See schedule following press release. Sponsored by UNH's William L. Dunfey Endowment for the Study of History, and hosted by the Department of History, the conference will bring together the top people in the country in the field of environmental history, including three scholars from overseas. All of the sessions are free and open to the public. It's the study of the relationship between human action and changes in the natural world. Both men are experts on how human societies and nature have interacted on a grand scale.
Environmental history is a field that is growing and attracting a lot of attention.
We chose this area because we felt it would be of interest to not only the academic community, but the general public as well. A new feature at this conference is scheduled roundtables after the panels to encourage discussion and provide an opportunity for people to talk more about the issues that will be raised. For example, the destruction of the bison is historical, but it's also a very contemporary issue. In my environmental history class, students are able to relate what they learn to their own experience, and I think people will at the conference, too. A reception will follow.