Team Officially Launches Nobody’s River Project: Polartec and National Geographic Award Grants to Support Expedition
Feb 5 |
In May 2013, four women will embark on the first source to sea descent of the Amur River—the world’s third longest free-flowing river. Traveling 4,400 kilometers through three rugged and remote countries, the team plans to capture their journey through still and motion images to tell the story of this widely unknown watershed.
With just a few months to go, the Nobody’s River Project recently got a boost from outdoor industry heavy-hitters, receiving a National Geographic Young Explorers Grant in late 2012 and a Polartec Challenge Grant at the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market last month.
“The Amur River is a vivid reminder of the rich biodiversity an untamed river can support,” said Rebecca Martin, Director of National Geographic’s Expeditions Council. “We are excited to support this brave team of Young Explorers grantees in exploring this important ecosystem, in true National Geographic fashion.”
Over three months, winding through Mongolia, Russia and China, the team will document the challenges, highlights and of course the adventure of this incredible journey—as well as the threats that face the Amur River.
“Polartec has assisted some of the world’s greatest athletes by funding their explorations with the Polartec Challenge Grant,” said Allon Cohne, Polartec Global Director of Marketing. “This year, women have dominated the field with some very inspiring trips including the Nobody’s River Project. We couldn’t be happier to support these four ladies. We’re sure our fabrics are as tough as they are.”
After the team returns this summer, award-winning freelance director and cinematographer Skip Armstrong will join forces to lend his skills to edit the footage into a short film perfectly poised for international adventure and environmental film festivals in 2014. NRS was essential in making the film portion of this project a reality.
“Great stories make great films, and the Nobody’s River Project is a great story,” said Mark Deming, NRS Marketing Communications. “From the cast to the setting, it has all the elements of a classic adventure narrative. There’s no telling what exactly that narrative will be, but there’s no doubt it will be entertaining and inspiring.”
“Ultimately this project is about savoring something fleeting and beautiful, and doing our part to love this great big planet we all live on together. If we bring home just a little of the magic we find, we will feel successful beyond our wildest dreams,” said Amber Valenti of Nobody’s River Project. “We are blown away by the support of National Geographic, Polartec, NRS and the rest of the sponsors and friends who have backed us from the very beginning. Because of them this project has become a reality and we’re incredibly grateful for that.”
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