Williams News Logo
Grand Canyon News Logo

Trusted local news leader for Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon

GCA's lecture series continues

Grand Canyon Association, in partnership with Northern Arizona University and Prescott's Sharlot Hall Museum, resumes its Canyon Country Lecture Series in Flagstaff and Prescott this September with a diversity of experts who will speak on the rich natural and cultural history of Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau. GCA offers free transportation to all lectures. Contact Helen Thompson at 638-7033 for information.

This series can be taken for one hour of college credit through Coconino Community College. Contact Alan Petersen at 928-226-4322.

"Incredible Grand Canyon: Cliffhangers and Curiosities from America's Greatest Canyon," Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7-8:30 p.m., NAU's Cline Library and Thursday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. at the Shrine of the Ages: A good story told well is a beautiful thing, and there is no better storyteller than Scott Thybony. As an author and guide, he has enthralled audiences for decades with stories of the Grand Canyon's colorful characters and oral traditions. What turns up in this presentation based on his new book are bits of Canyon lore that have slipped through the cracks and classic stories that still resonate. The people who appear in it range from eminent explorers to Canyon characters-both certifiable and aspiring. It includes the best of the tall tales trimmed down to size, the telling facts, a few scandals, a little romance, some grand schemes gone awry and a few cliffhangers thrown in as well. It's a light take on the hard facts.

A former river guide and archeologist, Thybony writes for major magazines and newspapers. His interviews have ranged from astronauts to medicine men, and his travels through North America have resulted in award-winning magazine articles. Having lived with the Navajo in the American southwest and the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, he brings to his writing an enthusiasm for the natural world and those living close to it.

"Volcanoes of Northern Arizona, " Sunday, Nov. 18, 1-2:30 p.m., Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott: Wendell Duffield, who spent 32 years studying volcanoes for the U.S. Geological Survey and author of "Volcanoes of Northern Arizona," talks about the San Francisco Volcanic Field, the range of mountains between Williams, Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. These volcanic peaks range in age from 6 million years near Williams to about 100,000 years at Sunset Crater. He will also discuss the likelihood of future eruptions from a geologic time perspective. When not playing, he teaches geology at Northern Arizona University, consults in the geothermal-energy patch and writes.

Flagstaff lectures are held at Northern Arizona University's Cline Library, located at the intersection of Knowles Drive and McCreary Road on the NAU campus. Parking is available to the west of the library in Lot P13 on Riordan Road.

Prescott lectures are held at the Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 West Gurley St., two blocks west of Courthouse Plaza. Space is limited at the Prescott series, so call 928-445-3122 to inquire about seating.

For more on future lectures and GCA's other offerings, visit www.grandcanyon.org


Donate Report a Typo Contact