Every bird species in North America has already fled further north. Native grasses are fleeing further up Arizona’s mountains to escape the heat. Climate refugees are fleeing heat, drought, flooding, and extreme storms all over the World. Northern Arizona is building clean wind and solar power and Flagstaff will soon have 1,424 MW of clean electricity. Can we all shift our ways fast enough or must we flee as well? (Stefan Sommer)

Open Doors: Art in Action’s First Friday program on July 7 will focus on the effects of climate change on the earth, featuring an art exhibit and the following informative speakers.

Stefan Sommer, PhD, Education Director of the Miriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, with an overview of migration patterns of plants and people
John Taylor, garden educator and Director of TerraBIRDS, who will share practical, sustainable practices to care for our planet

Also, view art created from the environs of Northern Arizona by Bryan David Griffith, Shawn Skabelund, Larry Stevens, and “The Shrine for the Lost” by Tucson artist, Lauren Raine.

The July 7 exhibit and presentation will be held in the Open Doors: Art in Action gallery, located at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St, Flagstaff. The event opens at 6:00 PM with an hour of browsing the collection and enjoying a buffet of food and drink. Presentations begin at 7:00 PM.

This event is part of the current exhibition, Elemental Change: Reframing Our Climate Future, now on display in the gallery and online at www.opendoorsartinaction.com.