The winter 2018 Watershed Expedition Series program will feature Dr. Andrew Gulliford of Ft. Lewis College – January 19, 2018 @ 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Dr. Gulliford will present the program:
“Remembering the Goddess of Glen Canyon: Katie Lee” on January 19, 2018 at 6PM at the Wilkinson Public Library Program Room. The program is free and open to the public. More information will be posted prior to the event.
Past programs
 | Jay Loschert & Wade Hanson – July 26th, 2017 @ 6:30 – 8:00 PM High Water |
Laura Kudo – November 10, 2016 @ 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Nadi Mukha – Headwaters of the HimalayaLaura Kudo has been traveling to Nepal since 2000. Most of her time while in Nepal is dedicated to early childhood education programs, but along the way she has had the privilege to visit many of the headwaters areas in the High Himalaya of Nepal. This Expedition Series will give an overview of these areas and the people that inhabit them, as well as a brief update on the recovery after the devastating earthquake of 2015.Check out the details on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1185565831525339/
Nadi Mukha – Headwaters of the HimalayaLaura Kudo has been traveling to Nepal since 2000. Most of her time while in Nepal is dedicated to early childhood education programs, but along the way she has had the privilege to visit many of the headwaters areas in the High Himalaya of Nepal. This Expedition Series will give an overview of these areas and the people that inhabit them, as well as a brief update on the recovery after the devastating earthquake of 2015.Check out the details on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1185565831525339/
Annie Pizey – July 7, 2016 @ 6:30 pm
Mekong Descent
In 2010, Annie Pizey and six other Telluride area residents pioneered the sport of SUP, stand up paddle boarding, on Cambodia’s Mekong River. The group spent close to one month paddling roughly 400 miles from the border of Laos to the capital city of Phnom Penh. Along the way they helped count the endangered Mekong Dolphins for World Wildlife Fund, raised local awareness about the threat of dams, and fell in love with Cambodia. Annie now owns and operates the educational tour company SUP Asia in Cambodia. SUP Asia offers SUP lessons and adventures and also leads environmental campaigns and projects to protect rivers throughout Cambodia. Pizey is currently working with renown Cambodian illustrator Sao Srey Mao on a series of children’s books about life along the Mekong.
In 2010, Annie Pizey and six other Telluride area residents pioneered the sport of SUP, stand up paddle boarding, on Cambodia’s Mekong River. The group spent close to one month paddling roughly 400 miles from the border of Laos to the capital city of Phnom Penh. Along the way they helped count the endangered Mekong Dolphins for World Wildlife Fund, raised local awareness about the threat of dams, and fell in love with Cambodia. Annie now owns and operates the educational tour company SUP Asia in Cambodia. SUP Asia offers SUP lessons and adventures and also leads environmental campaigns and projects to protect rivers throughout Cambodia. Pizey is currently working with renown Cambodian illustrator Sao Srey Mao on a series of children’s books about life along the Mekong.
 |  Danika Gilbert – November 19, 2015 6:30 pm Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Lion Daughters of Mir Samir Empowering Afghan women through Adventures in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, the non-profit Ascend: Leadership through Athletics is helping a team of 13 young Afghan women do something never done before – CLIMB MOUNTAINS! The overreaching goal? Assist young Afghan women in learning leadership skills and gaining the confidence necessary to be change-makers; so they can forge a path toward peace and stability in their war-torn country. Join Ascend expedition leader, Danika Gilbert, for an evening of story telling and images from this groundbreaking expedition. |
Jim Donini – July 9, 2015 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoPioneering Patagonia
Jim Donini has been pioneering first ascents up Patagonia’s ice capped granite towers for forty years. Jim’s presentation is a thrilling ride up unclimbed peaks with an added emphasis on seldom-visited landscapes and the area’s unique wildlife.
When Jim wasn’t out adventuring around the world, he was president of the American Alpine Club 2006-09, worked in the Outdoor Industry in sales, marketing and product development for companies such as Patagonia from 1978-2005 and an Exum guide from 1970-77. Today he sits on the American Alpine Club Honorary Membership committee, mentors young climbers and is still making first ascents around the world. Jim lives in Ouray, Colorado and Puerto Gadal, Chile
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoPioneering Patagonia
Jim Donini has been pioneering first ascents up Patagonia’s ice capped granite towers for forty years. Jim’s presentation is a thrilling ride up unclimbed peaks with an added emphasis on seldom-visited landscapes and the area’s unique wildlife.
