About the Presentation:

The Essence of Living Sustainable Practical Ecological Lives
Reconciling our Ecological and Environmental Heritage: a Contemporary Spiritual and Economic Conundrum

The essence and power of living in the American West is inextricably tied to the vast, fragile and beautiful natural world that appears so close to us in Boulder and Colorado. The roots of our ecological and natural heritage have been jeopardized by countless mindless environmental atrocities since the first Anglo-European settlers homesteaded, and laid claim to the land in the 1850's. Most recently, reconciling the environmental effects of the past have been met by indifference as the masses struggle to pursue an illusive high quality of life and unfathomable financial wealth without foresight of the ecological impacts on future generations. The complex social problems that are commonplace in the contemporary economic boom bust cycle endemic in western culture have been compounded by skyrocketing population, social malaise, and finite natural resources. Trying to keep up the pace to maintain these standards we have lost our spiritual connection with the earth and the natural world. We have sacrificed our environmental ethics and spiritual values for so long we have found ourselves in an unexplainable conundrum that appears without hope as urban sprawl consumes our lands, and technological advancement continues at a breakneck pace.

Castellino, believes there is hope and a way through and out of this mess. He suggests, returning to a way of living simpler sustainable and practical ecological lives as a solution. He encourages us to return to the last tracts of wilderness blessed to us in the American West to sense, feel and understand the roots of our natural origins. He will explore Paul Hawkin's notion, "Sustainability is an economic state where the demands to provide placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment for future generations."

Robert presents a number of ways that can make positive change in our own homes, and work places. He support our need to live in ecological integrity through simple daily practices. He supports the metaphor a community Barn Raising embraced by the organization P3 (People Profits and Planet) to make this change in Boulder. Ultimately it may be the only way to rejuvenate our spirits and economy. Enjoy a rousing and inspiring talk and multi-media slide presentation that returns us to our precious connection with the earth, our spirits and environmental values.

About the Presenter:

Bob Castellino has been a professional photographer, writer and publisher for over 14 years. Originally, photography and writing were a vehicle for Bob to create a story connecting people with nature through art. He specializes in places close to his home in Colorado and the West. Recently, he has expanded his repertoire by photographing and writing about people and places in urban America & in particularly Denver, Colorado.

He taught photography at the Music and Arts Conservatory of Santa Barbara. He is sought after for his talks and been a keynote speaker at the Sustainable Summit Colorado 1999, University of Colorado Presidents Leadership Class 2000 and the Rocky Mountain Sierra Club on numerous occasions. He has collaborated in live performances producing multi-media shows with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra with full symphony orchestra,world renown Pianist Peter Kater and native american flutist R. Carlos Nakai, and Dan Clawson for a program entitled �Living the Dream.� He has an aerial photograph of the Flatirons on permanent exhibit at Smithsonian Institute in the Gems, Geology, and Crystals Hall. People from around the world collect his photography. He has three photographic story books in publication entitled Boulder: Heart & Soul, People & Place in its second printing, "Colorado: Heart & Soul," and his latest work is �Denver: Gateway to the Rockies.� His beautiful colorful photographs and imaginative stories fill pages and halls with imagery to stir inspiration in everyone. Bob goes the extra mile to find a great location, looks a little harder to find people in an unusual setting, or waits a little longer for the right lighting conditions to make a photograph. He presses the limits of his equipment, film and skill to create beautiful photographs. Along with the photography, Bob loves to write. He has a unique ability to mold ideas, words and images into powerfully impassioned stories. He has great concern for all things wild and natural in the West as well as the fragile state of human kind around the world. Bob enjoys the creative process of developing a concept into a meaningful story to share with people as much as he enjoys the story telling itself. If he had the choice he�d rather be back packing, back country or downhill skiing, or river rafting than just about anything that has to do with working at his publishing company Whispering River, LLC. Somehow he has found a way to combine all of them to enjoy the best of all worlds& at least from this perspective.