Author Talk with Bruce Bugbee, Robert Kiesling, and John Wright

Country Bookshelf is excited to welcome Bruce Bugbee, Robert Kiesling, and John Wright to celebrate the release of Saving the Big Sky on July 16 at 6pm.

Tickets are not required for this event, but RSVPs are appreciated. Please get a FREE general admission ticket by selecting "Get tickets" on this page.

Books can be purchased at the event or ordered in advance through Eventbrite, ordering on our website, or by calling Country Bookshelf at 406-587-0166 during our regular business hours.

The event at a glance:

• On July 16, please arrive early to secure your seat. Seating is general admission first come, first serve.
• At 6:00pm, the event program featuring Bruce Bugbee, Robert Kiesling, and John Wright will begin. He will take audience questions following the program.
• After the talk, Bruce Bugbee, Robert Kiesling, and John Wright will be available for book signing.
• Can't attend in person? Order a signed copy of Saving the Big Sky on our website or by calling 406-587-0166. Signing requests will need to be placed 24 hours before the event.

About Saving the Big Sky:

“The essential purpose of Saving the Big Sky is to inspire the reader to help conserve even more of Montana,” write Bruce Bugbee, Robert Kiesling, and John Wright in this compelling study of how six million acres of biodiverse land were conserved in Montana over the past fifty years. Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge about land stewardship has evolved and since the 1970s tribes, nonprofit organizations, land trusts, and government agencies have conserved land in many creative ways. Beautifully illustrated with more than ninety color photographs and thirty detailed maps, Saving the Big Sky showcases land conservation achievements across eight regions of the state: the Rocky Mountain Front, the Blackfoot Valley, the Greater Yellowstone, the Missoula Region, the Helena Region, Northwest Montana, the Flathead Indian Reservation, and the American Prairie.

Land protection is shown to work best when large, intact, connected landscapes can be conserved, rather than small, fragmented, isolated parcels. Conservationists have found that landowners in Montana more widely accept conservation easements and other voluntary, financially compensating tools that respect private property rights. The brilliant images and striking before-and-after maps featured here celebrate the ranches, farms, wildlife habitats, and scenic open spaces that are forever safeguarded.

In documenting conservation accomplishments and suggesting what more can be done, Saving the Big Sky invites readers to participate in conserving Montana—or whatever cherished landscape they call home.

Bruce A. Bugbee is a land conservation consultant and founder of American Public Land Exchange.

Robert J. Kiesling is a real estate broker, conservation consultant, and former executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Big Sky (Montana/Wyoming) office of The Nature Conservancy.

John B. Wright has completed over one hundred conservation easements in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West and is professor emeritus of geography and environmental studies at New Mexico State University.

Accessibility Information:

• The event will take place on the first floor of Country Bookshelf.
• All doorways have a width greater than 32 inches with the narrowest being our front door at 35 inches.
• The speakers will be using a microphone at this event.
• Please email staff@countrybookshelf.com if you have any specific accessibility needs and we will do our best to serve you!
• Do you or someone you know provide ASL interpretation? Country Bookshelf is seeking an interpreter to call on for future events. Please send information to staff@countrybookshelf.com if there is interest!