GCI 15th Anniversary Event
In November 2010, GCI hosted a special event to commemorate 15 years as the leader in the Glen Canyon restoration movement. This public event was held at the Post Theater at the University of Utah Conference Center and was a great experience for all those in attendance.
The event began with a special Afternoon With Katie Lee forum, which featured some well-known Glen Canyon and Colorado River legends including Katie Lee, author Bruce Berger, Ken Sanders, Barbara Brower, Ed Dobson and Richard Ingebretsen, among others. Discussion ranged from poignant memories and stories, to future optimism associated with Fill Mead First. Katie played a recording of a song written about her and Bruce read passages from his classic book, There Was A River.
The evening’s proceedings commemorated the work of the great Terry Tempest Williams, whose devotion to wildlife and the environment has been unmatched in the Colorado River Basin. GCI’s founder and President, Richard Ingebretsen, started off the event, discussing the Institute’s history, our leadership role in the environmental movement, and our future plans for restoring Glen Canyon and the Colorado River. His presentation culminated with the audience of nearly 200 joining him in chants of “Save Water – Fill Mead First!”
Barbara Brower, daughter of the late David Brower, then presented the 2010
David R. Brower Conservation Award
to Terry Tempest Williams. From its inception in 1998, this prestigious
award has honored individuals who have had a dramatic, positive impact on
conservation efforts in the Colorado Plateau region. It seeks to recognize
those citizens who have brought bold vision, inspiring leadership, and
revolutionary change to the environmental movement.
Ms. Williams has been an example of each of these. Barbara Brower shared
a few brief memories of her father, thoughts about the importance of Glen
Canyon Institute and our work, and remarks on the significance of the
Brower Award. She concluded with a heartfelt introduction to Terry Tempest
Williams.
Terry was passionate and reflective as one would expect, recalling David Brower
and her beginnings as an environmentalist, and talking about her hope for the
restoration of Glen Canyon, the Colorado Plateau, and the planet. She spoke of
hope, of commitment, of action, and encouraged each of us to be relentless in
our efforts to protect the earth we have been given. Compromise is not an
option, was her emphasis.
Dr. Ingebretsen then presented Terry with the Brower Award, a beautiful
image of Glen Canyon’s Cathedral in the Desert, painted by Dillon Jensen
(click here to view Terry’s acceptance speech).
The conference concluded with Katie Lee presenting two short films, Goodbye to a River and Drowning River (click here to purchase the video). Katie narrated the first film, which she took while on her last trip down Glen Canyon in 1962 with Bruce Berger and several others. This was only the second public showing of the film, which gave us an intimate look at what was lost with the flooding of the Glen. After the event, excited attendees stood in line for over 30 minutes to buy books and posters with Katie Lee’s signature.
This was truly an inspiring event and a welcomed reminder not only of what has been lost, but of what can be recovered. We hope you will make an effort to join us at future conferences sponsored by Glen Canyon Institute.