What is the
DOWNSTREAM
Project?

DOWNSTREAM is a joint science and film project, initiated by Protect Our Winters in collaboration with the icebreaker clothing brand. This project aims to raise awareness among the general public and the outdoor community about the consequences of glacier retreat caused by climate change on the glacier-fed rivers, water resources, diverse human activities and biodiversity. The project does not intend to create new knowledge, neither to exhaustively list all the consequences of glacier retreat, but rather to synthesize some of the existing scientific literature and illustrate it through the case study of three major glacier-fed rivers:

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DR JULIETTE BECQUET

Scientist

Juliette is truly a passionate scientist from the French Alps, driven by an innate commitment to protecting nature. Her PhD thesis and subsequent scientific papers have illuminated the impacts of hydrological alterations on macroinvertebrates in alpine streams, underscoring the need to safeguard these often-overlooked stream inhabitants. Following a post-doc in Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on monitoring measures for fish downstream migrations, she transitioned to freelance work, engaging in various projects. Today, her work encompasses research collaborations, providing expertise to associations and companies as a hydro-ecology specialist, and science outreach through conferences and films. Additionally, she is a mountain lover and a ski instructor.

HUW JAMES

Filmmaker

Huw is a Welsh science communicator, adventurer, and filmmaker. A fellow of the Royal Geographical and Royal Astronomical Societies, he creates educational films through his organisations, Anturus and Science StoryLab. With a background in Astronomy and Geology, Huw has undertaken diverse expeditions worldwide, capturing the wonders of science and nature. His mission is to inspire a new generation of environmental custodians by addressing pollution, climate change, and wildlife extinction through films and photography.

PartnerS & SupporterS

icebreaker

Born in New Zealand in 1995, icebreaker set out to pioneer performance apparel made from natural fibres. Now a part of the VF Corporation, icebreaker continues to challenge the status quo while championing natural, transparent, and responsible ways to do business.icebreaker looks to nature to create natural, high-performing outdoor clothing as an alternative to synthetic-based apparel. Working with what nature provides and adapting as nature does, the brand enables consumers to join a movement towards a more natural way of living by taking unnecessary plastic out of performance apparel.Today, icebreaker is available through more than 3,000 specialty outdoor and premium sporting goods stores, in 27 icebreaker-owned retail stores across 38 countries, and direct through our own online store in 19 countries. To discover more, visit icebreaker.com.

Protect Our Winters

Born in 2007 from a group of passionate snowboarders concerned about climate change, Protect Our Winters (POW) has become the leading voice of the outdoor community on climate action. POW envisions a world where communities unite to protect the outdoors, fostering resilience for future generations. Our mission is to rally the outdoor community to lead on climate action through education, collaboration, and advocacy. By turning passion into purpose, POW empowers brands, organizations, and individuals to become effective climate advocates. Today, POW’s global network spans over 150,000 supporters and 200+ athlete ambassadors across the US, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Through advocacy, impactful campaigns, strategic partnerships and climate education, we aim to create a climate-friendly society rooted in social justice and respect for all living things. Find out more here.

VF corporation

VF Corporation is a portfolio of leading outdoor, active, and workwear brands, including The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland® and Dickies®. VF is committed to providing consumers with innovative products that are rooted in performance and elevated design while delivering sustainable and long-term value for its employees, communities, and shareholders. For more information, please visit vfc.com.

VF FOUNDATION

Inspired by the vision of VF Corporation and its brands, The VF Foundation works to create positive societal impact and systems change to advance a more active, equitable, and sustainable world. Since its inception in 2002, The VF Foundation has granted more than $73 million globally to improve the communities where VF operates through its key strategic pillars: Thriving Outside, Protecting Our Planet, Powering Potential, and supporting Humanitarian Relief. Learn more here.

Acknowledgements

Protect Our Winters:
Antoine Pin
Dan Yates
Jake Black
Jordan Wright
Luc Heering
Marian Krogh
Max Hänisch
Nina Aragon
Patrick King

icebreaker and VF:
Matteo Castelli
Maria Papapanagiotou
Federico Paviani
Nicoló Sabbatini

The New Zealand Merino Company:
Alice Norton
Mackenzie Muir

Interviewees:
Abby Dalke
Andrina Janicke
Bernard Poujol
David Anderson
Dider Ançay
Dr. Giulia Mazzotti
Ethan McLeod
Jean Jalbert
Jordi Beneyto Ferre
Lisa Anderson
Maggie Heumann
Philippe Dupuy
Pr. David Norton
Stephen Pfeiffer
Véronique Ançay

White Paper Proofreading, Information, Contacts:
Greg McReynolds
Matteo Roncoroni
Pascal Egli
Romain Rubin

DOWNSTREAM Production:
Dan Yates
Huw James
Ieva Gedrimaite
Jason Larraman
Joby Newson
Jon Moy
Jordan Wright
Lewis Young
Rob Nelson
by fair means

POW NEWSLETTER:

What is the DOWNSTREAM Project?

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What is the
DOWNSTREAM
Project?