Talking Conservation is a public lecture series hosted by Conservation Law Center in Bloomington, Indiana, exploring the ideas, people, and legal frameworks shaping the future of land, water, wildlife, and healthy communities. This series is designed to be welcoming, practical, and rooted in real-world challenges and solutions—grounded in Indiana, while connected to broader regional and national conversations.

In this lecture, Paul Labovitz will introduce the Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana’s most visited tourist attraction, and talk about the importance of providing public access to this globally significant place. He will connect the tradition of how the National Park Service preserves and protects “in perpetuity” America’s most important natural and cultural treasures for “the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations” with Gunderson v State, the 2018 Indiana Supreme Court unanimous decision that the State owns the bed and shoreline of Lake Michigan up to the Ordinary High-Water Mark in public trust. Paul will talk about why public access is not only sound ecological practice but also a significant economic factor in the region and state economy. There will be a few stories from Paul’s tenure as the National Park Superintendent and plenty of time for questions and discussion.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. A reception with snacks and beverages will follow the lecture. Learn more and register online at https://conservationlawcenter.org/talkingconservation/