The Siskiyou Land Trust (SLT) kicked off its eighth annual slideshow series on Thursday, November 9th, with guest presenter Ben Stookesberry, a two-time National Geographic Adventurer of the Year honoree. Ben presented perspectives from the most remote and extreme rivers from around the world, from 79 degrees north in the Arctic to the Colombian Amazon.
In the last four years, Stookesberry has made at least 130 first descents on six continents, many of those with long time kayaking partners Chris Korbulic and Pedro Oliva. But Ben always comes back home to his beloved rivers of Northern California and brings his far flung perspectives to bear on the current issues facing both the rivers around the world and the ones in our own backyard.
Having been a part of American Whitewater´s Initiative to promote responsible river management on the many hydroelectrics in California since 2004, he has witnessed firsthand the progress made in the effort for more responsible river management, as well as the many challenges still ahead for Northern California´s rivers.
“For two decades my mission has been to promote rivers, the people that live
on their banks, and the amazing stories that are told there. I am dedicated
to promoting free-flowing rivers and responsible management of existing
hydroelectric facilities at home and around the world,” said Stookesberry.
If you were unable to join SLT and Ben for the story of his journey from the rivers of
Northern California, to the most remote rivers on earth and back, you can CLICK HERE to watch an epic adventure movie about Ben’s expedition (kite skiing and kayaking) crossing Greenland. Treat yourself to a 50 minutes of high adventure and awesome scenery/cinematography! It is totally captivating (in spite of the Red Bull TV commercial breaks). Ben and his companions are truly amongst the ultimate human adventurers.
The Land Trust slideshow series is held at the Mount Shasta Sisson Museum on the second Thursday monthly from November through April. Door opens at 6:30 PM, shows begin at 7:00 PM and a donation of $8-$10 is requested. All are welcome.
