Local Reporter Tells Story of Early River-Running Effort to Document Plant Life

Eighty-five years ago, two botanists put their lives on the line to survey the plants along the Colorado River. Joining a small group of amateur river runners, they embarked on a 43-day journey through the often treacherous waters. The expedition proved wildly successful, and the botanists were lauded by the media for their effort. This was partly for their scientific triumph, but more because of their gender – Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter had entered a man’s world of river running and scientific exploration, and they showed that women were up to the task. KNAU science reporter Melissa Sevigny shares their story in her new book, “Brave the Wild River.”

Clover, 41, jumped at the chance to join the expedition. A botanist at the University of Michigan, she asked one of her graduate students, Lois Jotter, to join her on the trip, since a lone female on such a journey would not be socially acceptable.

The women braved whitewater rapids, ravenous mosquitoes, precarious cliffs they climbed to gather plants, and their own fears about their ability to meet such challenges. Each night along the journey, they wrote notes about the day’s work and pressed the plants they collected for later study at the university. Their painstaking efforts paid off and significantly added to the understanding of Southwest ecology.

While Clover and Jotter were celebrated at the time, their story eventually entered the realm of historic footnotes – until now. Sevigny first heard about Clover and Jotter in 2018. She wanted to learn more but didn’t find much information. This led her to further research and an article she wrote for The Atavist Magazine.

“After the story came out, I thought I could finally sleep, because this was a story that was keeping me awake at night,” she said. “But I still couldn’t because there were still all these things I wanted to say about the journey, specifically about the science and natural history of the area.”

Fortune intervened when a literary agent saw Sevigny’s Twitter post about the article. After an exchange of messages, they joined forces and wrote a formal book proposal. W.W. Norton & Company bit on their pitch and Sevigny soon began the two-year writing project.

Like Clover and Jotter on their expedition, Sevigny also faced challenges during the research and writing project. She signed her book contract in July 2020, during the  COVID-19 pandemic. The various university libraries she planned to visit were closed. She had to initially rely on copies of the women’s diaries she had on hand. “That actually worked out well, because it meant I had to rely on their experiences, their voices. So, my first draft was seated on what they experienced down the river, which I think, in the end, made the book what I wanted it to be.”

Later, she was able to access libraires to fill in details.

The book, released May 23 in Flagstaff, has received glowing reviews for the two-time book author. Currently, Sevigny is giving talks and attending book signings. For a list of these events, visit melissasevigny.com. FBN

By Kevin Schindler, FBN

Photo by Kevin Schindler: Author Melissa Sevigny of Flagstaff, a science reporter for KNAU, visits the Grand Canyon with her new book about two female botanists on a 1938 Colorado River expedition.