When Jim wasn’t out adventuring around the world, he was president of the American Alpine Club 2006-09, worked in the Outdoor Industry in sales, marketing and product development for companies such as Patagonia from 1978-2005 and an Exum guide from 1970-77. Today he sits on the American Alpine Club Honorary Membership committee, mentors young climbers and is still making first ascents around the world. Jim lives in Ouray, Colorado and Puerto Gadal, Chile
Laura Colbert & Lexi Tuddenham – April 2, 2015 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoLast Descent of the Yangtze
Friends and Telluride residents Laura Colbert and Lexi Tuddenham met while living in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. In 2007, they rafted a section of the Yangtze River just before it was slated to be dammed. Big rapids, beautiful villages, stunning gorges, dyna-mite, happy river rats and some consternated local officials are all part of the story of the trip along China’s longest river.
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoLast Descent of the Yangtze
Friends and Telluride residents Laura Colbert and Lexi Tuddenham met while living in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. In 2007, they rafted a section of the Yangtze River just before it was slated to be dammed. Big rapids, beautiful villages, stunning gorges, dyna-mite, happy river rats and some consternated local officials are all part of the story of the trip along China’s longest river.
David Brankley – November 13, 2014 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, Colorado
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) is an ancient pilgrimage route to the grave of Saint James in the north western corner of Spain. From the Dark Ages until the Reformation the path played a role in binding Europe together and reinforcing its identity as a Christian entity despite disputes and warfare among its princes. After the Reformation the route suffered centuries of neglect, but was revived again between the World Wars and even more so in recent decades. The number of pilgrims passing over the Camino annually by foot today probably surpasses anything occurring in its medieval heyday. There are many roads and paths to Santiago from many of the principle cathedrals and cities of 11th century Europe. This presentation by Telluride resident David Brankley will cover just a few of them, with an emphasis on the main trunk, Camino Frances, from the Pyrenees to the great Cathedral of Santiago. David has followed varies branches of the route over the last 20 years by bicycle.
David Brankley is a local artist and a columnist for the Daily Planet. For 24 years he wandered about Europe and North America, the fringes of Asia, and Africa, traveling by bicycle and sea kayak, subject to a seemingly incurable travel addiction. Finally, in the spring of 2006, passing through Telluride for the what may have been the fourth or fifth time, a few days stay turned into a few months, then half that year. The spell of perpetual motion at last was broken. Since that time, with Telluride as a base, travelling occupies just two to four months of the year. The time available for travel has diminished, but not the passion and curiosity. Last winter, David bike toured parts of Spain, Portugal, France, and the U.K., including the Camino de Santiogo de Compostela, along with a few new Spanish discoveries, including Santander and the province of Asturias.
Ken Bailey – July 10, 2014 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoArctic Siberian Maymetcha River Expedition
In 1990 just before the break up of the Soviet Union, a group of Soviet, Canadian, and American paddlers embarked to paddle the 400 km Maymetcha River in Northern Siberia. Filmmaker / Explorers Club member Ken Bailey helped with the expedition and will bring the story to life in a slide show presentation.The expedition crews explored and mapped an area that includes the Northern-most forest in the world, which is located in a remote pristine watershed above the arctic circle. Our goal was to kayak, raft and canoe the river and visit the Dolgan and Nagason indigenous reindeer herds people who were displeased after being placed in collectives by Stalin.Plane crashes, marriages, and wild exploration are all part of the story
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoArctic Siberian Maymetcha River Expedition
In 1990 just before the break up of the Soviet Union, a group of Soviet, Canadian, and American paddlers embarked to paddle the 400 km Maymetcha River in Northern Siberia. Filmmaker / Explorers Club member Ken Bailey helped with the expedition and will bring the story to life in a slide show presentation.The expedition crews explored and mapped an area that includes the Northern-most forest in the world, which is located in a remote pristine watershed above the arctic circle. Our goal was to kayak, raft and canoe the river and visit the Dolgan and Nagason indigenous reindeer herds people who were displeased after being placed in collectives by Stalin.Plane crashes, marriages, and wild exploration are all part of the story
Nick LeClaire – May 13, 2014 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe cloud forests of the the Andes provide diverse climates and terrain, spawning conditions that have produced an abundance of life, the most diverse in the world. Spanish explorers named the river after the Virgin Mother herself because of its lush beauty.First traveling to Peru in 2009 Nick met Amazonian botanist Dr. John Janovec in his first journey to the region. In May of 2013, Nick rejoined dr. Janovec to document the giant palm or “aguaje” wetlands of the Madre de Dios river in Southeastern Peru as a part of a project with the World Wildlife Fund. The Madre de Dios river basin is home to Manu National Park and Tambopata National Reserve that have been research centers for decades. In the past decade the hand of man has reached into the region like none before. The interooceanic highway was completed in 2009 which has opened the region to extraction industries, drastically changing the landscape and the lives of the region
