Connection to the Land: From the Arctic to the Deschutes
Meet explorer and climate advocate Dr. Len Necefer during the 2026 Livable Future Forum
Dr. Len Necefer is a man of many talents. His diverse background features a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy, founding NativesOutdoors, filmmaking, and advising the Obama administration on resources and land use for the Department of Energy. If he is not testifying land use policies before congress, you can probably find him chasing powder in the mountains. These are the places where he taught himself how to ski, learned what it means to belong to the land, and uncovered what sustainable land use policies look like.
While Len’s resume is no joke, his communication style is dotted with playfulness that reminds us how even when the challenges we are facing are serious, we don’t always need to take ourselves so seriously.
“I was the climate guy in the diesel, which is a bit like being the vegan at the pig roast who keeps going back for seconds.”
Dr. Len Necefer exploring the impacts of wildfire while an expedition on Seekseekqua.
Photo Credit: Tyler Roemer
As a member of the Navajo Nation, Len has carries an Indigenous perspective throughout his work. He has empowered Indigenous voices throughout North America uniting his own community to protect Bears Ears National Monument. Then he found similar challenges thousands of miles away, connecting with the Gwich’in people to help save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. At the Livable Future Forum, he will share some of these stories, tying even his most remote adventures to his time adventuring in the Cascades and Oregon’s high desert.
In 2021, Len spent some time exploring the torched remnants of forest on the flanks of Seekseequa (Mt. Jefferson). Photographer Tyler Roemer and professional shredders Josh Dirksen and Forrest Shearer joined the effort, naturally carving their way through the mountains. This story represents Len’s work so perfectly in many ways. It dissects climate impacts on land use practices, recognizes downstream consequences on Indigenous communities, and exposes the raw beauty of human-powered movement through the mountains.
“Anything you do to the land, it will come back to you”
Local legend Graham Zimmerman to lead the Q&A
Helping guide us through an evening of films, land use discussions, and a Q+A session will be none other than local legend Graham Zimmerman. Graham is a Piolet D’Or winning alpinist, author, climate leader, and senior director of the Protect Our Winters Athlete Alliance. Graham has explored some of the most rugged mountain ranges in the world, and has crafted his creative pursuits to advocate for climate policy.
Graham Zimmerman on the ascent of Link Sar.
Photo Credit: Graham Zimmerman
While spending a lifetime in the mountains does not automatically qualify someone as a climate advocate, it does give you a front row seat in the landscapes that are disproportionately facing the impacts of climate change. Graham has been acutely aware of these changes, and how his role as an athlete shapes his viewpoint.
Climate change, sustainable land use, and Indigenous sovereignty are complicated and nuanced topics. That is why we are so glad to have the voices of two leaders in these spaces in one room, sharing their unique stories.
Join us for a special evening of films and engaging conversations on October 15 at OSU Cascades.
