The Celebration Documentary
In 2014 after ten years of hard work and dedication, 46.1 miles of The Missisquoi and Trout Rivers were given the Wild & Scenic designation from the United States Congress. Our rivers are managed through a partnership with the National Park Service, state government, and the eight communities that our designated rivers flow through, and other local partner towns and organizations. The designation empowers our communities along the rivers to protect these resources as best suits them.
In 2019, to celebrate five years of designation, UMATR hosted a 5 Year Wild & Scenic Sojourn which consisted of paddling all 46.1 miles of our designated rivers over the course of seven days.
In 2024, to celebrate ten years of designation, UMATR hosted a 10 Year Wild & Scenic Sojourn to do that same very thing but this time, local filmmaker Duane Peterson III was floating along capturing footage that would turn into The Celebration Documentary.
On June 21st, 2025, The Celebration: Exploring Vermont's Wild & Scenic Rivers premiered at Jay Peak and was enjoyed by community members at large. The film screening was followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Duane and UMATR staff.
If you would like to screen The Celebration, please reach out.
UMATR is pleased to share that this documentary will be premiering on Vermont Public on Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 7:30pm. A repeat telecast will be on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at noon. On June 4, 2026, it will also be available to stream video on demand via the Vermont Public website and app, the Vermont Public YouTube channel as well as PBS streaming applications.
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About the Filmmaker
As a film and video editor Duane brings projects from concept to completion for a wide variety of clients, including independent filmmakers to international sports organizations.
Growing up in Vermont, Duane arrived at video production through skateboarding and skiing. After high school, he interned as a full time editor at a TV station in Cape Town, South Africa, a formative experience where he learned about the power of editing and discovered his unique ability to craft stories in post. From there, Duane studied Film and Digital Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz where his thesis film won the Critical Vision Award, the film department's highest honor. After college he worked as a freelance video editor for clients in the cycling industry and moonlighted as a pedicab operator before returning to Vermont with his wife Jennifer. In 2019, Duane helped create the Climate Action Film Festival, the first festival of its kind focusing on solutions to the climate crisis.
He now specialize in short form marketing content for web and social channels, as well as short and medium length documentary films.
Learn more about Duane on his website https://www.duanepeterson.info/
If you would like to go paddling with UMATR, visit our events page or reach out today!