taken of Arizona desert wilderness areas.
Other panelists include Barbara Hawke, director of the Arizona Wilderness Coalition; Christopher Cokinos, a University of Arizona Associate Professor of English and co-editor of The Sonoran Desert: A Literary Field Guide; Ray OβNeil, chief ranger at Saguaro National Park; and Sergio Avila, a conservation scientist for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Also speaking will be Nathan Caswell, a professional wilderness steward and director of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado River.
The free discussion runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., downtown.