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IslandWire: February 15, 2024

The Frontline of Environmental Justice

poster with portraits of panelists

February is Black History Month in the US, so let us acknowledge that despite major social justice wins over the last few decades, systemic racial and class injustices unfortunately continue to impact the lives of historically underserved groups. Join Plastic Pollution Coalition on Feb. 15 for their webinar From the Frontline: Petrochemicals, Plastics, and Cancer Alley. Hear frontline activists from communities of color across America’s industrial plastic and petrochemical corridors discuss how they are taking action to protect themselves and their neighbors from pollution and injustice — and how you can, too. Register here. If you miss it, don’t worry: You can still sign up and get a recording sent to you afterward.


Looking for New Leaders

photo of young awardees at a gala

The 2024 Brower Youth Awards application is now open. Since 2000, the Brower Youth Awards, a program of Earth Island’s New Leaders Initiative, has recognized 147 outstanding, emerging youth leaders making strides in the environmental movement. Each year, six winners are selected and awarded a $3,000 cash prize. Winners are flown to Berkeley, California, for a leadership week that includes coaching and skills-building workshops, and are honored in a ceremony in the San Francisco Bay Area. Youth environmental change leaders ages 13 to 22 (as of April 8, 2024), who live in North America (including Mexico, Canada, and some Caribbean Islands) and US territories are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submission is Monday, April 8, 2024. Find out more about the award here.


So Many Sign-ups

a class, a teacher, twine

Despite a small budget, Guias Unidos is proud to be able to have a big impact in our community in Nicaragua. We just finished our Junior Ranger summer program, an environmental education day camp for kids that can become a lifetime opportunity in tourism and the environment. Twenty-six children enrolled. Meanwhile, our education center and café, Centro PUMA, has become increasingly popular with tourists and locals alike. The new school year, which begins in February, drew an unprecedented Saturday English class attendance. We had to waitlist our enrollment when more than 150 children signed up.


A New Film for Wild Carnivores

poster depicting bears, words, ecosystem allies

Project Coyote has released a new short film, Ecosystem Allies: Large Carnivores and How They Benefit Us All, highlighting the importance of wild carnivores for thriving ecosystems. The film will support Project Coyote’s national efforts to inspire new audiences to compassionately coexist with their wild neighbors. It describes the many ecological benefits provided by wolves, bears, mountain lions, and coyotes — from regulating grazing animal populations to boosting plant biodiversity. Misrepresentation and myths perpetuate the persecution of wild carnivores in North America. This film combats such misconceptions and inspires appreciation for all wild carnivores.


Support Essential Journalism

photographers outside

Earth Island Journal is excited for its upcoming Spring Issue, which the editorial team is just wrapping up and will be sending to all subscribers and Earth Island members soon. Among the many stories in this issue, we cover the rewilding of wolves in Europe; decolonizing Africa-focused nature documentaries; the question of whether plants have agency; and the assault on Indigenous rights in South America’s “lithium triangle.” These stories will be available online, but they’re wonderfully experienced in print. So if you aren’t yet a subscriber, join our community of readers and support essential environmental journalism. Photo courtesy of WildlifeDirect.


Join Our Team!

earth island staff

Earth Island is currently taking applications for a program advisor, a communications director, an accounting associate, and a human resources associate. The program advisor is part of the Earth Island team serving as liaison, administrative coordinator, and coach to a portfolio of sponsored projects. The director of communications will be an ambassador for Earth Island’s multifaceted effort to empower the leaders in our network, grow the next generation of activists, and amplify the issues they work on. Full position descriptions are here. Please share with anyone in your network that may be a good fit.

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