Meet the Team

Elizabeth (Libby) Tobey

Producer / Cinematographer / Expedition Team Member

IG: @elizabeth.tobey

Libby Tobey began working on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in 2019 after nearly a decade as a river guide and whitewater kayaker domestically and abroad. She has a Master’s in International Conservation and Development with a focus on international climate policy and the loss and damage that results from climate change. She is a cofounder of Ripple Skip Collective, a core expedition team member for The Grand Salmon, a first-time film producer, and was part of the principal cinematography team. Libby’s lifelong love of rivers keeps her searching for ways to bring research and recreation closer together, particularly close to home in the Western US.

Brooke Hess

Producer / Cinematographer / Expedition Team Member

IG: @brookehess

www.brookehesswriting.com

Brooke Hess is originally from Montana and is a former USA Freestyle Kayak Team member. She is a cofounder of Ripple Skip Collective, a core expedition team member for The Grand Salmon, a first-time film producer, and was part of the principal cinematography team. She has her Master’s in Journalism with a focus on Science Writing and has an academic background in Fluvial Geomorphology. Her career has allowed her to work with various agencies, including NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, to condense complex scientific concepts into simplified topics to convey important findings to general audiences. Brooke brings a broad depth of knowledge of the Snake River Basin salmon populations from her Master’s thesis, as she reported on the necessity to breach the four Lower Snake River dams.

Hailey Thompson

Producer / Cinematographer / Graphic Designer / Expedition Team Member

IG: @oceansandmountains / @watercolorwoods

www.watercolorwoods.com

Hailey Thompson grew up on rivers and paddled for the US National Whitewater Slalom team before rivers led her to the ocean. She graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy with her degree in Fisheries Biology and Physical Oceanography and has spent the last decade working as a ship driver and fisheries expert in Alaska and beyond. She is a cofounder of Ripple Skip Collective, a core expedition team member for The Grand Salmon, a first-time film producer, was part of the principal cinematography team, and created the graphics utilized in the film. Hailey is a professional artist and she strives to create art that emanates a love for wild spaces and a passion to conserve them. Living in Alaska, she has been intimately impacted by the presence of healthy, wild salmon populations and unrepressed rivers, and she hopes this film will inspire audiences to join those advocating for the breach of the four Lower Snake River dams.

Jess Wiegandt

Director / Cinematographer / Editor

IG: @jesswiegandt

www.jesswiegandt.com

Jess Wiegandt is an award-winning filmmaker who works on projects involving ecological conservation, endangered species awareness, and environmental justice. She is the Director and Editor for The Grand Salmon, and was also a part of the principal cinematography team. As the daughter of two paddlesports instructors, Jess spent her childhood on rivers and she now aims to engage new audiences to tell stories of impact that encourage others to explore the world around them. She is the recipient of the 2022 and 2023 NATAS Capital Emmy award for her films and more information about her work can be found at www.jesswiegandt.com.