Hello Braided River Community!
This spring, Braided River campaigns are blossoming along with the flowers!
At the start of the month, we celebrated the launch of Dave Showalter’s Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado exhibit at the University of New Mexico. At the launch event, Dave shared stunning images and stories from his years capturing the resilience of the Colorado River, encouraging attendees to reflect on their relationship with water. We plan to tour this exhibit throughout the watershed in the years to come while decisions are made about the fate of the river, and ensure that wildlife is prioritized as essential to the future of the health of the river and the communities the river supports.
Now, we are planting the seeds of an additional upcoming traveling exhibit and eagerly awaiting the Town Hall Seattle launch of Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet on April 1.
join us at town hall seattle on april 1: Guardians of Life launch
Join us on Wednesday, April 1, for the launch of Guardians of Life!
“Why are Indigenous communities so often so good at conservation?” The evening features a keynote launch presentation by Guardians of Life author, National Geographic Explorer, and photographer Kiliii Yüyan. Guardians of Lifeemphasizes Kiliii’s cross-cultural approach, including the collective wisdom of over two dozen Indigenous voices around the globe. This awe-inspiring visual journey highlights Indigenous knowledge and practices central to conservation and the protection of biological and cultural diversity—from cool fires in Australia to the restoration of salmon populations in California.
Event Details:
Wednesday, April 1 @ 7:30 PM
Town Hall Seattle | The Great Hall | 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Elliott Bay Book Company will be selling copies of Guardians of Life to be signed and personalized by Kiliii.
Purchase your tickets to the launch you won’t want to miss! Unable to attend? Visit guardians-of-life.org to learn more about the impact campaign and purchase your copy.
coming soon: big river: resilience and renewal in the columbia basin exhibit
© David Moskowitz, Big River photographer
Big River, a photography-driven book by award-winning photographer David Moskowitz and writer Eileen Delehanty Pearkes highlights the hydrogeology, beauty, and current challenges facing the Columbia River region and people.
After two years of events across Canada, Washington, and Oregon featuring David, Eileen, and many others in the watershed community, we are thrilled to partner with American Rivers to launch a traveling exhibit and interactive digital map based on our book. The exhibit includes David’s stunning photography and amplifies stories of the Columbia River Basin, and the interactive digital map created for the exhibit will guide folks through the river’s ecosystems. We are excited by the public education, storytelling, and conservation engagement opportunities this impact campaign holds. Stay tuned to see where the Big River exhibit will be headed first!
celebrating woodpecker: a year in the life of north american woodpeckers
© Paul Bannick, Woodpecker author and photographer
Paul Bannick’s Woodpecker, which launched in the fall of last year, was recently featured in The Seattle Times and The New York Times. The piece covers various woodpecker-related topics, from their impressive physiology and nesting to the importance of keystone species and how evolution has led many animals to capitalize on woodpeckers' work. Looking to “attract a woodpecker”? Considering most species are not migratory, Bannick says diverse plantings, year-round access to water, and strategic management of declining and dead trees will do the trick. Read more about Woodpecker and the strategic work of the bird and gardener that leads to thriving woodpecker populations through The New York Times or The Seattle Times.
spring into action
america’s arctic in the news
There is a lot going on in the news this week pertaining to the Western Arctic. On March 18th, the Bureau of Land Management finalized the Western Arctic lease sale, and the message was clear: big oil isn’t slowing down. Companies including ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Repsol (partnering with Shell), and others are spending millions to move into some of the Arctic’s most sensitive lands, including Teshekpuk Lake, a critical habitat for caribou, migratory birds, polar bears, and Alaska Native communities.
With the anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on March 24th, this news is aptly timed to remind the public what the impact of development “unleashing Alaska’s energy” can truly look like. Braided River contributed an opinion piece in The Seattle Times speaking to this parallel and interviewing photo-journalist and Braided River board member Natalie Fobes who was on the ground covering the aftermath of the Exxon oil spill. You can find the article here.
Stand with he Gwich'in Against Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic Refuge
The Gwich’in rely on the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which has migrated freely across Gwich’in ancestral lands for centuries, for cultural, spiritual, and physical survival. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for Alaska Native allies to use their voice to educate government leaders of the pressing need to stop seismic activity, oil exploration, and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Add your name to stand with the Gwich’in and protect the Arctic.