Episode 95: Reading a River – Heather Hansman

Authors + Writers, Conservation + Climate

Episode 95: Reading a River

Interview with Heather Hansman

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group->

Sponsored by Ritual

Heather Hansman went on a solo pack rafting adventure for the sake of conservation. Paddling the 730 mile Green River, she learned about the future of water in the west and documented her journey in her upcoming book, Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West.

We talk about her two-month pack rafting trip, what it means to write an adventure memoir that’s grounded in water conservation, and why addressing environmental issues doesn’t have to be intimidating or impersonal. Planning ahead can be like reading a river, a graceful mix of intuition and problem-solving.

Learn more about water in the west and beyond ->

Find the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, GooglePlay, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Featuring: Heather Hansman

Hosted by Gale Straub

Subscribe to She Explores podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.

Music is by Jason Shaw, Nihilore, and Meydan via freemusicarchive.org using a CC by A license

In this episode, you’ll hear:

– How Heather got started as a rafting guide
– Why water conservation doesn’t have to be an abstract, hard to understand concept
– (But why it’s probably more complicated than you think )
– The reason Heather wanted to pack raft the Green River
– All the logistics involved in planning a 730 mile rafting trip
– Heather’s thoughts on adventure memoirs
– Why solo isn’t necessarily better when you’re on an adventure
– Some of the issues Heather dug into that stakeholders found with water rights in the Colorado River basin
– Why river recreation is inherently tied to conservation
– What we can do close to home