The Graves Lecture Series at Chadron State College begins its latest season tonight with a presentation by National Park Service landscape architect Kat Shiffler.
Her talk is free and begins at 7:00 in the Sandoz Center Chicoine Atrium.
Shiffler has a background in rural economic development and provides technical assistance and project support to small towns through the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service.
She’s titled her presentation “Trail Town USA” and will explore how she works with communities to plan and design recreation and conservation opportunities. She’ll also talk about collaborative trail projects such as Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail.
Shiffler will also share examples of small-town bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that benefit local residents while attracting visitors and stimulating local businesses.
In addition to her 7:00 Graves Lecture, Shiffler is offering an informal session about her work this morning at 11:00 in Old Admin 227.
She says “Successful trail towns emerge from improved services and amenities; a culture of hospitality, stewardship and inclusivity; and from regional efforts to improve connectivity between the trail and towns along the route,”
The Graves Lecture Series will have 2 more presentations after tonight with
CSC Creative Writing professor and poet Haesong Kwon in 2 weeks on Oct 3. Kwon’s presentation is titled Poems that Can Drive a Fully Grown Human to Sob Uncontrollably.
Wrapping up the fall portion of the series on Oct 24th will be CSC Criminal Justice instructor Danielle Covolo. Her talk will focus on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous persons on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Covolo will include related topics such as a return to the localization of resources and tribal sovereignty