A dangerous silence is descending on America about our changing and fragile environment. The news media is in financial trouble and young reporters don’t always have the experience to report on complex environmental issues. Beth Daley, director of strategic development at InsideClimate News, shares efforts underway to support local climate and environment reporting.
When it comes to communicating issues as important as climate change and wildlife poaching, simply conveying the facts won’t do. The best way to inspire action is to lead with the heart, not the head; and one of the most immediate ways to tell a heart story is through film. Film is a passion shared by several Rachel’s Network members, whether it’s Ruth Ann Harnisch’s harrowing 2015 documentary about rape on college campuses or Caroline Gabel’s work with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. Here are a few of the projects our members have produced in recent years.
Since the beginning of time, music has been a catalyst for change. Today, music is linked to academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Rachel’s Network Member Sarah duPont is using music and the arts as a positive force in Benin and the Amazon Rainforest.
During the Rachel’s Network Fall Retreat in Yellowstone National Park, our members were inspired by a presentation by sculptor and ecologist George Bumann who conveyed the value of wild places beyond the facts and figures we often fall back on. We asked George about his process, the experience of working in Yellowstone National Park, and his advice for inspiring a wonder for nature in others.
“All children should be exposed to the arts, celebrating humans’ greatest creative achievements,” says Sarah duPont, founder of CIAMO, one of Africa’s first tuition-free schools to offer art and music classes. The project was inspired by Sarah’s work in the U.S. developing curriculum for the humanities and environmental education, areas that are known to impact creative thinking. Bringing her idea for CIAMO to fruition, however, required six years of dedicated planning before the first students walked through the school’s door.
