The Orcas Crossroads fall lecture series concludes on Friday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. at Orcas Center.

The lecture is entitled “From Depletion to Sustainability,” and the speaker is environmentalist Gloria Flora. She will discuss the following: “as our planet’s finite resources are being depleted, many experts and citizens are becoming more alert to a looming international crisis. Can we expect our way of life to change? What are our most important priorities if we intend to address this challenge, locally and globally? What is the path to sustainability?”

In her 22-year career with the U.S. Forest Service, Flora became nationally known for her leadership in ecosystem management and for her courageous, principled stands. When she was in charge of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in north-central Montana, she made a landmark decision to prohibit natural gas wells along the 356,000-acres Rocky Mountain Front near the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a place often described as an American Serengeti for its abundant populations of elk, deer, grizzly bears, and fish-filled streams. The oil and gas industry appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, but she was ultimately victorious when, on the same day the story of her struggle was being televised nationally on PBS show “NOW with Bill Moyers,” the Department of Interior announced a decision reached “at the highest levels” not to approve drilling along the Rocky Mountain Front.

A question and answer period and public reception with the speaker will follow the lecture. Tickets are available for $10 at Orcas Island Library, Darvill’s Bookstore and at the door.