John Muir, the “Father of National Parks”, will come alive at the January 20th AAUW program meeting with the help of guest presenter Frank Helling, who tells the Muir story in a first-person account.  A former teacher and park ranger/naturalist, Helling has been impersonating John Muir for decades to the delight of audiences, who have called his performances “riveting” and “spellbinding”.  During the program, he will bring the experiences, thoughts, writings, and accomplishments of John Muir to life. 

Frank Helling as John Muir
Frank Helling as John Muir

The co-founder of the Sierra Club, John Muir was a naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, and early advocate for the preservation of the wilderness in the United States. He wrote about his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada region, and is credited with helping to preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park, among other wilderness areas. 

Frank Helling adopted John Muir’s persona more than 20 years ago, performing for schools, universities, environmental and civic groups, in the national parks and for special events throughout California.  Like Muir, Helling is also an active adventurer and naturalist.  He has back-packed, hiked and climbed in the Sierras, Rockies, Cascades, Alps, Alaska, Hawaii and the deserts of the American Southwest.

The Saturday, January 20th program meeting will be held from 9:30 – 11:30 AM at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 West Main Street, Grass Valley, and is free and open to the public.  This program is sponsored by the Law Office of Kim White, Grass Valley.

For more than 75 years, the AAUW Nevada County Branch has been striving to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.  Membership is open to individuals with an associate, baccalaureate or higher degree from a qualified educational institution. For individuals interested in participating in branch interest groups and other activities, but who have not had the opportunity to complete a degree, the Nevada County Branch offers “Friends of AAUW” membership.  For more information:  https://nevadacounty-ca.aauw.net/