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe cloud forests of the the Andes provide diverse climates and terrain, spawning conditions that have produced an abundance of life, the most diverse in the world. Spanish explorers named the river after the Virgin Mother herself because of its lush beauty.First traveling to Peru in 2009 Nick met Amazonian botanist Dr. John Janovec in his first journey to the region. In May of 2013, Nick rejoined dr. Janovec to document the giant palm or “aguaje” wetlands of the Madre de Dios river in Southeastern Peru as a part of a project with the World Wildlife Fund. The Madre de Dios river basin is home to Manu National Park and Tambopata National Reserve that have been research centers for decades. In the past decade the hand of man has reached into the region like none before. The interooceanic highway was completed in 2009 which has opened the region to extraction industries, drastically changing the landscape and the lives of the region
Ralph Tingey – February 13, 2014 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series is proud to present a tour of three Alaskan watersheds by Ralph Tingey, retired Associate Regional Director for the National Park Service in Alaska.Starting in Kotzebue, Alaska, the Arctic home where three great rivers: the Noatak, the Kobuk, and the Selawik empty into the Chukchi Sea. Then, south to Lake Clark, situated on the south-west peninsula of Alaska. The lake, nestled in a great rift valley surrounded by granite mountains, is the 60-mile long lake headwaters for Bristol Bay where millions of red salmon spawn each year. The third area is Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. The Aniakchak river empties out of a huge volcanic caldera which erupted as recently as 1931. It now is home to huge brown bears, trout, char, and salmon.
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series is proud to present a tour of three Alaskan watersheds by Ralph Tingey, retired Associate Regional Director for the National Park Service in Alaska.Starting in Kotzebue, Alaska, the Arctic home where three great rivers: the Noatak, the Kobuk, and the Selawik empty into the Chukchi Sea. Then, south to Lake Clark, situated on the south-west peninsula of Alaska. The lake, nestled in a great rift valley surrounded by granite mountains, is the 60-mile long lake headwaters for Bristol Bay where millions of red salmon spawn each year. The third area is Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. The Aniakchak river empties out of a huge volcanic caldera which erupted as recently as 1931. It now is home to huge brown bears, trout, char, and salmon.
Steven Witherspoon, Greg Cairns, and Brandon Lundquist – November 14, 2013 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series is proud to present “The Current”, a film made by a small group of Fort Lewis students about the social and environmental issues that trace the path of the Animas and San Juan River watersheds through three States. The group traveled for 35 days by ski, foot, raft, and kayak from the source of the Animas River, to the confluence with the San Juan River, to the Glen Canyon Dam. They talk with farmers, scientists, lawyers, professors, river guides, and public officials about society’s effects on the river as they go. The filmmakers will present their film and follow it with a Q&A. This is an off-season night of adventure not to be missed!
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series is proud to present “The Current”, a film made by a small group of Fort Lewis students about the social and environmental issues that trace the path of the Animas and San Juan River watersheds through three States. The group traveled for 35 days by ski, foot, raft, and kayak from the source of the Animas River, to the confluence with the San Juan River, to the Glen Canyon Dam. They talk with farmers, scientists, lawyers, professors, river guides, and public officials about society’s effects on the river as they go. The filmmakers will present their film and follow it with a Q&A. This is an off-season night of adventure not to be missed!
Ace Kvale – July 9, 2013 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series hosted a presentation on The Frozen Zanskar River Trek with Ace Kvale. For centuries the remote, tiny Buddhist kingdom of Zanskar has remained hidden and virtually untouched by modern society. One route however improbable has provided the only winter access through the centuries. The ‘Chadar’ or white blanket is the name given to the Zanskar River when snows cover the mountain passes and the river partially freezes allowing a few intrepid souls to hike along it’s banks. Imagine the Grand Canyon in winter at
11,500 ft with peaks of 23,000 and you get the picture. The canyon is about 65 miles long at its narrowest and can be hiked in a week or less. Sleeping in caves with temperature ranging from 30F to -40F it is not for everyone but is totally unique. A chance to actually step back in time. However, the completion of the road has been only the first step. The strategic and military importance of the region has forced India to begin blasting roads into
Zanskar from all sides and insanely up through the river gorge itself. The days are numbered for one of the wildest treks in the world and the bucolic Kingdom of Zanskar.
