On Saturday, September 25th, 2015, Phil McKnight presented a lecture on the historic roots of conservation. Phil’s lecture included images of 19th century American Romantic paintings and traced the development of the practice of land conservation here in Williamstown by first briefly tracing the historical development of an American consciousness towards the environment. What were the driving forces which brought northern Europeans to the New World and how did those forces begin to change as we as a people began our westward journey across this vast continent? In what manner did we confront the enormous challenges of the frontier and in doing so, how did we change the natural environment? This story was applied to Williamstown, using both the Williamstown Conservation Commission and the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation as examples of promoting orderly change within the concept of land conservation.
If you missed his lecture, you can view it online here at the WilliNet website: Conservation in Williamstown: Its Historic Roots
Phil teaches a course on environmental law and environmental history during the fall semester at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and during the winter term at Williams College.