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"I feel not only the right but the duty to defend it any way I can," Edward Abbey said of the environment. The author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, Desert Solitaire and Hayduke Lives! inspired generations of environmental activists with his fierce love of the land and willingness to get in the face of the authorities. Tonight the Ventana Wilderness Alliance, which maintains trails, promotes stewardship and leads educational trips in the Big Sur backcountry, hosts a screening of Wrenched, a documentary about Abbey. The film features interviews with Doug Peacock, the real-life grizzly researcher who was the model for Hayduke; activist and author Terry Tempest Williams; Sea Shepherd co-founder Paul Watson; Robert Redford and "paper monkeywrencher" Tim DeChristopher, who outbid oil and gas companies in a federal auction of land in eastern Utah.
The film will be introduced by Edward's sister Nancy Abbey, a Santa Cruz-based activist. Viewers can enjoy beer from Discretion Brewing and win cool prizes in the raffle from the likes of Patagonia, REI, Juniper Ridge, Tom Bihn Packs and Synergy Organic Clothing. All proceeds benefit the VWA.
Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. 7pm (doors open at 6pm). Tickets $20 adv/$25 door. Available at www.ventanawild.org.
