Our picnic will feature a talk from Bozeman environmental historian and writer, Betsy Gaines Quammen. She is the author of the books American Zion – Cliven Bundy, God and Public Lands in the West, and the upcoming True West – Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America. True West explores the myths of the West and how, if left unexamined, they distort the realities of the present and exacerbate polarization. Betsy listens carefully to people from varying political and cultural perspectives as she seeks to reconcile the deep anger and broad misunderstandings that linger amid the myths that define and impede the West and America.
Betsy’s talk, “Maintaining Community, Integrity, and Relationships in Rural Communities,” will focus on her experiences researching and writing on conservation issues facing the West. She believes, as we demonstrate with the Good Neighbor Agreement, that talking through issues is the best way to reach common ground solutions.