From Ridge to Reef: A Mostly Improvised Approach to Geography
In this talk, I’ll offer a few observations and the experiences that led to them:
- Maps draw out memories, stories, and local knowledge—whether in Steamboat Springs or the Trobriand Islands.
- Surprises, setbacks, and necessity shape the most interesting projects.
- New technology changes the interface, but you’ve still got to understand map projections.
Kitty Currier maps places above and below water with photogrammetry, aerial imagery, and scuba gear. She spent ten years working across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, using practical and occasionally unorthodox methods to document environmental change and how people make sense of it. Originally from Fort Collins, Colorado, she holds a master’s and a PhD in geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor’s in biology and archaeology from Stanford University.