Known as the “King of the Alpine Rivers,” the Tagliamento River certainly lived up to its reputation in my book. From the first moment I laid eyes on its braided channels and stood small in its immense gravel bed, this river showed me its power. Yet at the same time, it revealed its grace — and even its fragility.
My main goal for the Students for Rivers Camp was to observe: to take inventory of each moment and capture everything in front of me. Here is a snippet of what I witnessed:
- A river unlike any I had ever seen before.
- An incredible group of student scientists — some of the brightest and most inspiring peers I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting.
- Crystal clear water, rich biodiversity, torrents, islands, meanders, and braids.
- Endemic and invasive species.
- Diversions, development, extraction, and channelization.
- A wide spectrum of values, opinions, emotions, desires and hopes.
The Tagliamento holds an overwhelming presence that is hard to put into words; it’s something you could feel. The braided channels of its middle course weave through the landscape with elegance. At the same time, you sense the immense force it commands when at full capacity. But despite its beauty and might, I also witnessed the fragility inflicted by human attempts to control it.
Yet, while humanity may be responsible for that vulnerability, it was the people I met throughout the week who gave me hope — from the locals to the students who gathered to become better stewards and advocates for rivers like the Tagliamento. So, while I observed many things during my time there, I am confident I will continue to see a group of people fiercely committed to ensuring the Tagliamento, and wild rivers everywhere, continue to flow with the power and grace inherent to them.
Photos by: Katarina Vrhovac
