Author Kevin Fedarko will be the featured speaker at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2016, where he will recount his record-setting speed run through the Grand Canyon in a small wooden dory.
With a nod to the centennial of the National Park Service, Fedarko will also talk about threats to our National Parks, and what we can do to renew our commitment to the crown jewels of the American landscape.
Fedarko is the author of The New York Times bestseller, The Emerald Mile, which tells the story of the speed run, and covers geology, hydrology, a survey of American exploration, and the history of the epic conservation battles surrounding the Grand Canyon.
“The Emerald Mile is catnip for anyone who loves a great adventure story with a strong conservation message,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “We’re excited to host Kevin’s talk at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast.
Fedarko’s talk will be timely given that 2016 is the centennial of the National Park Service. Many National Parks including Grand Canyon face development pressures and budget cuts, all while park visitation increases. Fedarko will call attention to new threats to Grand Canyon, and remind us that we cannot take our National Parks for granted.
In addition to Fedarko’s talk, The Conservation Alliance Breakfast will feature a review of the grants the organization made during its Summer 2015 funding cycle, and successes that grantees achieved in 2015. The breakfast, which is open to the public, will take place Friday, Jan. 8, from 7:00-8:50 AM at the downtown Marriott hotel in Salt Lake City.
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.
Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.
Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $15 million to grassroots conservation groups. Alliance funding has helped save more than 44 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,945 miles of rivers; stop or remove 26 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase ten climbing areas.
