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Dear Friend,

April is Earth Month, and with it comes a surge of public action on behalf of our planet. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, that energy is amplified by SF Climate Week, making this a prime time to connect, organize, and engage on a wide range of environmental issues. From attending local gatherings to supporting grassroots campaigns, we are highlighting the many ways our community is mobilizing and how you can get involved now and in the future. We invite you to join us in turning this month of awareness into durable collective action.

In solidarity,

Sumona Majumdar

Explore How We Can Detox from Plastic

As part of SF Climate Week, Earth Island Institute and partners invite you to Detoxing from Plastic, a powerful film screening and conversation exploring how plastic is affecting both our planet and our health. Through storytelling, science, and community dialogue, this event brings together leaders working toward real solutions. Join us from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on April 21 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley for an abbreviated screening of the documentary The Plastic Detox followed by a panel discussion and networking reception.

RSVP here

Falling Short on Tackling Microplastics

Photo by Sören Funk / Unsplash.

Earlier this month, the US government announced new plans to track and study microplastics (and pharmaceuticals) in our drinking water. While that’s a positive move, these plans fall short of what we need. We already have enough scientific evidence of the harms microplastics pose to human health for policymakers to act; those harms are especially acute for those living in frontline communities near major pollution sources such as plastic plants, oil refineries, and other petrochemical facilities. To be truly effective, the Trump administration’s plan for microplastics, which is being touted as a “victory for the health of all Americans,” must also include actions that curb plastic production. Learn more.

Celebrate the Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Join us at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California, on April 25 for this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. The one-day event will feature films that explore nature, wildlife, adventure, and more. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for the pre-film Eco Fair, which will include free swag and a silent auction. Film screenings will begin at 7:00 p.m. Proceeds from the event will support the local environmental advocacy of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. The festival also includes a free Home Electrification Fair from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. IslandWire readers can get a $5.00 discount on tickets using the code CCL.

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Supporting Self-Governance in Borneo

In April, The Borneo Project is supporting a forest monitoring consultation with Indigenous communities in the Baram region of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. As logging and extractive pressures continue to threaten their traditional lands, communities are strengthening their own systems to document, map, and defend their forests. This consultation brings together community leaders and partners to share strategies, identify priorities, and build tools for monitoring encroachment and protecting territorial rights. It is part of a broader, community-led effort to assert governance over ancestral lands and resist unwanted development.

Be a Coyote Ally this Month

Now through April 30, wildlife photographer Dan Elster — founder of Big Picture Greetings and contributor to Project Coyote’s #CaptureCoexistence campaign — is hosting his third annual April Allies fundraiser to benefit Project Coyote. Throughout the month, 20 percent of every purchase from a special collection of Elster’s wildlife photos will be donated to support the project’s work protecting wild carnivores and promoting coexistence. This year’s collection includes a Cards for Coexistence greeting card set, signed 18-by-24 fine art wildlife posters, postcard sets, and wild carnivore magnets, all featuring Elster’s striking photography.

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“An Elixir to My Despair”

Puma photo by USFS. Sharon portrait by Christopher McLeod.

Sharon Negri, founder and executive director of WildFutures, was recently profiled by The Ethos Project, a platform that aims to share the deeply held values and beliefs that inspire environmental action worldwide. The story highlights Negri’s extraordinary empathy for animals and how she came to be one of the most respected voices advocating for mountain lions in the United States — work that she says is “an elixir to my despair.” Read the profile.

Automakers Make Some Progress on Indigenous Rights

Tallgrass Institute, part of the SIRGE Coalition, reviews carmakers’ respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights in the annual Lead The Charge electric vehicle supply chain leaderboard. The fourth leaderboard — which evaluates efforts by 18 leading global automakers to eliminate emissions, environmental harms, and human rights violations, including violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights — was released in March. It acknowledges slow progress on respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights year-over-year; the industry average is now 9 percent, up from 6 percent last year. However, the report notes that half of the companies have made progress and, for the first time, a majority of automakers (12 out of 18) have taken initial steps toward upholding Indigenous rights. Tallgrass continues to engage with companies and investors to adopt and implement comprehensive due diligence, and to integrate recommendations to ensure automaker compliance with Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

Stirring Up Healthy Habits

Last month, Mississippi Farm to School Network organized the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) at Crenshaw Head Start in Crenshaw, MS, one of our very first Mississippi Sprouts sites. The CACFP program provides healthy meals and nutrition education to children in care settings. The little chefs stayed busy all week, stirring up something good each day while learning healthy habits that they can carry with them. The week started with Mindful Monday, when they focused on mental health, followed by Active Tuesday, when they got their bodies moving. On Garden Day Wednesday, they explored where food comes from; on Taste-Test Thursday, they tried new foods; and on Rainbow Day Friday, everyone celebrated colorful, nutritious eating!