Bay Journal: Amplifying environmental diversity through the lens of film

Recently The Bay Journal printed this wonderful article highlighting the work of our On Tour Host Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and how The Wild & Scenic Film Festival helps their organization’s work in diversity, equity and inclusion:

“The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a global event created by the South Yuba River Citizens League and coordinated at various locations by partners like the Alliance. In 2018, when we became interested in hosting a film festival, I thought we would be watching films akin to Planet Earth — pure visual majesty. However, the SYRCL has chosen films that intentionally challenge our idea of what the term “Wild & Scenic” means. It was not until we began the film selection process that I realized just how impactful these films could be on a much larger scale.

The diverse topics and themes were truly moving and inspired our team to use the event as a platform for discussion. In addition to the beautiful imagery of the films, there were raw, wild stories about the people and communities that make up our scenic world…

…Amplifying the voices of diverse communities by featuring such stories helps to cultivate an inclusive environmental understanding. In elevating these conversations, I realized something else: Perhaps the “Wild & Scenic” name does not just describe the variety of genre offered, but also the heart and soul of each story. And perhaps our environmental work doesn’t have to just help the lands and waters of our watershed, but the hearts and souls of all of our communities as well.”

Click Here to read the full article.