Wildlands Philanthropy: The Great American Tradition was published in October 2008, with a bi-coastal series of public and private events, including a symposium, the Wildlands Philanthropy Forum, co-hosted by the National Park Foundation and the Conservation Land Trust. Book launch parties were held at Fort Baker in Sausalito, California, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Author Tom Butler and conservationist Kristine Tompkins, whose work is profiled in the book, spoke at the Land Trust Alliance Rally in Pittsburgh, the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, the Patagonia store in New York City, and gave a Congressional Staff Briefing on international wildlands philanthropy in Washington, DC, sponsored by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation.

Tom Butler has recently given presentations on wildlands philanthropy on behalf of the Northeast Wilderness Trust (Boston), the Highlands Nature Sanctuary (Bainbridge, Ohio), and Bernheim Forest (Louisville, Kentucky).

Upcoming Events

January 22, 2009. Freeport, Maine
Tom Butler will speak at the annual members’ meeting of RESTORE: The North Woods. Patagonia Outlet store; 6:30 pm. For details contact 207-626-5635.

March 11. Boulder, Colorado
Tom Butler and Kristine Tompkins will speak as part of Series E, hosted by the WILD Foundation. Boulder Public Library, free, 5:30 pm. Post lecture reception at the City Club, $25. For info contact Emily Loose, emily@wild.org.

March 19. Washington, DC
A short companion film to the book, Wildlands Philanthropy, will be screened as part of the multi-week Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org). 1pm, National Portrait Gallery; free. TomButler will answer questions following the screening.