The wild and scenic<br><font size=2><i>The Patagonia Film Festival will show eight movies with environmental ideas</i></font>
By KAREN BOSSICK<br><i>Wood River Journal</i>

Ketchum &#045; Imagine traveling 21,000 miles on pig lard and palm pulp.
That&#039;s what Warren and Tyler Bradt did on a trip from Alaska to Argentina in a retro-outfitted Japanese fire truck they named &#8220;Baby.&#8221;
Their initial mission was simple &#045; to kayak some of the best whitewater in the Americas. But they soon made it about navigating the longest-ever petroleum-free road trip, as well.
&#8220;Oil and Water,&#8221; which features some spectacular whitewater scenes and even some sand dune surfing, has won awards at a multitude of festivals including the Taos Mountain Film Festival, Reel Paddling Film Festival, Asheville Film Festival and Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival.
Now the film of that year-long journey through 16 countries will be shown as part of Patagonia&#039;s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival on Thursday at nexStage Theater.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a reception with complimentary hors d&#039;oeuvres provided by Roosevelt Tavern, Pioneer Saloon, Ciro&#039;s and Lyndee&#039;s Bakery. Wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for sale.
Eight films varying in length from two minutes to 53 minutes will be shown, beginning at 6:30 p.m. They&#039;ll continue until about 10 p.m., with a 20-minute intermission.
The films examine such things as that ubiquitous American symbol &#045; the lawn, asking whether it&#039;s a symbol of pride and prosperity or waste and conformity. And it takes a humorous look at American&#039;s obsession with their lawn, noting  it takes a &#036;40 billion industry to keep nation&#039;s largest irrigated crop in top shape.
Other films examine food production, energy sources, water usage and land conservation. One film about a bicycle trek spotlighting threatened areas features glimpses of the Wood River Valley through the eyes of Colleen Teevin, of the Wood River Land Trust.
&#8220;It&#039;s designed to create awareness of the environmental issues around the world and motivate viewers to take action in their community,&#8221; said Megan McGowan, the Environmental Resource Center&#039;s community outreach coordinator. &#8220;And it&#039;s designed to create 
The festival is sponsored by the ERC and the Elephant&#039;s Perch and Sun Valley Online.
Tickets are &#036;10 each for ERC members and students 13 and older, or &#036;20 for a family. Tickets are &#036;15 for non-ERC members or &#036;25 for a family.
Those who join the ERC at this time get free tickets for their entire family.
Tickets are available at The Elephant&#039;s Perch and at the Environmental Resource Center. 
Call 726-4333 for more information.

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