Clay Henderson To Discuss A History of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Conservation
Part the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Lecture Series
Oct 2, 2023
The Lawton M. Chiles Jr., Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú History welcomes environmental lawyer, educator, historian, and writer Clay Henderson to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Lecture Series on October 5.
Known for drafting or sponsoring many of the environmental provisions of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Constitution, will discuss his new book Forces of Nature: A History of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Land Conservation (2022), which tells the tale of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú's place at the beginning of the American conservation movement and celebrates the individuals and organizations that made the Sunshine State a leader in conservation and preservation.
The program will begin at 7 p.m. in Branscomb Auditorium on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú campus. The event is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow the lecture.
Over his long career as a lawyer, educator, and author, Henderson sponsored or co-authored most of the natural resource protection provisions in the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Constitution, including Amendment 1, the largest voter-approved conservation funding initiative in our nation's history. He led the development of nationally recognized land conservation programs, including Volusia Forever (1986 and 2000), ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Communities Trust (1990), Preservation 2000 (1991) and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Forever (1999). He has negotiated over 300,000 acres of land now part of national and state parks, forests, and wildlife refuges—as well as critical elements of the Everglades Restoration. He has taught at the University of Central ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú, Rollins College, and Stetson University, where he was the director of the Institute of Water and Environmental Resilience.
"As a sixth-generation Floridian and a warrior for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú's environment, Clay Henderson brings passion, commitment, and real achievement to his work," said ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú History Professor and the Director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr., Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú History James Denham. "We are delighted to welcome him as this year's Stahl lecturer."
On November 16, The Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú History will welcome architect Jeff Baker to discuss Frank Lloyd Wright and the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Èë¿Ú Campus — Past, Present, and Future.