Otter Presentation: Author Kim Steinhardt @ D&R Greenway Aug. 1

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY— D&R Greenway Land Trust, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and Princeton Photography Club present The Sea Otter Survival Story: A Human Obstacle Course on Thursday, August 16, at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, Princeton. Meet-the-author, Kim Steinhardt, and book signing, 6:30 p.m.; presentation, 7 p.m. No admission charge; light refreshments will be served; ADA accessible. Register at rsvp@drgreenway.org or 609-924-4646; more information at www.drgreenway.org.

Environmental author and marine wildlife photographer Kim Steinhardt will take you on an eye-opening photographic journey into the secret lives of sea otters, with an update on current litigation that reveals as much about humans as it does about the behaviors and antics of these fascinating and threatened creatures.

Steinhardt first became interested in sea otters as a child, growing up in the San Francisco Bay area. “I was smitten from the very beginning,” he says. “They were so rare. They are such beautiful creatures, and even though I didn’t know about their history at the time, I was aware that we had done something to bring them close to extinction.

“Sea otters play an important role in our oceans,” Steinhardt continues. “What we see happening with sea otters tells us a lot about what’s going on about the health of the environment and can foreshadow what’s going to happen to humans.”

Part art, part science, part law, this inspiring program will leave you with a better understanding of how our efforts to “manage” nature can sometimes backfire, and how we can work together to solve increasingly complex challenges to our ecosystems. Hanging in the balance is the survival of the remaining 3,200 southern sea otters – and the Endangered Species Act itself.

Kim Steinhardt is co-author of The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California’s Coast. His photographic work and storytelling has also been recognized by National Geographic Books, among others, where he has served as an advisor and photo contributor regarding sea otters for the Explore My World series. Steinhardt is a former California Administrative Law Judge and long-time conservationist, and leads natural and cultural history walks along the beaches and estuaries near his home on the Monterey Bay.

“The impact of human interactions with the Earth is constantly changing our environment,” says D&R Greenway President & CEO Linda Mead. “D&R Greenway’s work to preserve and care for our natural resources ensures clean water and places for wildlife, like the river otter.”

According to Paul Tarlowe, Wildlife Education Specialist, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, river otters are in our midst, living in the Delaware River and its tributaries wherever suitable habitat exists. “They are more numerous than decades ago as water quality has improved,” Tarlowe says.

“Come hear a fascinating story of humans and the environment from a nationally renowned photographer and author,” continues Mead.

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D&R GREENWAY LAND TRUST IS IN ITS 29TH YEAR of preserving and protecting natural lands, farmlands and open spaces throughout central and southern New Jersey. Through continuous preservation and stewardship -- caring for land and easements to ensure they remain protected and ecologically healthy in perpetuity -- D&R Greenway nurtures a healthier and more diverse environment for people and wild species in seven counties. Accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, D&R Greenway’s mission is to preserve and care for land and inspire a conservation ethic, now and for the future. Since its founding in 1989, D&R Greenway has permanently preserved more than 20,000 acres, an area 20 times the size of New York City’s Central Park, including 30 miles of trails open to the public. The Johnson Education Center, a circa 1900 restored barn at One Preservation Place, Princeton, is D&R Greenway’s home. Through programs, art exhibits and related lectures, D&R Greenway inspires greater public commitment to safeguarding land.