On March 6, research compiled to produce a biography about West Virginia environmentalist Larry Gibson will be officially transferred to the West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC) during a public event at 6:30 p.m. in the Milano Room of the Downtown Library.
The WVRHC and WVU Libraries invite students, faculty, staff and the public to attend the free event and learn more about Gibson and his accidental advocacy, which inspired generations to save West Virginia's mountains, its people and the planet.
Larry Gibson.
Gibson, an unlikely hero from southwestern West Virginia, used his home and land on Kayford Mountain as a rallying spot of resistance to mountaintop removal coal mining and its effects on local communities and the climate.
Sponsored by the WV Humanities Council, the advocacy group Christians for the Mountains and the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, author Marybeth Loribecki will talk about the biography project and her journey researching Gibson’s life, from reviewing records to numerous interviews with his friends, family and fellow activists.
Activists inspired by Gibson will also share stories of him, his efforts and his impact. Panelists include:
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JenOsha Buysse, director, Mountain SOL School
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Allen Johnson, co-founder, Christians for the Mountains
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Janet Keating, owner and consultant, Green Shepherd, LLC
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Dana Kuhnline, program director, ReImagine Appalachia
Katey Lauer, co-chair, WV Can't Wait and trainer, Training for Change
Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with refreshments and light music.
For more information, contact WVRHC Director Lori Hostuttler at lori.hostuttler@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-1116.