Bill Kurtis to Speak at University of St. Francis

Newsman, narrator and documentary maker Bill Kurtis is set to tackle the topic of global warming during a lecture series at the University of St. Francis, 500 Wilcox St., Joliet.

Kurtis will present "Can the Prairie Save Us from Global Warming?" at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie 2014 Lecture Series.

Kurtis, 73, is a former Channel 2 News anchor in Chicago and narrator of Will Ferrell's "Anchorman" movies — but much of his life has revolved around prairies, according to his bio on the USF website:

"He was reared on the western edge of the tallgrass prairie in eastern Kansas and now lives on the eastern edge along Lake Michigan. He also owns the Red Buffalo Ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas near the Oklahoma border where he raises grass-fed beef. Two years ago he placed 8,000 of those Kansas acres in conservation easement with the mission to preserve the tallgrass prairie. At his home in Mettawa, near Lake Forest and Libertyville, he’s put some 60 acres in conservation easements and restored about 20 acres of prairie."

Kurtis' career with CBS spanned nearly 40 years. For the last two decades, he has headed up Kurtis Productions, which has produced documentaries for networks including PBS, A&E and CNBC. He has also hosted 200 episodes of "American Justice" on A&E.

Reservations are requested for Kurtis' Feb. 6 appearance at St. Francis. To reserve a spot, call 815-740-3216 or email tzeitz@stfrancis.edu.