Every year, for a decade, Wild Virginia hosted its biggest event of the year: a film festival that aimed to get individuals inspired to save the wild places in our state. This event was a ‘friend-raiser’ where we showed beautiful environmental films and guided people to the ways they can get involved in the much-needed activism in our state.

COVID-19 completely halted this great event –  a night of craft beer, petition signing, networking, and inspiration.

But Wild Virginia’s work certainly doesn’t stop because of a pandemic, and the team of volunteers that makes this event possible every year would not back down without a fight, either.

If you missed our Wild Streams Online Film Festival in the spring, we have another treat for you. Wild Streams was able to reach 700 people across the country; and that’s a pretty good reach for an organization of our size.

Because our online film festival was such a great success this spring, we’re getting to work to bring you another, free, online show – get ready for “Walking in a Winter WILDland” which will be airing December 11-13, 2020. So, grab your favorite beverage and get ready to be inspired!

The 2020 spring festival idea was born out of COVID-19, and was an online show featuring beautiful films and musical performances from various local artists. Films featured were from Freshwaters Illustrated to help inspire a world that is more conscious of freshwater life and more sympathetic to the cause of freshwater conservation. We included musical acts from ARTivism Virginia, a group that provides a supported connection between artists and activists fighting the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines, with other performances by Rich Follett, Erin and the Wildfire, The Falsies, and The Sun Sing Collective – a project of ARTivism Virginia.

In a year as unpredictable as 2020 we are deeply grateful for the supporters of Wild Virginia, along with the folks who enjoy these events through the pandemic. We want to assure you that, even in these troubled times, Wild Virginia remains a steady and consistent protector of our natural environment. Although a free event, the donations from the last online festival helped us with the following:

• Put a focus on access to basic resources. Clean water and clean air make the top of that list. This year, Wild Virginia helped protect the clean drinking water for you, me, and millions of others in Virginia by successfully defeating the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP).  Likewise, when enforcement of the Clean Water Act was suspended in March, our team began pushing state officials to uphold Virginia regulations.

• To continue to stay wild by saving Virginia’s wildlife corridors. Both animals and you need space to coexist. That’s why Wild Virginia is a leader of the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collective, which celebrated a milestone this year in passing legislation making Virginia among the first states to formally begin to identify wildlife corridors and enable safer movement for wildlife and motorists.

• Ensure our process confronts racial inequity. Time and again, communities of color bear the brunt of air and water pollution. Wild Virginia is committed to ensuring environmental protection is fair and equitable for everyone. We’re taking the time to become more educated on the issues that connect us, so we can uphold that commitment.

So, register today so you’re entered for all of the amazing prizes from  The Whiskey Jar, Devil’s Backbone Brewery, Chocolate Bars from Wild Blue Chocolate, Art by Katie Keller, and much more. Films featured are from Freshwaters Illustrated and local wildlife photographer Steven David Johnson, to help inspire a world that is more conscious of freshwater life and more sympathetic to the cause of freshwater conservation within Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Musical acts will be shown from ARTivism Virginia, a group that provides a supported connection between artists and activists fighting the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. ARTivism showings include “This Fight is Now” and “Fire on the Mountain” & “Listen”.  

Register for our upcoming online festival: Walking in a Winter WILDland