River Restoration

River Restoration, Special Events / 10.07.2019

At the moment he ascended to the podium, James Rasmussen wasn’t exactly certain what he was going to say. A capacity crowd was gathered in the ballroom of the Westin Cleveland Downtown Hotel for the annual River Rally conference. Among the honorees nominated by his peers to receive a 2019 River Hero Award, he walked up to the microphone with an air of apprehension. James Rasmussen at the River Heroes Award Ceremony “I was more than apprehensive,” Rasmussen told me in an interview. “As of that morning I was going...

Books, Commentary, Diversity, Essays, Madison, Outdoors For All, River Restoration, Special Events, Wisconsin / 08.11.2018

  At the end of October I had the great honor and privilege to host a distinguished guest to the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Author and explorer Eddy L. Harris made a rare appearance on campus to share his experiences paddling the Mississippi River from its source in Lake Itasca, Minnesota to its terminus in the Gulf of Mexico at the City of New Orleans. Depicted in his film “River to the Heart” Eddy paints an intimate portrait of what awaits those willing to venture out into the unknown...

Cycling, Expedition Denali, Madison, River Restoration, The Adventure Gap / 06.09.2018

In 2014, Mary Ann Thomas bicycled solo across the US and Canada. In 2017, She peddled across India with a travel partner and connected with local bike communities in cities across the nation. Accessing these cycling havens in India provided examples of community that she, a brown queer daughter of Indian immigrants, had only rarely seen in the US bike world. On September 15, 2018 her remarkable experience is the subject of a most compelling evening of community story sharing in Madison, Wisconsin at Café Domestique and the...

Adventure Activism, Destinations, Environmental Journalism, Outdoor Recreation, River Restoration, Trust For Public Land / 14.09.2015

Early on a Saturday morning I woke up near Atlanta, Georgia. The sun had not yet risen and I lay there in the dark hotel room searching in vain for an excuse not to go. Scheduled to do a presentation at the Decatur Book Festival in just a few hours paddling the Chattahoochee River should have been the last thing on my mind. But once again circumstances had conspired to create just the right window of opportunity to get there and back with time to spare. In fact...

Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection, Magazines, River Restoration, Urban Revitalization / 04.05.2015

[caption id="attachment_2063014" align="aligncenter" width="569"] photo by Julia Stotz[/caption] Curiosity is perhaps humanity’s greatest gift. Our inquiring minds drive us forward into an exciting world of mystery and exploration. With each new question we are inspired to discover what might be over the next ridge or beyond the horizon. It is these questions, the utter uncertainty of our existence that makes life worth living. From a very young age I have been encouraged to ask questions. Long ago I learned never to trust anyone who claims to have all the answers....

Adventure Activism, Commentary, Environmental Journalism, Fly Fishing, River Restoration, Urban Revitalization / 09.12.2014

Few people likely realize that just a few minutes’ drive from Los Angeles International Airport is an exquisite urban park. Kenny Hahn State Recreation Area is tucked between La Cienega Blvd and La Brea immediately south of Baldwin Hills and just north of Stocker. With a small lake, a stream, hiking trails and a spectacular view of Downtown LA from the top of a scenic overlook this spot is a hidden gem in the heart of a major city. This is the neighborhood where I grew up. Here is...