Honored Environmental Film Producer Chris Palmer to Lecture

at Aquinas College’s 15^th Annual Wege Speaker Series

Grand Rapids, Michigan – February 10, 2011 – The Wege Foundation announced today that Chris Palmer, internationally honored environmental film producer, will deliver the 15th annual Wege Speaker Series lecture at Aquinas College’s Performing Arts Center on

April 15.

Over the past 25 years, Palmer’s filming adventures include coming face-to-face with Kodiak bears, sharks, whales, and wolf packs. Audiences who have heard Chris Palmer use words like “incredibly entertaining,” “dynamic,” “funny,” and say he’s so engaging they don’t want his talks to end. Palmer’s British accent – he came to the U.S. in 1972 – adds an elegance to his free-wheeling speaking style.

Chris Palmer’s screen credits include producing environmental films for prime-time television, including the Disney Channel, TBS Superstation, Animal Planet, Home and Garden Television, The Travel Channel, The Outdoor Life Network, and PBS.

In 2004 he joined American University (AU) as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence and where he is now a full-time faculty member. Recognizing the power of film to teach and motivate students, Chris Palmer founded and now directs AU’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking in the School of Communication. Palmer has used his connections in the movie industry to bring world-class filmmakers to AU’s campus to teach and mentor students.

Guests are also invited to stay for refreshments and appetizers in the lobby after Chris Palmer’s talk. He will sign copies of his controversial new book that covers some

of his experiences filming wildlife titled, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom. Palmer’s 4 p.m. presentation, including clips of some of his celebrated wildlife films, is free and open to the public. To RSVP, email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  by April 6, 2011. Limited seating is available.

In 1997, Notre Dame’s legendary Father Hesburgh gave Aquinas’s first annual Wege Lecture. Every spring since The Wege Foundation invites a renowned environmentalist to present a free public lecture. For more information visit, www.wegefoundation.com.

About Aquinas College

Residing on a 107-acre wooded campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Aquinas College is an all-inclusive, liberal arts college with Catholic Dominican roots that provides students

with a global perspective and career preparation focused on leadership and service to others. A leader in sustainability with its innovative undergraduate and certificate programs that are unique to the Midwest, Aquinas College implements a Sustainability Initiative that encourages students and staff to protect the natural beauty of the campus while restoring the natural environment, improving financial stability and strengthening social relationships. Approximately 2,300 students enroll yearly at the college to study from the 61 majors offered at Aquinas. Aquinas recently launched its new Master of Sustainable Business (MSB) degree - the first program of its kind to be offered in the upper Midwest that will build upon the undergraduate sustainable business program already offered by the liberal arts college. Visit us online at http://www.aquinas.edu.

About The Wege Foundation

Peter M. Wege created The Wege Foundation in 1967 in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a family foundation to honor his parents Peter Martin and Sophia Wege and to contribute to the community they loved. His father, Peter Martin Wege founded Metal Office Furniture in 1912, which is today’s Steelcase Inc., the largest office-furniture maker in the world. For over four decades, The Wege Foundation’s mission has been focused on: Education. Environment. Arts & Culture. Health Car

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