Learning Forums are thought-provoking presentations on a wide variety of topics. Each program features a 45-min-
ute presentation, followed by an open forum with questions and discussion about the topic.

Dan has been a rancher and a wildlife biologist for more than 30 years. As one of the country’s most celebrated
falconers, he will present his South Dakota Public Broadcasting program called “A Falconer’s Memoir” on Jan. 13.
Guests will be able to see a live falcon up close.

Dan was a prime mover in the restoration of peregrine falcons in the Rocky Mountains in the 1970s and 1980s. The peregrine falcon is famous as the world’s fastest bird, but few people know about its habits and behaviors. Falconer and writer Gervase Hittle says, “Educational programs teach kids to appreciate the birds. We need that.” Hittle also notes that Dan became a pilot “to imitate a bird in a plane.”

Dan’s memoir on falconry, “The Rites of Autumn and Equinox,” is an intimate and revealing exploration of his life-
long search for wildness on the Great Plains.

Dan is an owner of the Cheyenne River Ranch just west of the Badlands National Park and north of the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation. He lives and shares his life on the ranch with his wife Jill and their family.
Sunday’s event is included with admission to the museum ($12 for adults, $10 for seniors, half-off for members, and
free for students ages 6-17). Follow the event on Facebook.
The Journey Museum and Learning Center was established in 1997 and is conveniently located in downtown
Rapid City at 222 New York St., two blocks east of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and across from the Club for
Boys.