After a career managing wilderness for the USDA Forest Service, Jonathan Klein concluded that what passes for wilderness in the lower 48 states isn’t truly wild. In search of the real thing, he embarked on a 700-mile solo canoe trip from Saskatchewan to Hudson Bay.
Jonathan is one of 10 presenters at the next PechaKucha Night(s). The events will be held at Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday, November 6th and 7th. Both shows begin at 6:40pm and feature the same lineup of speakers both nights.
The cowboy is an archetype – the tough, grizzled, macho loner on a horse – represents the American West. Liv Hart, a multi-disciplinary artist and designer takes a critical look at that myth in her PK on deconstructing the American cowboy.
Another archetype of the American West took a hit last year when dramatic flooding hit the park and neighboring communities. On June 13, 2023, multiple washouts on the only access road in or out of the area meant that 60 people, 20 dogs, one cat and 24 vehicles were stranded at 6,205 feet in the Beartooth Mountains. Dayle Hayes will describe the dramatic – and successful-rescue effort.
Bozeman is full of people looking to challenge themselves in the outdoors, but Vanessa Rybicka was not one of them. An urban creature, Rybicka only started hiking when she was tricked by friends. But Vanessa, who had recently adopted Grace, an abused 3-year-old pit-bull, changed her mind when she saw Grace’s sheer joy at being suddenly free in the outdoors.
Not all adventures are voluntary. Robin Heyer, a retired MSU employee, will tell of a 1967 weekend camping trip in the desert of Baja California that went wrong. The bus her family was traveling in got hopelessly mired in the mud miles from the nearest town. Lost for three days, they were taken in, fed and sheltered by a Mexican farmer and his family.
The world is increasingly filled with warning signs and labels, and ominous words of caution. John Reins, a retired forensic engineer, will reflect upon whether the pursuit of unattainable goals of zero risk and absolute safety may be diminishing the virtues of self-reliance and self-sufficiency in our society.
photo by presenter Jonathan Klein
Ironically, many folks would rather take their chances on a 700-mile solo canoe trip or scale an icy waterfall before they would stand up before 450 people on the stage of the Ellen Theatre. Kath Cumrine will share her own journey with stage fright and provide a few tips to help you deal with all that attention!
Julie Gladden offers some levity for the evening with her presentation on practical jokes, recalling a lifetime of playing prank after prank on those she loves.
Patrick Moore recently moved to Bozeman with his wife from a small town in western Minnesota to be closer to their daughters and their families. In search of many essential items to furnish their new home, they turned to online marketing tools to access local sellers. The experience helped them learn about their new community as they traveled between trailer parks in Belgrade, an historic cabin on Bear Canyon Road, new townhomes, historic homes, the college campus, church parking lots and dozens of other places.
In a similar vein, Susan Anderegg will describe her historical scavenger hunt around town. The retired graphic designer has collected small bits of buildings and other artifacts from the area to see if locals can guess what they are and what their historical significance might be.
Back for an encore performance as emcee is Justin Barth, Director of Development for Gallatin Valley Land Trust. Justin loves rambling about local trails and open spaces, or waiting for the mailman to come, in hopes of a new edition of the Costco coupon catalog.
First Security Bank is sponsor of the October event. Tickets are available at www.theellentheatre.com for $9 (including facility fee). Students may purchase tickets at the door for $5.50.
PechaKucha (peh-chak-cha) offers anyone with a passion or a vision – designers, artists, inventors, architects, adventurers, entrepreneurs – an opportunity to share their ideas with the community during a fast-paced, friendly social get-together. There’s just one catch: presenters have only 20 slides x 20 seconds each, a total of 6 minutes, 40 seconds! •
