Clyde Butcher Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Big Cypress National Preserve at His Annual President's Weekend Open House

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Internationally
renowned landscape photographer and environmentalist Clyde Butcher and
his wife, Niki, invite the public to attend their annual Presidents
Weekend open house February 15-16, 2014 at their Big Cypress Gallery in
the Big Cypress Preserve, Western Everglades.  This year’s event serves
as a kick-off for the year-long, 40th anniversary celebration of the
Preserve, which was the first national preserve in the U.S.  Thus, the
Butchers are donating all proceeds from the weekend’s events to the
South Florida National Parks Trust to support its education program at
the Big Cypress Preserve.
 
During the two-day President’s
Weekend event, guests have the opportunity to meet the
photographer—known for his large format, black-and-white film
masterpieces—take guided swamp tours, and learn about Butcher’s
two-decade history of photographing in the Preserve, among other natural
settings, and displaying his breathtaking and work at the gallery.
 
 “We
are thrilled to help celebrate this momentous anniversary and bring
awareness to the Preserve at the same time. This is a perfect
opportunity to focus on the beauty of this special place and support the
grassroots effort to protect it for future generations,” said Clyde
Butcher.
 
The Butchers, who rarely make public appearances, will
be in the gallery both days to greet guests and autograph books.  A
number of other family-friendly activities will take place throughout
the weekend, including lectures by both Clyde and Nikki Butcher and
guided swamp walks, allowing visitors to explore the Preserve and
subject of many of Butcher’s photographs right in the backyard of the
gallery. Guests interested in taking part in a swamp walk are asked to
bring a bag lunch and reserve a space online in advance. The times are
as follows:
 
Schedule of events for Saturday & Sunday
 
9:30 a.m.:  “Big Cypress National Preserve: Primeval Beauty,” a lecture by Clyde and Niki Butcher held in their back pond theater
 
11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (throughout the day): Meet Clyde Butcher, who will share stories about photographing the Big Cypress Preserve and sign books.
 
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (every hour on the hour): Guided swamp walks behind the Big Cypress Gallery.  Space is limited.
 
For more information about the event, directions, or to reserve your swamp walk, call 239.695.2428 or visit clydebutcher.com
 
A
large selection of Clyde's photography can be viewed at his Venice
Gallery & Studio in Venice, Florida, and at his Big Cypress Gallery,
which is located on 13 acres in the center of the Everglades, midway
between Naples and Miami on Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41), in the Big Cypress
National Preserve. The gallery is surrounded by more than a million
acres of national park wetlands and wild Florida cypress strands. For
more information go to www.clydebutcher.com/events.cfm