LANCASTER, Pa. – On Thursday, August 21, LancasterHistory will welcome author and historian Dr. Allen Dieterich-Ward for a talk titled "Cradle of Conservation: An Environmental History of Pennsylvania." The lecture will take place at the museum's 230 N. President Avenue headquarters. It is free and open to the public with registration.

The environmental history of Pennsylvania includes William Penn’s instruction to “leave one acre of tree for every five acres cleared” and the 1971 ratification of the Environmental Rights Amendment as well as today’s debates over fracking and the threat of climate change. Dr. Allen Dieterich-Ward of Shippensburg University will share his survey of the “working landscapes” of Pennsylvania and Lancaster County from the 17th century to the present.

Dr. Allen Dieterich-Ward is a professor of history and director of The Graduate School at Shippensburg University. His latest book, Cradle of Conservation: An Environmental History of Pennsylvania, is now available from Temple University Press. He is the past president of the Pennsylvania Historical Association, former editor of the Pennsylvania History Series, and a board member of PA Humanities.

The lecture "Cradle of Conservation: An Environmental History of Pennsylvania" will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, August 21, 2025. Doors open and a light reception begins at 5pm, followed by the lecture at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to attend the program virtually.

This lecture is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. To register, please select the applicable link below or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone with a LancasterHistory staff member.
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About LancasterHistory

LancasterHistory is a community-based, not-for-profit organization established to educate the public on the history of Lancaster County and its place in the history of Pennsylvania and the United States, to advance the missions of regional historical organizations, and to promote the acquisition, preservation, and interpretation of resources representing the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania within the broader context of state and national history, including the life and legacy of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, his house manager, Lydia Hamilton Smith, and America’s 15th President, James Buchanan.