Ethnobotanist and anthropologist Wade Davis spoke twice last week to officially start this season’s events in Wells Gray World Heritage Year.
The first time was at Clearwater Secondary School on Thursday evening (see story on page one). The second was in Upper Clearwater Hall on Friday morning.
During his Upper Clearwater presentation, Davis talked about his experiences while writing “Into the Silence: Mallory, the Great War, and the Conquest of Everest.”
One of the people he wrote about was a Canadian, Oliver Wheeler, who accompanied George Mallory on an early Everest expeditions. Wheeler later became Surveyor General of India.
Davis visited Oliver Wheeler’s son, John, who lived just a few blocks from where he grew up in West Vancouver.
While there he was astounded to learn that John Wheeler had two of his father’s journals from the Everest expeditions. Until then the only known records were Mallory’s.
“I was breathless,” said Davis, “but I was too Canadian to ask if I could borrow them.”
As he was walking out the door at the end of the interview, John Wheeler handed him the journals without being asked.
“I think you’re going to want these,” he said.
Davis kept them for 12 years while he wrote the book, and the son never asked for them during that time.
Following his talk, Davis helped Upper Clearwater naturalist Trevor Goward officially start two treasure hunts being held as part of Wells Gray World Heritage Year.
To do this the pair read out the legend of Harkayee, a story written by Goward based on a mysterious being mentioned in the memoirs of the late Charlie Shook, a former Wells Gray Park ranger.
Details of the story, which includes clues to the treasure hunts, should be available on the Wells Gray World Heritage website soon.
Pennell pledges money
Tim Pennell, Thompson Nicola Regional District director for Wells Gray Country (Area A), had a couple of announcements regarding support for Wells Gray World Heritage Year.
On Friday at CSS he announced that the regional district was giving $3,000 to the golden skull treasure hunts.
“I’m sure it will help bring more recognition to the park,” he said.
The following morning at the Upper Clearwater Hall, Pennell announced $5,000 from Area A to help fund an application for GeoPark status for Wells Gray Park.
Such status would be a step toward the UNESCO World Heritage Status being sought by the Wells Gray World Heritage Year organizers, he said. It also would be more affordable and doable.
Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is contributing $10,000 towards the GeoPark application, he said.
Thompson Rivers University dean of science Tom Dickinson also spoke at both the CSS and the Upper Clearwater events.
For the past 20 years classes have been making use of the former Upper Clearwater schoolhouse as an education and research center. The center has seen over 10,000 user days and more than 1,500 individual users during that time.
The TRU Wilderness Center to be constructed this year will provide accommodation and teaching space for 20 students.
Construction should begin within two weeks, with completion by next fall.
