Conservation and celluloid are coming together next week in Durango. The largest environmental film festival in North America plays Fort Lewis College on Wed., Feb. 6. The event hopes to entertain, educate and, above all, engage the community.

The Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project and the Great Old Broads for Wilderness are bringing the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival to Durango for the first time. The festival tour showcases a number of award-winning environmental films. But the end goal is to foster a spirit of inspiration and education and motivate people to go out and make a difference in their communi

ty and around the world.

Monique DiGiorgio, festival organizer and Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project staffer, commented, “The main purpose of the film festival is to bring the community together to watch a variety of inspiring films and to get people engaged on a variety of local issues. We really want to give people a few opportunities to take action.”

Audience members will watch a local couple’s fight to keep their ranch free from the impacts of oil and gas drilling; follow the travels of three whitewater kayaking women as they paddle the Zambezi and White Nile rivers of Africa; enjoy a comical animation film about

an organic food rebellion; learn about the impacts of the modern ski resort industry; and witness one man’s journey swimming the Columbia River to raise awareness about the importance of clean water.

“The first-ever Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Durango is truly a community event,” said DiGiorgio. “An impressive number of local businesses have generously sponsored the festival and a wealth of environmental organizations will be at the event talking to people about how they can get involved in local environmental initiatives.”

– Will Sands