Date: May 19, 2009
Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363
Saturday, May 23, 7:00 p.m. – Enos Mills: Rocky Mountain Naturalist
As a boy and as a man, Enos Mills (1870-1922) lived a remarkable mountain life. From childhood on, his bond with mountains and wilderness, especially the Estes Park area, inspired him to overcome serious illness and the lack of formal education, money, or influential family to become a successful speaker, writer, naturalist, businessman, and the driving force behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park.
John Stansfield, storyteller, outdoorsman, and author of a new Millls biography, will present a one-man performance reenacting key moments in the life of Enos Mills. Following the performance, presented in first-person, Chautauqua style, the audience is invited to learn more about Mills in a question-and-answer session.
John Stansfield began in 1960 following the tracks of John Muir and Enos Mills and exploring the West, and has never stopped. He recently wrote biographies of Enos Mills and John Denver. His book, Writers of the American West: Multicultural Learning Encounters, received a Colorado Authors’ League Award and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in 2002. With a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, Stansfield taught elementary grades and now teaches on the adjunct faculty of the University of Colorado--Colorado Springs. The Wilderness Society presented him an Environmental Heroes Award in 2004 for his ongoing work to protect Colorado’s wild places.
The theme of the 2009 Lyceum Series is “Celebrate our Natural World: Artists Who Are Inspired by the Environment.” This year’s series has a cultural focus. The presentations will highlight how the natural world influences and inspires artists. Artists of all types: singers, musicians, painters, sculptors, woodcarvers, performance artists, writers, quilters and photographers will be involved in this year’s Lyceum.
The Lyceum schedule runs from January through May. Financial support for the lyceum series is provided by the park’s nonprofit partner, the Rocky Mountain Nature Association. Programs are free and open to the public. They are held at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center auditorium in Rocky Mountain National Park. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call (970) 586-1206.
