Join us to experience the thrill of exploring major canyons throughout the Southwest — without leaving the NAU campus!
The Nov. 7 film screening “Boat’s Eye View: Personal Films from the Canyons” will showcase short clips from recently digitized films – mostly home movies — that document the early days of canyoneering (1940s – 1970s) in Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, and other areas.
Whether you are an NAU student; a documentary filmmaker or photographer; a canyoneer, hiker, or river enthusiast; or a curious community member, you’re invited to this free public event in the Cline Library Assembly Hall.
The films were shot from the perspective of both hikers and boaters, and created by river-runners, canyon tour guides, sportsmen, environmentalists, documentary photographers, and historians. They were digitized through a 2021 National Endowment for the Humanities grant that positioned Special Collections and Archives (SCA) to digitize and provide public access to 400 films that embody the human and natural history of the Colorado Plateau.
Three guest speakers with expertise in river-running and tourism; documentary photography; and sustainability and environmental impact will introduce the clips and provide context:
Dawn Kish | Documentary Photographer and Filmmaker
Dawn Kish’s photographic journeys have taken her around the world. Her work has been showcased by Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy, Arizona Highways, National Geographic, and others. . As an Arizona native, she is equally at home snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking and white-water boating. She has worked as a river guide in the Grand Canyon for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and shifted from adventure and lifestyle photography into conservation efforts. Kish’s documentary film “Tad’s Emerging World: Glen Canyon Exposed” retraces the steps of photographer and river runner Tad Nichols to demonstrate the effects of climate change on Lake Powell and the past, present, and future of Glen Canyon.
Richard D. Quartaroli | Librarian, River and Canyon Researcher
Richard Quartaroli first boated the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1973 and has made more than 200 trips since. Quartaroli credits river running with his historical avocation and librarianship vocation. He was the first research librarian for the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies Office under the Board of Reclamation (1993-1997). He then served as the Special Collections Librarian at Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library from 1997 until his retirement in 2011. Quartaroli has presented and written about many aspects of Grand Canyon and Colorado River history.
Wayne Ranney | Geologic Educator, Travel Writer, and Author
Wayne Ranney became interested in geology while working as a backcountry ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. Since 1980, Ranney has offered outdoor educational adventures such as geology-themed river trips in the Grand Canyon and overland expeditions in the American Southwest and around the world. He has traveled the globe as a geologic interpreter, visiting and lecturing in more than 90 countries. His travels have taken him from Antarctica to the Amazon, Greenland to the Gobi Desert, and the North Pole to the South Pole. Ranney’s books include Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, Carving Grand Canyon, Sedona Through Time, and others.
Don’t miss your chance to preview these rarely seen, regionally-focused films and meet the grant team and regional scholars.