Last Stand will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:00 pm, at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton Street in Key West. This year’s program features award-winning environmental journalist and author Cynthia Barnett on the human relationship with weather and climate, and what that history has to tell us about adapting to future climate change.

Ms. Barnett is the author of three books on water, including her latest, Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, longlisted for the National Book Award, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing, and named among the best nonfiction books of 2015 by NPR’s Science Friday, the Miami Herald, the Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews and others. She has written for National Geographic, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Atlantic, Discover, and many other publications. Her other books are Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. (2007) and Blue Revolution, which calls for a new water ethic for the nation.

Her program Rain: A History for Stormy Times takes audiences through a cultural and scientific journey from the rain gods of ancient times to the modern story of sea-level rise. “Ms. Barnett points out that, while we are armed with many computer models looking forward, we sometimes forget how much there is to learn from looking back,” said Mark Songer, Last Stand President. “Her message very much fits in with that of Last Stand, to work with nature to solve environmental challenges and become more resilient – rather than working against nature.”

The annual meeting begins at 6:00 pm with a review of the organization’s activities this past year and a look ahead to 2017. Election of board members by the general membership will precede Barnett’s talk, which will begin about 6:30 pm.

Admission is free and open to the public. Light food and cash bar will be available. Last Stand supporters are reminded to renew their annual memberships. Donations are $25 for an individual or $40 for a family and may be paid at the door.

Last Stand is a volunteer organization formed to promote, protect and preserve the quality of life in Key West and the Florida Keys, with a particular emphasis on the environment. Formed in 1987, the group continues to research and comment frequently on city, county, state and national issues affecting our environment and quality of life.