A Road Scholar Program by Sara Grady

The presence or absence of water can build empires and destroy civilizations. It has been said that our planet should be named “Water” or “Ocean” rather than “Earth.” The surface is 70% water, and every living thing here depends on this simple, vital fluid. Just as rivers carve canyons and oceans sculpt the shore, so too water has influenced human cultures from Ancient Mesopotamia to our modern metropolises.

In this lively exploration, writer and educator Sara Grady will lead a globe-trotting tour, diving into history, anthropology, literature, and legend, tracing the ripples of water in our shared cultural history. We will explore how people across the globe and throughout history reflect water’s life-giving, treacherous, fertile power through profound myths and entertaining stories, tasting the rich and varied water-words of languages both familiar and foreign – words that are being lost and eroded, but which illuminate and enunciate the wonders of our vibrant, blue planet.

This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Kim Erndt-Pitcher at kerndt-pitcher@prairierivers.org.