The Southern Nez Perce Trail

The Southern Nez Perce Trail: Past, Present and Future

Tuesday, September 3, 2013 | 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Whitewater Room, Idaho Commons

Presenter: Dennis Baird
Librarian Emeritus - University of Idaho Library 

Abstract
The Southern Nez Perce Trail runs east from Harpster, Idaho, across the Bitterroot Mountains, ending near present-day Darby, Mont. This presentation will discuss the history (8,000+ years) of this important and still quite visible trail, as well as its role in the lives of the Nez Perce people. Many photos and maps will be used to place the trail in perspective. The presentation also examines the trail’s present status and future.

Biography
Dennis Baird is the co-leader of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness History Project. He attended Michigan State University and the University of Hawaii, and obtained graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, where he witnessed the very first Earth Day in Ann Arbor. While in high school and college, he traveled extensively in Europe and Southeast Asia, as well as serving for a year in Vietnam. When he finished school, he taught at Southern Illinois University and became involved in conservation, helping to establish the first wilderness area in Illinois. After moving to Idaho in 1974 to work at the University of Idaho Library, Dennis joined efforts to establish the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. In addition to pursuing his passions for historical preservation and fine wine, Dennis continues to advocate for wilderness protection in Idaho. He retired from the Library in 2007 as Social Science Librarian Emeritus with rank of professor. He is author of several books on forest and Nez Perce history.