The restoration of natural beauty at Fossil Creek is documented in 'A River Reborn: The Restoration of Fossil Creek.' Photo by Nick Berezenko, courtesy of APS

'A River Reborn' researchers
featured at campus screening

The film featuring NAU researchers, A River Reborn: The Restoration of Fossil Creek, is flowing full force through PBS and will be shown on campus at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 29, in the Cline Library Assembly Hall.

This free screening will feature a discussion with several of the stars of the film who were involved in the restoration of Fossil Creek, including NAU researchers Jane Marks, Rod Parnell, Bruce Hungate, and executive producer Stefan Sommer, director of education at NAU's Merriam-Powell Center.

The showing is part of ninth biennial Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau here on campus October 29-31.

The one-hour documentary recounts the rebirth of a biologically critical river in Arizona following 100 years of diversion through a hydroelectric facility and the 15-year effort to decommission the dam.

Thanks to the restoration, "The cascading waterfalls of brilliant blue water and the travertine dams in Fossil Creek are already six feet tall and full of native fish," Sommer said.

Sommer will join the film's narrator, actor Ted Danson, next month as A River Reborn receives an ARTIVIST Award in Hollywood. The ARTIVIST Award acknowledges films that honor and address activism and human rights. The film also won the Celebration of Nature Award from the CreeksFest Film Festival in Prescott last year.

Information about A River Reborn and the ninth biennial Climate Conference is online.