Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign: Continental Divide, a Photo Exhibit of the Border

November 2-5, 2010
Cabot Lodge, 2375 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi
Located at State Street and Riverside Drive
Free!

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation being caused by harmful U.S border and trade policies. The most symbolic and destructive infrastructure resulting from these bad policies is the newly-constructed U.S.-Mexico border wall. Over 600 miles of border wall have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems found within Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges; National Monuments and National Forests; and other protected lands, both public and private.

Recently, the International League of Conservation Photographers sent a team of world-renowned photographers to the borderlands of the United States and Mexico to document the wildlife, ecology, and effect of the border wall on this landscape. This region is a shared conservation treasure of international importance that harbors some of the most biodiverse landscapes on the continent. Many species here are found nowhere else in the US, and nowhere else in Mexico and some are found nowhere else on Earth. The photographs taken are now on exhibit, touring the United States. A sample of photos in the exhibit can be viewed here.

The Borderlands Team of the Sierra Club is bringing this exhibit to Jackson, Mississippi. The team is comprised of Sierra Club staff and volunteers from across the nation. You can learn more about the team by visiting and joining the Activist Network or by visiting www.sierraclub.org/borderlands.

Dates exhibit is open for viewing:
Tue Nov 2 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Wed Nov 3 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Thu Nov 4 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Fri Nov 5* 9am - 9pm

* Join us for a screening of the Sierra Club produced film, Wild Versus Wall, at 5:15 pm on Friday, November 5th. The film details the ecological effects of enforcement and infrastructure in all four southern Border States. The film demonstrates the ineffectiveness of this kind of enforcement-only approach to border security, and stresses the importance of addressing root causes such as unfair trade policies. A five minute trailer for the film can be viewed here. Refreshments will be provided for the screening!

The Exhibit is being held in conjunction with the Unity Conference sponsored by MIRA and SCLC.

For more information about the Sierra Club's Borderlands Campaign, visit http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/