How to Set Up a Tree Stroll in Your Neighborhood
Historic Win for the Young People of Montana
In August, Judge Kathy Seeley ruled wholly in favor of 16 young plaintiffs, declaring that the state of Montana has and is violating their constitutional rights, including their rights to equal protection, dignity, liberty, health, and safety, which are all predicated on their right to a clean and healthful environment. . . . And the court ruled that the youth plaintiffs had proven their standing to bring the case by showing significant injuries, that the government had a substantial role in causing those injuries, and that a judgment in their favor would change the government’s conduct.
2023 One Earth Contest Winners Span the Globe
Since its inception in 2013, the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest has grown from a local, Oak Park/River Forest, Illinois, project accepting just 12 submissions to a highly competitive international competition garnering 403 submissions. Countries such as Brazil, Australia and Mexico and states such as California, Georgia and Indiana will be represented among this year’s winners at the Global Awards Celebration at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago, or online virtually anywhere in the world.
Reserve free tickets here: tinyurl.com/yfc23awards
Oak Park Church Preaches the Green Gospel
Editor’s note: Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church will host an in person double feature for the One Earth Film Fest at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 10: “The Falconer” + “Mardi & The Whites.” Doors open 45 minutes early to enjoy refreshments, visit with community partners, check in/register, and get best seats. Free registration here.
Located just 20 minutes by bicycle from Frank Lloyd Wright’s celebrated house in Oak Park, Illinois, Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church is the Village’s epicenter of sustainability initiatives. The 22,500-square-foot church was built in 1900 and remained the same, more or less, until the early 2010’s, when its leaders bit the green bullet. By 2014, they had completed two major energy-saving upgrades to the building.
'Falconer' Filmmaker Interview with Annie Kaempfer
"The Falconer" is a story of hope and second chances: for injured birds of prey, for an abandoned plot of land, for a group of teenagers who have dropped out of high school, and for Rodney Stotts, a licensed raptor specialist from Southeast Washington, D.C.
Stott says his passion for falconry stems from the fact that it helps to keep the local raptor population healthy while crossing racial, socioeconomic and ethnic barriers. He makes a powerful connection between endangered species and local youth who must navigate survival in a stressed community. His organization "Rodney's Raptors" creates interactive and educational programming, allowing adults and children of all ages to experience the excitement of holding a live bird of prey while educating them on the vital role birds play in the ecosystem.
Let's Get Loud About Illinois' Cook County Forest Preserves
Here’s a legislative win that folks in Illinois and beyond can learn from, get excited about, and perhaps even replicate. On Nov. 8, 2022, Cook County Illinois voters sparked a major win for their Forest Preserves, approving an additional $40 million in annual funding for these vital public lands. This money will be used to manage and restore the 70,000 acres of prairies, forests, wetlands, rivers and streams; create local jobs; and improve the environment by providing clean air, water, and habitat for people and wildlife.