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Connecting Kids to Nature through Photography

Emerging from the pandemic has been liberating, especially for Earth Island projects that needed to put their in-person events on hold. This included Earth Island’s Conservation Kids, based in Point Reyes Station, California, which is now teaming up with Audubon Canyon Ranch for a young adult conservation photography workshop at the Bouverie Preserve. Participants will learn about how photography can be instrumental in the protection of our environment, and be given lessons on using cameras — not smartphones — from Conservation Kids founder and wildlife photographer Daniel Dietrich. Participants then move into the field to document the wildlife and nature surrounding them. Those in the San Francisco Bay Area are welcome to contact Conservation Kids about arranging workshops for up to 20 young adults. Photo: Carol Lehrman.

New Issue of Earth Island Journal

Earth Island Journal’s Spring Issue is now available at newsstands and online. This edition includes powerful articles on the Mapuche’s effort to reclaim land in Argentine Patagonia and how it is being met with increasing state violence, activists who are holding the line against a massive coal mine in Germany, a rapidly spreading disease decimating Puerto Rico’s coral reefs, and much more. Help Earth Island Journal continue to produce deeply reported stories like these by subscribing or gifting a subscription, or by making a donation to our Green Journalism Fund.

Earthshot Prize Nominees

Launched by Prince William and the Royal Foundation in October 2020, the Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, designed to incentivize change and help repair our planet over the next 10 years. As one of 345 official nominators from 80 countries, Earth Island’s Plastic Pollution Coalition has submitted eight nominees for consideration, prioritizing those seeking ways to reduce plastic production and use, centering environmental justice, and having the potential to scale to make an even greater impact in the next few years. Winners will be chosen later this year and granted £1 million along with additional support to help scale their impact. Photo: Zero Waste Europe.

Learning about Local Watersheds

Creek, bay, and ocean habitats provide an array of opportunities for learning about local watersheds and the plants and animals that depend on them. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Earth Island’s KIDS for the BAY has just begun its spring field trips for grades K-5. Each trip is led by an experienced environmental science educator and supports Next Generation Science Standards. Students from all over the Bay Area, including many from under-resourced schools, are able to view aquatic invertebrates, investigate creek-side plants, observe shorebirds, and discover local estuaries, often within walking distance of school. The program also seeks to improve mental and physical well-being through sensory nature walks and offers nature-based art projects and community-building games. To inquire about classroom field trips in the Bay Area, contact KIDS for the BAY. 

The Science of Wildfires

In keeping with the new normal, Earth Island’s John Muir Project — which has been studying the science of wildfires for well over a decade — is launching a new webinar series, “Understanding the Science,” focused on bringing the newest learning on wildfire ecology to a more secular audience. The first webinar, on March 30, will discuss the findings of a paper on fire suppression recently published in the journal Biological Conservation. Speakers include the paper’s authors Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist with Earth Island’s Wild Heritage; Chad Hanson, director of John Muir Project; Luke Ruediger, conservation director of Klamath Forest Alliance; and Bryant Baker, conservation director of Los Padres ForestWatch. If the world is going to make it through climate-induced wildfires, it’s important to understand the science behind them.

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Petition to End Black Bear Hunting

Although the state flag of California is emblazoned with a grizzly bear, the protection of bears in California has been abysmal. Long gone is the grizzly, and now California’s black bear — its only bear species — is being impacted by habitat loss, development, increased hunting, climate change, and vehicle collisions. In an effort to safeguard bears, Earth Island’s Project Coyote is collaborating with the Humane Society of the United States – California and the BEAR League to petition the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) to end black bear hunting, which most Californians are against anyway. Take action by signing the petition and sending a personalized letter to the CFGC, which will consider comments submitted by those outside of California as well.

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Award for Food Shift

Earth Island’s Food Shift has been named a 2022 Sustainable Food Systems Leadership Award finalist by Acterra, which has been recognizing sustainability leadership in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than three decades. Award finalists are being recognized for their dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated from food and for contributing to a more sustainable food system. Food Shift is thrilled to share the stage with other finalists ReGrained and Hodo, which share the goal of reducing food waste and have donated their surpluses to Food Shift programs. Acterra will announce the winner at its March 25 annual benefit.