This festival is a natural extension of Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group’s mission to engage the Skagit community in watershed restoration and stewardship, and to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment in general. Films that will be shown at the event like “Tad’s Emerging World” and “The Lost Salmon” highlight the issues that Skagit Fisheries seeks to address with their work every day—habitat restoration efforts are happening everywhere (not just in our watershed!) and this event showcases how valuable those efforts are.
“As a lifelong resident of Skagit County, I sometimes take the natural beauty and natural resources of our area for granted. Attending the film festival reminds me of an obligation to respect and help our natural resources,” said an attendee of the 2019 event.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), in 2003. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. Part of the Skagit River, as well as sections of its tributary Cascade and Sauk rivers, is also federally designated as Wild and Scenic.
Held each winter in Nevada City, California, the flagship Wild & Scenic Film Festival celebrates the beauty and wonder of our natural world and inspires audiences everywhere to take action to protect it. The 5-day event features over 150 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. Proceeds from the festival go directly to fostering the science, advocacy, activism, and education that are crucial to keeping the river healthy and beautiful.
The home festival kicks-off the international tour to communities around the globe. The festival is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of this year’s National Partners (Peak Design, Earthjustice, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and MiiR) the festival can reach an even larger audience.
Concerned citizens worldwide know the urgency of the many environmental crises facing our planet today, but most don’t know how they can contribute to the fight. Now, residents of Western Washington can support their own local advocates for the environment by attending Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour event.