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series hosted a presentation on The Frozen Zanskar River Trek with Ace Kvale. For centuries the remote, tiny Buddhist kingdom of Zanskar has remained hidden and virtually untouched by modern society. One route however improbable has provided the only winter access through the centuries. The ‘Chadar’ or white blanket is the name given to the Zanskar River when snows cover the mountain passes and the river partially freezes allowing a few intrepid souls to hike along it’s banks. Imagine the Grand Canyon in winter at
11,500 ft with peaks of 23,000 and you get the picture. The canyon is about 65 miles long at its narrowest and can be hiked in a week or less. Sleeping in caves with temperature ranging from 30F to -40F it is not for everyone but is totally unique. A chance to actually step back in time. However, the completion of the road has been only the first step. The strategic and military importance of the region has forced India to begin blasting roads into
Zanskar from all sides and insanely up through the river gorge itself. The days are numbered for one of the wildest treks in the world and the bucolic Kingdom of Zanskar.
Mallory Dimmitt – May 9th, 2013 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Education Program presented the second event in the Watershed Expedition
Series: local conservationist Mallory Dimmitt’s incredible journey through the wild lands of Florida. Telluride local and seventh generation Floridian, Mallory Dimmitt, participated in six weeks of the 100-day, 1000-mile Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition trek from the Everglades to the Okefenokee in Spring of 2012. The FWC expedition crew traveled by foot and kayak
through diverse ecosystems home to sensitive wildlife habitats, endangered watersheds, and working ranches and farms. The goal of the expedition was to raise awareness of the last remaining wild lands of Florida and to highlight the potential collaborative conservation approach necessary to address the needs of the people, wildlife and natural resources. A reception preceded the event at 6:00pm with light snacks and an opportunity to talk with Mallory.
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Education Program presented the second event in the Watershed Expedition
Series: local conservationist Mallory Dimmitt’s incredible journey through the wild lands of Florida. Telluride local and seventh generation Floridian, Mallory Dimmitt, participated in six weeks of the 100-day, 1000-mile Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition trek from the Everglades to the Okefenokee in Spring of 2012. The FWC expedition crew traveled by foot and kayak
through diverse ecosystems home to sensitive wildlife habitats, endangered watersheds, and working ranches and farms. The goal of the expedition was to raise awareness of the last remaining wild lands of Florida and to highlight the potential collaborative conservation approach necessary to address the needs of the people, wildlife and natural resources. A reception preceded the event at 6:00pm with light snacks and an opportunity to talk with Mallory.
Zak Podmore and Julia Nave – January 22, 2013 6:30 pm
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series was launched on January 22, 2013 by two Colorado College graduates who shared presentations “at the crossroads of watershed development and
conservation.” Zak Podmore screened his film, Remains of a River. Julia Nave, talked about her recent trip to the Sacred Headwaters area of British Columbia. With a National Geographic Young Explorer’s grant, she and four other skiers explored the remote Todagin Plateau backcountry, a pristine wilderness under threat of mining and fracking.
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride, ColoradoThe Watershed Expedition Series was launched on January 22, 2013 by two Colorado College graduates who shared presentations “at the crossroads of watershed development and
conservation.” Zak Podmore screened his film, Remains of a River. Julia Nave, talked about her recent trip to the Sacred Headwaters area of British Columbia. With a National Geographic Young Explorer’s grant, she and four other skiers explored the remote Todagin Plateau backcountry, a pristine wilderness under threat of mining and fracking.
History of the Program:
Our former VISTA intern Sophia Cinnamon (sophia@tellurideinstitute.org) spearheaded the project, with an emphasis, she says, on “creating a platform for local explorers to share with the community about their adventures and the relation to the natural resources they depend on to travel and recreate.” We hope to continue this series free of charge to the community of Telluride!
Our former VISTA intern Sophia Cinnamon (sophia@tellurideinstitute.org) spearheaded the project, with an emphasis, she says, on “creating a platform for local explorers to share with the community about their adventures and the relation to the natural resources they depend on to travel and recreate.” We hope to continue this series free of charge to the community of Telluride!
“We call upon the waters that rim the earth, horizon to horizon, that flow in our rivers and streams, that fall upon our gardens and fields, and we ask that they teach us and show us the way.” (Chinook Blessing Litany)
