By MARGRIET RUURS
for Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club
The Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club (SSTNC) invites everyone to vicariously voyage the Arctic’s fabled Northwest Passage via Pat and Rosemarie Keough’s great stories and stunning photography garnered during three transits and many Arctic adventures.
Their presentation — taking place Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m. at the Salt Spring Public Library — will touch on topics like people and culture, wildlife and vegetation, geology and ice, history and discoveries, climate change, boundary and waterway disputes and more.
“We are fortunate to have explored many of the world’s remote and majestic places. The Northwest Passage ranks among the most memorable,” said Rosemarie.
Together, the Keoughs have been exploring the world as professional photographers and book publishers for 41 years. Their work has taken them throughout the Arctic and Antarctica as well as to the tropics and points between. Their limited-edition, hand-bound tomes — Antarctica and Labyrinth Sublime — are the apogee of their careers. Prestigious international honours for these works include World’s Best Photography Book, Outstanding Bookarts Craftsmanship, Nature Photographers of the Year and Official Book of POLAR2018. Yale University maintains a comprehensive archive of the Keoughs’ artistry. Pat and Rosemarie are Medalists and Fellows of The Explorers Club, Medalists of Britain’s Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and recipients of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals.
They share the adventure gene. In his teens, Pat explored the South Pacific where, among many occupations, he had a dive salvage company and constructed a house from 40,000 beer bottles. For several years he sailed a trimaran through much of Polynesia.
Rosemarie’s early career in corporate finance was balanced by personal time leading canoeing, hiking and skiing outings, all while honing her photographic skills and knowledge of nature. Cultural heritage is another of her interests, especially traditional dance.
Kindred spirits, the Keoughs met during a 550-km whitewater-canoe expedition down the legendary South Nahanni River in Canada’s subarctic wilderness. Not long after, while photographing elephants and keeping an eye for tigers in the Ghat Mountains of southern India, the newlyweds turned their mutual enjoyment of photography, then a hobby, into an exciting new career. As you can imagine, these long-time Salt Springer Islanders have many great stories to tell.
The free presentation is hosted by the SSTNC and sponsored by the Salt Spring Public Library.