WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Wild & Scenic Film Festival arrives online in the Blue Mountain Region on April 1. This is the seventh year in which the Land Trust has partnered with the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) to present the films of this extraordinary festival.

Last year, because of the pandemic, the Land Trust canceled its in-person presentation at Whitman College but instead hosted 52 films online over eight weeks that were viewed by over 3,400 guests.

This year, the festival will again be online. The premier presentation will be streamed live beginning April 1, at 6:30 p.m. During the live event, guests can enjoy the films, local food options, chat with audience members, and vie to win door prizes, all from the comfort of home.

To join Blue Mountain Land Trust for this live event, visit bmlt.org/wild2021. Tickets start at $20 and dining packages start at $80. A recorded version of the festival will be available online through April 6.

Held each January in Nevada City, California, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival celebrates the beauty and wonder of our natural world and inspires audiences everywhere to take action to protect it. A fundraiser for SYRCL, proceeds from the flagship yearly festival go directly to fostering the science, advocacy, activism and education that are crucial to keeping the river healthy and beautiful. Concerned citizens worldwide know the urgency of the many environmental crises facing our planet today, but most don’t know how they can contribute to the fight. Now, attendees in the Blue Mountain region can support their own local advocates for the environment by attending Blue Mountain Land Trust’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour event.

Tim Copeland, Blue Mountain Land Trust executive director, said, “The festival is a natural extension of the Land Trust’s work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment. Our work at Blue Mountain Land Trust is more than just conserving land; it connects people to the land. Building a stewardship ethic in the communities we serve is vital to ensuring the long-term success of land conservation. Natural resources education opportunities like the Wild & Scenic Film Festival help build this connection.”

Featured at this On Tour event are “Here We Stand,” a film from Theresa Baker and Save the Redwoods League about improving inclusivity in the outdoors; “Common Ground” shows how water can bring together the interests of tribes, ranchers, and government to work toward a common goal; and “A Message From The Future of Paradise” reflects on the potential rebuilding process of a community destroyed by fire, providing a model for others.

For more information, email Katy Rizzuti at katy@bmlt.org.