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As a new school year begins, it’s a good moment to reflect on the vital work of engaging and educating young people about the environment — and about how deeply our social and ecological challenges are connected. At Earth Island, we know that fostering awareness and action from an early age helps build a foundation for lifelong commitment to justice and sustainability. In this month’s IslandWire, you’ll see how this commitment runs through our work, from empowering youth to supporting changemakers well into adulthood.

More than 58 million acres of national forest roadless areas safeguard pristine waters, rare wildlife, and sacred cultural sites in the United States. Yet loopholes in legal protections leave these areas vulnerable to logging, road-building, and grazing — often under the guise of wildfire mitigation. The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 (S. 2042/H.R. 3930) would codify the flawed 2001 Roadless Rule, locking in these loopholes. Join John Muir Project in calling for something better. Tell Congress to champion strong, permanent, loophole-free protections that safeguard the ecological integrity of these wild landscapes for generations.
Photo of James Peak Wilderness by Josh Schlossberg / Eco-Integrity Alliance.

Join Earth Island Institute on October 9 for this year’s Brower Youth Awards! The awards, hosted by Earth Island’s New Leaders Initiative, honor young environmental leaders who are making a difference in their communities across North America. This year’s ceremony will be held in the Gold Theater at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California. Tickets, which include admission to the 7 p.m. ceremony as well as a post-ceremony reception, are $15 for adults, and free for youth and their chaperones. Mark your calendars today and stay tuned for more details soon!

Please join California Institute for Community, Art, and Nature on Saturday, September 20, to experience thousands of years of continuity of California Indian traditional culture and lifeways at the 6th annual California Indian Arts and Culture Festival.

This year’s event will be held in honor of our festival's beloved co-founder, Malcolm Margolin, who crossed over to the other side on Wednesday, August 21. Malcolm loved nothing more than to be surrounded by California Indian culture bearers practicing their traditional arts.  His spirit will be present with us this September.

The day-long event will feature basket-weaving, canoe-building, bow-making, acorn-processing, storytelling, and more. There will be spectacular artistry on display and for sale from three dozen California Indian traditional artisans, as well as a return performance by Robert Geary and the acclaimed traditional Southeastern Pomo from Elem Dance Group. This free event will be held at Live Oak Park in Berkeley, California, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Learn more.
Photo of Southeastern Pomo from Elem Dance Group by Austin Stevenot (Northern Sierra Mewuk) / California I CAN.

Starting September 11, Green Schoolyards America will present a new online lecture series on emerging topics and best practices for creating and stewarding high-quality green schoolyards and schoolyard forests. This interdisciplinary series is intended for school district facilities staff, designers, landscape architects, architects, public agency staff, and anyone who is interested in improving children’s lives and communities’ climate resilience by transforming asphalt school grounds into nature-filled green spaces. Learn more and register for the series here. You can also learn about Green Schoolyards America’s other online programs or view recordings of past series here.

Raptors are the Solution’s new graphic novel is now in print and online! R.A.T.S!/The Ongoing Fight Against Wildlife Poison tells the story of how a large coalition worked to obtain better restrictions on the anticoagulant rodenticides that are taking a huge toll on California’s wildlife. The novel explains, through the perspective of impacted animals, the legislative, legal, and public education efforts that have taken place over the past 12-plus years to try to prevent secondary poisoning from these rodenticides. It includes tips on controlling rodents without poison, a new science poster explaining exactly how these poisons work, and tips on how to help raptors.

Shark Stewards youth volunteer and science intern Katerina (Katya) Korbiane was awarded the President’s Gold Award for youth volunteer service, signed by former president Joseph R. Biden. Korbiane, who is now 17, donated more than 250 hours of service towards youth science education, beach cleanup organization, plastic brand data collection, and shark research at the Aquatic Park Stewardship project in Berkeley, CA. Established by President George W. Bush in 2003 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service, the President's Award has been suspended under the Trump Administration. Learn more.

Earlier this month, the Superior Court of D.C. denied FIJI Water and The Wonderful Company's motion to dismiss Plastic Pollution Coalition’s (PPC’s) lawsuit alleging deceptive marketing under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act. In the lawsuit, PPC claims FIJI falsely markets its bottled water as sustainable and natural, despite containing microplastics and BPA. This case is part of a series of lawsuits aimed at raising awareness about microplastics in water packaged in plastic bottles. To learn more about the harm bottled water does to people and the planet, join PPC’s August 27 webinar on the subject. An expert panel will discuss how bottled water is linked to water injustice and worsens the global water and climate crises, and the ways activists are pushing for change. Sign up.

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Since 2014, the Mississippi Farm to School Network has connected schools and childcare centers with local farmers, bringing fresh, nutrient-dense food to kids and supporting Mississippi’s agricultural community. We are honored to have been granted $525,000 over the coming three years from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to continue this work. Building on our partnership, this initiative will expand Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) programs, grow school gardens, and strengthen local food procurement. Upcoming initiatives include a procurement pilot, Farm to Cafeteria Conference, and Farm to ECE Institute. Read more here.