EARTH RIVER ETHIC

Eric Hertz founded Earth River Expeditions in the late 1980s on a number of core principles; operating the safest, finest trips possible, discovering new incredible places to take our guests, hiring local people from the areas we visit, working with local communities to protect river resources where we run trips as well as helping to protect areas we don’t visit when we feel our knowledge and experience can make a difference.

The company has volunteered our time and resources over the past 27 years to protect irreplaceable river resources around the world running dozens of conservation awareness trips with media, policy makers and celebrities. We also spearheaded efforts to protect Patagonia from water borne invasive species and founded the first outfitter initiated land trust. This work has been funded using the profits from our commercial river trips and in some cases even running special expeditions, to raise money for conservation work.

The brief time line below outlines our hands on river conservation work. More in depth accounts of a number of these projects can be found on the web site library.

EARTH RIVER CONSERVATION TIME LINE
  • March 1990: Eric Hertz organized and ran conservation awareness expedition on threatened Bio Bio River (Threatened by dams) in Chile with Natural Resources Defense Council. With 50 participants, including the chief of the native Puenche Indians, it was the largest, class 5, multi-day expedition ever run. READ NRDC Newsletter (Bio Bio trip).
  • Feb. 1991:  Eric Hertz organized and led conservation awareness expedition on Chile’s Bio Bio River with Chilean actors and artists. READ Catherine Bragg letter (Grupo de Accion por el Bio Bio).
  • May - June 1991: Eric Hertz scouted (by air) 7 major rivers in Quebec looking for a suitable stretch to run environmental awareness trips on to expose politicians and the media to the threat from the James Bay II project which if built would be the largest hydro-electric project in the world flooding over 2,000 square miles. After two weeks of flying over a thousand miles of threatened waterways a section of the Great Whale River was chosen to run conservation awareness trips on. READ Cree Chief Robby Dick letter, (Great Whale conservation trips).
  • Aug. 1991 - Aug. 1993:  Eric Hertz organized and led eight conservation awareness trips over three summers on the threatened Great Whale River in James Bay, Quebec. Participants included; The Natural Resources Defense Council, National Audubon society, members of the Cree First Nation including the Grand Cief, National Geographic Magazine (yellow), Conde Nast Traveler, Turner Broadcasting, Nicolodian Television and politicians from New York and New England which were negotiating to purchase James Bay power which would have dammed and dewatered 7 major rivers and flooded an area the size of France. Also, began training Cree youth, taking six of them on an expedition down the Magpie river, so they could start running their own expeditions. READ Luis Eguren, Coordinator Whapmagoostui Band of Cree First Nation, letter (Great Whale Conservation trips).
  • Oct. 1992: Earth River, Great Whale River conservation awareness participants, Senator Franz Leichter and Assemblyman William Hoyt hold Legislative hearings in New York against buying power from the James Bay Project. Assemblyman Hoyt proposes legislation in New York legislature to stop the project. Later that year New York withdraws from their 5 billion dollar contract to buy power sending a near fatal blow to the project. (Note: In 1994, The James Bay II Project is suspended indefinitely.) READ NY Senator Franz Lichter letter.
  • Nov. 1993 - Current:  Eric Hertz is instrumental in starting the Earth River Land Trust on Patagonia Chile’s Futaleufu to ensure the Futaleufu would not meet the same destructive fate as the Bio Bio River to the north which was dewatered and damed. Working with clients the trust has purchased and protected over 12 miles (22 parcels) of some of the most important and easily developed property along the Futaleufu. READ Ronald G. Dodson, President Audubon International, letter.
  • July 1995: Eric Hertz Scouted two river systems in Labrador by air and ran one expedition looking for place to bring media rafting to bring awareness to the Nato jet fly overs that were breaking the sound Barrier directly over Innu Native hunting camps and literally driving them from the bush and their cultural heritage. READ excerpt from Cultural Survival Magazine.
  • June 1997: Earth River scouted for a suitable river for the Ouj-Bougoumou Cree, an Indian community Northern Quebec that’s had many past hardships, to run eco-tourism trips for income.  READ Cree Chief Bosum, Ouj-Bougoumou Cree, letter
  • May 2000: Eric Hertz and Steve Mahan ran conservation awareness trips on Newfoundland’s Main River which was threatened with clear cut logging. READ excerpt from greatcanadianrivers.com.
  • July 2000: Eric Hertz  organized and ran conservation awareness trip through Headwall Canyon threatened by clear cut logging. Expedition invitees included; actor Richard Dean Anderson, Robert Kennedy Jr, NRDC, Kathy Francis, chief of the Klahoose First Nation and National Geographic Television. READ National Geographic Headwall Canyon trailer.
  • Aug. 2004: Eric Hertz organized and led conservation awareness trip on Magpie River threatened by a series of dams. Participants included Canadian Media and Canadian environmental groups including the Canada branch of the Sierra Club. READ Michele Gauthier, Director, Quebec Rivieres Fondation, letter.
  • March 2005: Earth River organized and ran conservation awareness trip on Futaleufu River (threatened by dams) with celebrities, members of the Chilean business community and Chilean Senator Antonio Horvath (Head of Senate environmental committee.)  (press conference with participants in Santiago after trip which was attented by major newspapers, magazines and Chilean television.
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“Earth River made an expeditionary first descent of the Futaleufu in 1991 and figured out how to safely navigate it."
"Earth River is the premier river runner in the world. Their staff includes the finest guides to be found."
“Earth River is more than a great whitewater outfitter. Their contributions have made a real difference in our efforts to preserve some of the world's most beautiful rivers in Chile and Canada."
"I want to personally thank Earth River for helping us stop the hydro-electric projects on our land preventing the destruction of one of North America's last great wildernesses.
“I’ve rafted with Eric Hertz down some tough rivers—the Futaleufu in Chile, the Colca in Peru. He's one of the best in the business—obsessed with safety."