John Muir to Tell Tales in Moke Hill

Dec 27, 2017 by editor

John Muir to tell tales in Moke Hill on Saturday, February 3, 2018.  The Foothill Conservancy is hosting critically acclaimed actor Lee Stetson portraying the renowned Yosemite naturalist John Muir on Saturday February 3, at 7:00 p.m. The performance will be in the historic Mokelumne Hill Town Hall, 8283 Main Street in Mokelumne Hill. Tickets are on sale now.

“We are excited to have Lee coming to our area to perform John Muir is back, and man, is he ticked off!.” said Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Amanda Nelson “Muir’s life was extraordinary, and Lee’s portrayal of Muir is an intimate sharing of the humor, intelligence and tremendous passion of one of the world’s best-known and admired naturalists.”

Lee Stetson has been performing as John Muir for over 30 years at universities, museums and parks from Washington, D.C. to Hawaii. He portrayed Muir on Ken Burn’s award-winning series National Parks – America’s Best Idea. Stetson also performs at Yosemite Park, where Muir lived for approximately six years.

John Muir emigrated from Scotland to Wisconsin with his family in 1838. His first visit to Yosemite was in 1868, when he was thirty years old. Muir was so taken with the area’s natural beauty and wilderness that he remained for several years, working in jobs including sheepherder and saw miller. He was instrumental in advocating for the creation of Yosemite National Park.

Founder of the Sierra Club, Muir is perhaps best known for his passionate advocacy to save wilderness, particularly the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite Park, threatened with flooding when the O’Shaunessy Dam was proposed. What some label the first environmental fight ended unsuccessfully in 1913 when Congress approved the dam project.

“John Muir’s love for the wilderness, and his desire to protect it, was based on his seeing the connection and interdependency of natural ecosystems.” said Nelson. “Muir understood that protecting natural systems was key to ensuring a healthy environment for both people and wildlife. His lessons live on today as we work to protect ecosystems that provide the clean water, productive soils and diverse habitats humans and wildlife need to survive.”

Tickets to the performance are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They’re available online at     https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3214827. Tickets can also be purchased from the Foothill Conservancy office by contacting Carolyn at 209-223-3508, or carolyn@foothillconservancy.org

Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase at the event.