Wed., Sep. 14. Westport Speaker Dinner - "Gabon - West African Journey",

Since 2002, Gabon in equatorial west Africa has set aside 11,000 square miles of rain forest, savannah, and coastline to create a series of amazing parks. Wildlife include elephants, buffalo, hippo and lowland gorillas, while six species of whale swim just offshore. Gabon is now emerging as a new eco-tourism destination. Gabon is also known as the former French territory in which the famous medical missionary and Nobel Peace prize laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer established a jungle clinic in 1913. In 1959, Dr. Schweitzer hired Rindy Higgins' 19-year-old cousin Mark Higgins to work for a year at the hospital. Unfortunately, Mark then embarked on a solo trek through the Congo, was caught up in the violence of the independence movement, and never returned. He was 20 years old and his death made national news and Time and Life magazines. Rindy was only 11 years old at the time, but to travel to Gabon and know more about Mark's experiences became one of her life's ambitions. What she and Bill Armstrong learned on that journey became the basis for their recent book "Against the Current: How Albert Schweitzer Inspired a Young Man's Journey" In this presentation, Rindy and Bill will describe their journey and Gabon's growing role in protecting wildlife and becoming a destination for eco-tourism. Doors open, drinks and appetizers from 6:30pm; presentation from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. $10 members, $15 nonmembers. Please bring a dessert to share if you can. Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East, Westport CT 06880 (saugatuckchurch.org). No reservations. Pay at door. Details, directions at www.ct-amc.org. L David Roberts (drossr@aol.com)