America’s red rock canyon lands wilderness, located in southern Utah, draws pilgrims from across the country and around the world.  It is the largest network of undesignated wilderness lands remaining in the lower 48 states.

Illinois Wesleyan’s GREENetwork and Sierra Student Coalition; The Ecology Action Center; John Wesley Powell Audubon Society; and the Illinois Clergy and Laity for Utah Wilderness will host a traveling presentation entitled “Wild Utah: America’s Red Rock Wilderness” on Tuesday, September 20 at 7 p.m. at the Hansen Student Center (300 Beecher St.)

The speaker will be Clayton Daughenbaugh, conservation organizer with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Chairperson of the Sierra Club’s National Wildlands and Wilderness Committee.

The program includes “Wild Utah”, a multi-media slideshow documenting citizen efforts to designate public lands in southern Utah’s spectacular canyon country as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This 15-minute journey through red rock splendor, narrated by Robert Redford, invigorates and motivates viewers to participate in the movement to protect these unique lands.  It was made possible through the generous donation of photos, music and words from concerned Utahans who wish to pass this heritage on to future generations.

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Sierra Club and their partners in the Utah Wilderness Coalition seek to gain local support for the “Citizens’ Proposal” to protect wilderness areas in Utah’s red rock canyon lands.  Comprehensive legislation is pending in Congress and administrative decisions by the Department of Interior are ongoing.

For more information contact:  Carl Teichman at cteich@iwu.edu or Clayton Daughenbaugh at claytonhd@xmission.com