Legendary Fernie explorer, author, and speaker Jon Turk will tour the Kootenays this fall, sharing personal stories from his many adventures in the world's wildest places.
One of National Geographic’s 2012 Top 10 Adventurers of the Year, Turk has led human-powered expeditions all over the world, from the Canadian Arctic to Siberia and Kamchatka, and from the Himalayas to South America's notorious Cape Horn. In storytelling fashion, backed by stunning imagery, Jon Turk will take his audience on a trans-global journey: sea kayaking in the Solomon Islands, the circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island in the polar Arctic, a bicycle ride across the Tibetan plateau to the birthplace of the Dalai Lama, and into our own backyards.
“The Kootenays are an integral part of planet Earth,” explains Turk with his unique global perspective, “and by starting here, we join with other people in other communities, working within other organizations, to join hands for the common good.”
Turk is working with Wildsight to highlight how important it is to preserve our own backyards, to highlight why wild places like the Flathead, the David Thompson Heritage Lands, or the Heart of the Purcells are so critical for healthy communities.
"Wildsight is all about connecting," explains Wildsight's Erna Jensen-Shill, who is coordinating Turk's tour of the Kootenays.
"We work to facilitate connections between Kootenay residents and our world-class wildlife, wilderness, and recreation. We are excited to bring Jon's global perspective to audiences around the Kootenays."
“This journey that we talk about, while global in nature, is implemented one person at a time, one river valley at a time, one ecosystem at a time," explains Turk.
"These journeys constitute a quest for the “spiritual revolution” that must underlie humanity’s greater journey into the 21st century, if we want to have a reasonable hope of creating a peaceful, equitable, healthy, and sustainable world."
Turk will be at the Fernie Arts Station on Sunday, October 20th at 7:00pm.