Presidio Trust to host New Photo Exhibit and Speaker Series
Crown Jewels: Five Great National Parks Around the World to Open February 19, 2014
(Presidio of San Francisco – January 18, 2014) The Presidio Trust will open a new photo exhibit Crown Jewels: Five Great National Parks Around the World and the Challenges They Face on February 19 in the Presidio Trust gallery, along with an accompanying speaker series. Crown Jewels showcases parks in Tibet, East Africa, Italy, Amazonia, and Australia through the eyes of experts, each with a lifetime’s work in that part of the world. Colorful, informative displays tell the story of the featured parks and the contributions of researchers who work to document and sustain them. The exhibit is curated by Presidio Trust Historian Emeritus Randolph Delehanty, Ph.D.
”I am pleased and honored to exhibit Crown Jewels in the Presidio,” said Randy Delehanty. “I have great respect for the people who are working to save the world’s public parks and I am so happy to be able to highlight their work and make people aware of the threats to these treasures.”
The Presidio, a former U.S. Army base and national park site, was itself at risk after the Army departed the base in 1994. The costs and challenges of converting a military post to a welcoming public destination were significant, and the Presidio’s future was uncertain. In a demonstration of innovative thinking and bipartisan collaboration, Congress adopted a solution to catalyze ideas, partners, and resources from all sectors to save the Presidio as a public place. In 1996, it created the Presidio Trust to join the National Park Service as stewards of this magnificent site.
“Like the five international parks showcased in this exhibit, we have faced pressing challenges at the Presidio: caring for native habitats and cultural resources, creating an inclusive and welcoming community, and establishing a financial foundation that would allow the park to thrive, said Craig Middleton, Presidio Trust Executive Director. “While our work is far from complete, we hope that the collaborative approach forged at the Presidio offers a valuable case study of how champions from across sectors can come together to save a treasured place.”
A speaker series accompanies the exhibit, presenting a rare opportunity to hear from the experts whose work is featured. Speakers will come from all over the world, and include a presentation by Fiona Watson, M.A. of Survival International, who will be joined by Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, Tribal Shaman, to discuss Amazonian National Parks, Land Rights and the future of Indigenous Peoples. Complimentary lectures will be held on February 20, March 20, April 24, May 16, June 19, and July 10, from 7 to 8 pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, in the Presidio, just a short distance from the exhibit hall. Admission is free and no RSVP is required.
The Crown Jewels exhibition is free and will be hosted in the ground floor gallery of the Presidio Trust Headquarters at 103 Montgomery Street on the Presidio’s Main Post. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the gallery with docents on hand to answer questions and share information. The exhibit is open from February 19 to August 17, Wednesday to Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
About the Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in the management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust’s vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with events, lodging, venues, and recreational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.