LEWISTON

Bates College will present a talk by Audrey Peterman, a nationally recognized leader in the movement to make America’s public lands relevant to all demographic groups, at 7:30 p.m. March 2 in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St., Lewiston.

An author and environmentalist, Peterman is known for weaving themes of relevance, inclusiveness, natural resource protection and climate resilience into presentations. She has influenced change at the local level by engaging members of diverse communities with their history in the national parks, particularly with the restoration of the Florida Everglades.

Nationally, she has helped effect change as a member of the boards of the National Parks Conservation Association, the Association of Partners for Public

Lands and the National Parks Promotion Council; as a citizen lobbyist; and as a community expert informing Congress.

Peterman’s advocacy is rooted in personal experience. With their last child graduating from college, Audrey and Frank Peterman embarked on a road trip to “discover America.” Traveling 12,000 miles across 40 states, they were transformed by the natural beauty, history and culture protected in U.S. national parks and other public lands.

But they were shocked to see relatively few Americans of Hispanic, Asian, African or Native American heritage enjoying or employed in these inspiring settings. Recognizing that this problem stemmed from a lack of information, misconceptions and latent fears about being in the woods, the Petermans resolved to become catalysts for change.

In 1995 Audrey Peterman cofounded Earthwise Productions, Inc., an environmental consulting and publishing firm focused on connecting the public lands system and the American public. In 2014, the Petermans consolidated the experience gained in almost two decades of environmental work and created the Diverse Environmental Leaders National Speakers Bureau, which provides professional services to help integrate the environmental sector.

Audrey Peterman’s books include “Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care” and the travel guide “Our True Nature: Finding a Zest for Life in the National Park System!”

The talk is open to the public at no cost, but tickets are required and are available at bit.ly/1XBzolu. For more information, contact [email protected].