Kokatat has announced their official sponsorship for The Kamchatka Project. Bryan Smith, a long time sponsored Kokatat Team Member, will lead an expedition of six Whitewater Kayakers as they explore the Siberian mountain landscapes of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the last truly wild places on earth, in an effort to raise public awareness of the complex relationships between the place, its people and its fisheries.
Bryan joined the Kokatat team in 2004 and over the years Kokatat has frequently sponsored his many ongoing projects that have effectively correlated his paddling skills and passion for environmental concerns. As the founder of Reel Water Productions, Bryan successfully exploits the art of film to inspire his audiences. Bryan’s official titles include Director, Producer, Principal Camera, and Lead Expedition Kayaker for The Kamchatka Project. The Kamchatka Project kayakers will be teaming up with scientists, conservation groups and local Russians to collaborate on establishing the critical data, curriculum and exposure needed to protect the region’s river drainages where one-sixth to one-forth of all wild salmon spawn. The largely unexplored yet lush area is threatened by potential harms such as caviar poaching and industrial land use.
The Kamchatka Project is designed to not only create public awareness through all its outlets, including production of a National Geographic Television show episode, but also contribute to expanding the knowledge surrounding Kamchatka’s ecology and hydrology. The Kamchatka Project Expedition departure is set for July 2010.
To follow the expedition and learn more about Kamchatka, please visit:www.kamchatkaproject.org
