Henry David Thoreau & His Relevance for Today     Talk & discussion, with computer slides if desired.  60-90 minutes or more.

American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is best known for spending one night in jail for nonpayment of the state poll tax, and for living for two years along the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. More than a century and a half later, his essays and books are still being read, and his words are still printed on inspirational posters and greeting cards. What were his basic philosophies, and how do they resound with us today? We'll learn a bit more about this "Transcendentalist" and will discuss what threads may connect us to him. 

Hosts of past talks include Mount Wachusett Community College; the public libraries in Fitchburg MA, Leland MI, Mackinac Island MI, New Ulm MN, Red Wing MN, Rhinelander WI, Stoughton WI, Merrimack NH, and Dover,VT; and the nature centers of Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles IL, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst MA, and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster MA.  My speaking fee is negotiable and may also depend upon travel expenses.

Here's a report on my presentation in Dover, Vermont, in August 2017:

"Dessert Social honors Thoreau's 200th birthday." By Chris Mays. Brattleboro Reformer, August 11, 2017.