Environmentalist Mike McCann will offer an aerial photographic history of the Delaware Canals and the changing landscape in the Delaware Valley.

The hour-long program sponsored by Rural Awareness, Inc. is free, and no reservation is required.

Attendees should note that Rural Awareness will continue its speaker series at this new location.

In Towpaths & Tales, McCann offers a historical and sometime humorous then-and-now look at the region, graphically showing the changing face of the canals and bridges along the Delaware River from the 1930s until today.

Using his kaleidoscopic knowledge of the subject, McCann includes fun and quirky facts and riveting stories of the Delaware Valley's evolving landscape. His ability to read even the smallest dots on the wide-angle aerial views was honed over a 21-year career with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection studying them under a stereo microscope.

McCann grew up in Monmouth County and worked for 10 years with the county park system as a ranger and naturalist. After studying at Cook College and serving as Bridgewater Township's environmental officer, he joined the state's DEP and learned his mapping skills. He also participated in the cleanup of contaminated industrial sites and later helped preserve open spaces through the Green Acres Program.

Rural Awareness is a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the rich history and rural character of Franklin Township in Hunterdon Country.

Call 908-735-4271 with questions, or click here for more information.