Gualala Arts Lecture Series presents:
Will Salmon Survive Us?

with Laura Chariton
Monday, May 16, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Admission is $5

For years sportsmen, commercial fishermen, and even those shopping for a weekend barbeque have been aware that wild salmon is an endangered species. On Monday, May 16, Laura Chariton will help us to better understand what is happening to the salmon's ecosystem when she presents her talk at Gualala Arts Center answering the question, "Will salmon survive us?"

Her talk addresses the positive and negative impacts our current practices have on the salmon, a fish that she argues is in an extinction spiral that has been highly impacted by the past two hundred years of human practices. The policies formed today will determine the success of the species and the shape of its ecosystem for generations to come.

This fish, prized for is beauty, its commercial value, its health benefits as a food, and its appeal as a game fish can focus our attention on the loss of biodiversity that is costing the world from 2 to 5 trillion dollars a year according to the United Nations Environmental Summit report in 2010. More importantly, we have a brief window of ten years in which to act before ecosystem collapse causes irreversible damage.

Chariton believes that by understanding the entire scope our watershed system plays in the life cycle of the salmon, citizens can influence policy makers to form policies that insure individuals, governmental agencies, and commercial interests become better stewards of the land.

Although Chariton originally worked in art, set design and art direction, she has devoted much of her life to advocating for environmental issues and has been involved in many restoration projects. Currently, she serves on the board of Mill Valley StreamKeepers and is completing her master's degree in Riparian Policy and Restoration at the Hutchins Institute at Sonoma State University.

What Chariton has to say should appeal to a wide variety of people who enjoy the beauty of our coast, rivers and offshore waters. There is no preticket sale for this talk, but a $5 admission will be collected at the door. This is the first of two talks in 2011 involving Permaculture - designing sustainable human settlements and food systems.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Join us in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Gualala Arts, 1961 - 2011

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.