Celebrating the Gila’s Web of Life
September 16 – 19, 2010
Silver City, NM
The Gila River represents the lifeblood of a biologically diverse landscape to which humans are intricately tied. Several thousand plant and animal species call the Gila River and its headwaters home, making the mountains of southwestern New Mexico a North American biodiversity hot spot - many species found in the Gila occur nowhere else in the world. Given that 2010 marks the International Year of Biodiversity, the 6th annual Gila River Festival will celebrate the Gila’s extraordinary web of life, highlighting the importance of New Mexico’s last free-flowing river in sustaining an ecologically diverse and connected landscape.
Participants to the Festival will see, touch and feel what biodiversity is all about, and why it matters to human welfare. The Gila River Festival will kick off with a keynote speech entitled "Connections: The Marvelous Complexity of Place" by writer-teacher-activist Mary Sojourner. The River Lecture Series will feature a variety of renowned biodiversity researchers and conservationists, while numerous field trip and workshop opportunities will provide attendees the opportunity to directly experience the area’s incredible biodiversity. In historic downtown Silver City, enjoy museum and gallery tours featuring the art and photography of the Gila River, and on Saturday, the Gila River Festival teams up with the Red Hot Children’s Fiesta to provide hands-on children’s activities to allow kids the opportunity to explore the wonders of nature right in downtown Silver City! On Saturday evening, enjoy the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, North America's largest environmental film fest, and on Sunday, join us for a panel discussion of the economic benefits of maintaining a healthy, free-flowing Gila River.
This year’s festival promises to instill a sense of wonder and connectedness to the Gila River, as well as promote an understanding of the human role in sustaining this remarkable, yet fragile ecosystem. Please join us September 16-19 in celebrating the Gila’s web of life.
Click here to view schedule highlights!
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6th Annual Gila River Festival