Mesa County Libraries is proud to partner with media production company Rig to Flip to present The River of Sorrows, a film featuring the adventures of two packrafters as they travel into the wild canyons and and explore the conflict around the Dolores River. This event will occur on Wednesday, August 28th from 6pm-7:30pm in the Central Library’s Community Room. To register, please visit our event calendar or call 970-243-4442.
The film is to be followed by a 45 minute audience Q&A and panel discussion with water experts and enthusiasts Scott Braden, Hannah Holm, and Cody Perry.
Scott Braden is the founder and director of the Colorado Wildlands Project bringing over twenty years’ experience in public lands advocacy and education on the Colorado Plateau. He found his way west to work at the Colorado Outward Bound School, falling in love with desert rivers and wilderness in Dinosaur National Monument and Desolation Canyon. He transitioned his career into conservation advocacy working at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) for five years before moving to Colorado and continuing as an advocate for public lands at the Colorado Mountain Club and Conservation Colorado. Scott lives with his family, dog Charley and a small flock of chickens in Grand Junction.
Hannah Holm joined American Rivers as the Southwest Region Associate Director for Policy in April of 2022. In this role, she works to promote policies and projects to increase resilience in the Colorado River basin, with an emphasis on western Colorado. Prior to joining American Rivers, she co-founded and directed the Hutchins Water Center at Colorado Mesa University from 2011-2022. Hannah previously facilitated the Grand Valley and Lower Gunnison Wise Water Use Council, advocated for stronger drinking water protections with Western Colorado Congress.
Cody Perry is a land and water advocate specializing in grassroots organizing and conservation storytelling. Cody is co-founder of Rig To Flip, a creative media house specializing in conservation storytelling about the Colorado River Basin’s land, water, wildlife and people. Cody has worked with non-profits, federal land agencies, outdoor brands and communities to inspire awareness and promote cultural exchange. Cody comes from a ranching family in Arizona, and has lived across Colorado’s western slope since 2001. His passion is telling stories about the West.
This film showing also ties in to the We are Water exhibit, a traveling exhibit hosted by the Central Library location and created by a multitude of science, university, and tribal organizations. Visit this exhibit through September to share memories and stories about water and to gain education through an interactive exhibit and related programming.