Hello Braided River Community!
From the rescission of the Public Lands Rule to proposed seismic testing and next week’s federal lease sale in America’s Arctic, finding hope is challenging.
In our final weeks of Spring and into Summer, as the days lengthen, flowers flourish, and wildlife give birth and raise their young, Braided River looks to nature for resilience and renewal. Living in balance with wild and sacred ecosystems—supporting nature’s healing through policy, industry responsibility, and local action—ensures a thriving future for everyone. In a busy month of events, our authors and photographers brought these efforts to the forefront, and our supporters remained committed to connecting with community and finding ways to take action. Here is a rundown of everything going on in the Braided River world!
Community & Connection: A Look Back at Braided River's May Events
RENEWAL Webinar Series with David Moskowitz and Kiliii Yüyan
© David Moskowitz, Big River and Caribou Rainforest photographer
Photographers David Moskowitz and Kiliii Yüyan shared images and stories with Braided River advocacy partner Save Our wild Salmon’s RENEWAL Webinar Series, showcasing our impact campaigns—Big River and Guardians of Life—to explore renewal, resilience, and advocacy.
David Moskowitz spotlighted stories about salmon, lamprey, wolverines, and agriculture across the magnificent, vast Columbia River basin, the largest Pacific-draining river in the Americas. When reflecting on renewal personally and creatively, David said he’s been inspired by people's adaptability and willingness to lean into challenges to uncover new opportunities in the face of recent obstacles to environmental protections. Watch the webinar recording and urge members of Congress to fund Columbia Basin salmon recovery in 2027.
Kiliii Yüyan captivated the audience with spectacular images, from the mosaic of forest ecotypes in the Amazon Rainforest to Vancouver’s quiet salmon restoration initiative. He shared compelling successes from Indigenous leaders, building trust within Indigenous communities to help tell their stories, and his upcoming projects. Kiliii encouraged people to support Indigenous conservation by advocating for Tribal sovereignty and spending time listening and learning from Indigenous communities. He invited Westerners to deepen their relationship with the planet by moving beyond time in nature to actively engaging with it, saying “become part of the community of life. Nature is not a museum.” If you missed the webinar, sign up for Kiliii’s in-personBeWild event and learn more about the campaign in our recent blog with The Mountaineers.
“Two Rivers, Two Daves:” A Confluence of the Columbia and Colorado Rivers
Photo by Tiffany Tomkinson
Last week, Braided River authors Dave Showalter (Living River and Sage Spirit) and David Moskowitz (Big River and Caribou Rainforest) led an impactful evening of Colorado and Columbia River visual storytelling as a framework for advocacy. Dave Showalter broke the narrative of a dying river, telling a story of hope for the Colorado River through the work of riverkeepers and restoration efforts. He called on people of the American West to change their relationship with water, saying that migration is a promise of habitat on the other end, and that humanity’s reshaping of landscapes makes this largely up to us. David Moskowitz shared how his connection to the land and wildlife along the Columbia River informed his creative process. His goals in developing Big River were to depict animals with the same respect and dignity as humans, and to highlight the human footprint along the watershed as equally compelling.
They ended with a lively discussion, responding to questions, including: “What’s the biggest threat to both rivers?” Showalter reflected on the difficulty of capturing absence but the profound impact of witnessing limited snowpack in the field. This year marks a first, with only 800,000 acre feet of water reaching Lake Powell, compared to 7.5 million in previous years. Moskowitz stressed the urgency of addressing treaties, saying, “Change is coming super fast, and for the benefit of our neighbors, we need to do a lot of work for as long as we can and as fast as we can.”
Looking for More Ways to Connect? Find an Upcoming Woodpecker or Owl Event Near You
© Paul Bannick, Woodpecker and Owl photographer
Join Woodpecker and Owl author and photographer Paul Bannick for an upcoming festival program! Woodpecker is a dynamic dive into all 41 woodpecker species across North America, comparing behaviors and ecological importance as keystone species in many wooded habitats. Owl follows owls throughout one year, examining each stage of life, from courtship and nesting in spring to migration in winter. Paul’s programs feature breathtaking photos, compelling videos, evocative audio, and timely science and stories from the field. He highlights natural history, surprising inter-relationships, habitat, and conservation with passion.
Yakut Tern Festival: May 30-31 in Yakutat, AK
Woodpecker Weekend: June 5-6 in Bend, OR
Southeast Arizona Birding Festival: August 13-14 in Tucson, AZ
Wings Over Whidbey Festival: September 25 in Coupeville, WA
Living River Exhibit Coming to Colorado Mesa University June 2026
© Dave Showalter, Living River and Sage Spirit photographer
After several months on display at Zimmerman Library at the University of New Mexico, we are thrilled to announce that the Living River exhibit will move to theTomlinson Library at Colorado Mesa University from mid-June through the end of the year. Explore the life force of the Colorado River through a 20-piece visual journey that encapsulates the river's resilience and its riverkeepers. Author and conservation photographer Dave Showalter will present inspiring images and stories from the field at a CMU-specific launch on September 10 and at a broader community event on October 8. Thank you to the Tomlinson Library and the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center for carrying on the promise of a mighty Colorado, and to the Walton Family Foundation for supporting the creation of the Living Rivertraveling exhibit. Stay tuned for more details!
Action item of the month
Defend the roadless Rule
The Trump Administration is pushing to repeal the Roadless Rule, one of the most popular and vital conservation protections in our country’s history…again. The Roadless Rule was established in 2001 after over 600 public hearings and 1.6 million public comments—the most public input ever received on a federal rule—protecting critical ecosystems from logging, mining, and road construction. Roadless areas are essential for wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, subsistence practices, and more. They protect old-growth forests, which are irreplaceable in the fight against climate change. Repealing these protections would impact nearly 45 million acres of wild and undeveloped landscapes across 39 states, including the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska. Submit a comment to take action and defend Alaska’s at-risk national forests.
🚨Seattle Event Alert🚨
Looking for an in-person way to learn about what is next in America’s Arctic? Join us at Town Hall Seattle on June 18th at 7:30 PM with journalist Lynda Mapes for America’s Arctic: Too Precious to Lose. Get tickets here; more information coming soon. This event will also be live-streamed.
Support Our Work
A $200 contribution includes a signed book and signed limited edition print courtesy of Kiliii Yüyan, from Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet. Order today and help support our ongoing Guardians campaign.