Chasing Rivers Before They Disappear

by Mesa Arts Center | April 20, 2015

I love National Geographic! The photographers and videographers on their staff are amazing. They always seem to capture the most stunning photos. So, when I was given the opportunity to attend the National Geographic Live presentation of Chasing Rivers at Mesa Arts Center I jumped all over that. Photography and videography have always been a hobby of mine, so I was eager to see if Pete McBride would talk about some photography techniques or how he got his job with National Geographic.

I've always known that photography and videography is more than capturing that gorgeous shot, that photography is an opportunity to tell a story. That really didn't hit home until the Chasing Rivers show. After about 10 minutes into the show Pete really started to talk about his passion for the beautiful Colorado River. It was refreshing to hear his story of his love for the river and his passion to preserve our natural water supply. His love isn't just for the rivers in America; his love for the rivers is worldwide. During his show he talked about how he was able to travel to India and down the Ganges River.

We've all grown up hearing stories about countries who are less fortunate than the United States, and I think that is one thing we take for granted; it is something we forget can happen here. It wasn't until I saw the pictures that Pete took that I realized that the Colorado River is losing gallons upon gallons of water every year. As many stories as you hear about the poor water quality in India, you don’t really comprehend how bad it is until you see pictures of the people that have to live in those conditions every day.

At the end of his show Pete had everyone take out their phones and text a number. Each text message they received helps conserve thousands of gallons of water. That was exciting to be part of something like that and to have Pete challenge the audience to actively participate in the effort to conserve our world’s water supply. Everyone should experience a National Geographic Live show. It will definitely give you a different perspective.

By Samuel Childress