RAIN FOREST PRESERVATION CONFERENCE 



Sunday, May 7, 2:00 PM. 

 James Simpson Theater 



The biological diversity and importance of tropical rain for- 

 ests and how Chicagoans can protect and preserve them will 

 be the topic of a major conference to be held Sunday, May 7, 

 beginning at 2:00 P.M. in James Simpson Theater. Mod- 

 erated by WBBM-TV Channel 2 s anchor Bill Kurtis and spon- 

 sored by the Chicago Rain Forest Action Group, the con- 

 ference will bring together biologists, botanists, ornithol- 

 ogists, and ecologists to speak on the need to conserve the 

 world's rain forests. 



The program is free and geared to the general public. 

 Presentations will be made by renowned rain forest biologist 

 Dr. Allison Jolly of Princeton University ("Hanging on By 

 the Tip Of Your Tail: Rain Forest Mammals"); Dr. Bill Burger 

 of the Field Museum ("Tropical Forests: Engines of Biological 

 Diversity"), Dr. Patty McGill-Harelstad, curator of birds at 

 the Brookfield Zoo ("Rain Forest Birds"); and Dr. Monte 

 Lloyd, ecologist from the University of Chicago ("En- 

 dangered Species, Endangered Peoples, Endangered Cli- 

 mate, and Endangered Agriculture: What Can We Do?"). A 

 special presentation will be made by Mario Boza, executive 



director of Costa Rica's Fundacion Neotropica and one of the 

 guiding forces behind Costa Rica's national park system 

 ("The Costa Rican Conservation Program"). 



The conference is the kick-off event of the Chicago 

 Rain Forest Action Group (CRAG), which is working to edu- 

 cate the public on rain forest issues. CRAG is currently raising 

 funds to assist the Costa Rican National Park Service in pro- 

 tecting and expanding the Corcovado National Park, a 

 tropical rain forest preserve. Jay Horberg, CRAG President, 

 explains that "the issue of rain forest destruction is one we 

 cannot ignore. Every acre of lost rain forest leads to the 

 extinction of undiscovered and unstudied plant and animal 

 species, and contributes to the greenhouse effect. We must 

 take action because the atmosphere belongs to all of us. Tear- 

 ing down and burning precious forestland for cattle grazing 

 and agriculture is a shortsighted policy that Chicagoans can 

 and must fight." The conference will begin at 2:00 P.M. and 

 run until 4:00 P. M. , with a period thereafter for the public to 

 meet the speakers. Entry is through the West Door. Refresh- 

 ments will be served. 7 



