EVENTS
After moving to Sioux Falls with his wife in 2015, Carrels contributed to local conservation efforts as a board member of the group, Friends of the Big Sioux River (FBSR) . One aspect of that volunteer work involved launching, producing, and writing the organization’s newsletter called The Otter . Exposure to issues, experts, and information while writing the newsletter led Carrels to write Cascades of the Big Sioux River , his third solo book. According to FBSR executive director Travis Entenman , “[Carrels] brought experience and consciousness to the organization that helped sharpen our focus.” Entenman, who has been affiliated with FBSR for over nine years, says sustainability of natural resources must be a communal effort, and nothing happens in a vacuum. “Despite the important and positive work Friends of the Big Sioux River contributes, I think our community undervalues the organization,” declared Carrels. “No non- governmental group of individuals in Sioux Falls or the watershed region is as poised and equipped to advise development and management strategies about what is the most important natural feature of our city and region—The Falls and the Big Sioux—as is Friends of the Big Sioux River.” Through water quality testing, providing education, river restoration, and advocacy, FBSR is able to leave a long-lasting impact on the broader watershed area. Under Entenman’s steady hand, the organization has added important staff, increased community service, and monitored river health.
TRAVIS ENTENMAN
“While each organization might focus on different concerns, if one wins, we all win because our natural resources are all
interconnected.” TRAVIS ENTENMAN
HOME + DESIGN ISSUE september 2026
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