MSHS is excited to be cosponsoring “Eyewitness to Global Warming”, a presentation by world-renowned polar explorer, educator, photographer, writer and lecturer Will Steger, on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Peabody and Emmy Award-winning former WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby will introduce  the presentation.

The University of St. Thomas  hosts and cosponsors the event, which will be held at McNeely Hall on campus at 2060 Summit Avenue in St. Paul. MSHS is already taking registrations. The event is $20 for MSHS members and $25 for nonmembers, plus a special meet and greet with Will Steger from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. for $25 and $30 for members and nonmembers respectively.

Attendees will experience Steger’s vivid account of the changes caused by global warming pollutants that he’s witnessed firsthand in Arctic regions over four decades of polar exploration. He will present a retrospective of a life in the arctic regions of the world and what gardeners can do to have a positive impact on the environment.

“Gardeners know they can have a powerful impact on the environment. They saw what neonicotinoids did to pollinators and said ‘No more’. They saw the decline of monarch butterflies and planted more milkweed. When informed, gardeners are motivated to make smart choices that make a difference,” says Vicky Vogels, Community Outreach Coordinator at MSHS.

Steger will share stunning photographs from his expeditions along with compelling data and satellite imagery to document the deterioration of the polar ice caps. While the issue is critical, and the presentation is dramatic, Steger’s message is one of hope and empowerment. An understanding of our role in the causes and effects of global warming make this a personal issue for all of us. But as Steger explains, solutions are readily available, and by making economically and environmentally smart choices, people can make a difference.