11:eleven Photography

First of all, let me begin with my usual disclaimer. I don’t actually know anything. This is just my unrequited opinion on something I know very little about and have minimal understanding. But I am a big fan of SYRCL, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, and what they bring to our community and beyond. So enjoy!

It seems like everywhere you look these days it’s just more bad news. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer. I volunteered as a photographer for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. They say this is where activism gets inspired. And I think they’re right.

If you’re from California, you’ve probably at least heard of the annual Wild & Scenic film festival. Hopefully, you have even attended it. The festival is the largest fundraiser for SYRCL. This organization spearheads the effort to recover California’s wild salmon. It also aims to protect the Yuba River watershed. The flagship festival is a 5-day event held annually in Nevada City and Grass Valley, California.

But the festival is so much bigger than the salmon and the Yuba. It provides a voice and a platform for people worldwide. They share their passion, their films, and their love for nature. It’s also about environmental activism. The festival is an urgent call to action. It encourages people to learn about how they can help save our planet. It takes around 300+ volunteers to pull off this festival. It is amazing to be in attendance of this festival. You witness firsthand the love and support that goes into this event. You also see the dedication of the folks responsible for pulling everything together. They make sure all the individual viewings, events, displays, and exhibitions are presented to maximize exposure and engagement.

And to be clear, and if you’ve ever been you already know, it’s more than a film festival. Beyond the amazing films that are submitted by activists worldwide, interviews with activists share their skills. They discuss their experiences and their passion. There are art exhibits. There are nature walks. There are endless avenues for learning and connecting with groups that actively work to protect our environment.

Wild & Scenic is presented locally with SYRCL. Founded in 1983 by local grass roots activists, SYRCL was formed to protect the Yuba from dams. It has grown and expanded over the last 42 years. SYRCL secured permanent protection for over 39 miles of the South Yuba River. It has become the hub for community environmental activism.

This year marked the 23^rd annual film festival. The work doesn’t stop with the 5-day flagship festival. The nation’s premier environmental and adventure film festival takes its 100+ films on the road. It carries the message to around 120 events. During this time, it teams up with local groups working to protect and restore the places in their communities. These events give an opportunity to increase global awareness of global issues.

In a dark world you sometimes need to look for the beacons of light. There are good people in this world doing good things. And they are having fun doing it. Get involved, get inspired. Oh, and here’s the good news I promised at the beginning. People are making positive chnges around the world.