2017 has been full (overflowing, in fact), and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for your curiosity, your support, your work, your contributions towards making this planet a better place for all life.
There is much good work on the horizon, and I look forward to sharing the filmmaking experience with you as we work through the final stages of production this summer for "Where There Once Was Water", and then into post-production in the fall. We've had a great response to the short sneak-preview, and look forward to bringing you an epic feature-length film in 2018. Onward!
Best in SLO : Best Photographer
Holy wow! I am incredibly honored to have been voted the "Best Photographer in SLO County" by the readers of the New Times. This is an honor beyond words, as the talent runs thick here in SLO County amongst my fellow photographers. I am surrounded and inspired by so many incredible artists here, and appreciate each and every one of you for creating and sharing your beauty with the world in your own unique & perfect way. I am humbled, grateful, and honored for your love, my friends. Truly. Thank you.
We have a Fiscal Sponsor! Where There Once Was Water is now officially sponsored by awesome local non-profit, Ecologistics (pictured above). Thanks to their support, we can now accept larger donations on a tax-deductible basis, as well as apply for grants to help cover the costs of finishing this film. We are both thrilled & honored that Ecologistics has chosen to support us in this way. If you would like to discuss financial support of the film, please reach out to me anytime.
I'm currently featured in an interview on their blog HERE. :)
As you'll see in this update, there's a lot to catch up on. And If you haven't had a chance to view the 19-minute sneak preview, we invite you to do so today! We'd LOVE to hear what you think of the focus and storyline so far....
I spent a week in Sonoma County in March, and a couple of beautiful days at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center - one day as a volunteer in the garden, getting dirt underneath my fingernails - and one day cruising around with Brock Dolman, chatting about the importance of managing our watersheds as a whole - and getting into the nitty gritty of what it really means to "slow it, spread it, sink it, store it, share it."
While up in Sonoma County, I also participated in a three day workshop with Mark Shepard & Spencer Smith, learning about Restoration Agriculture & Holistic Management, and proceeded to have my mind blown. Seriously. I left this workshop feeling inspired, empowered, curious, hopeful, urgent, and capable, of participating in the revolution that we so badly need.
My husband participated in the Big Sandy Bike Race on the San Joaquin River Gorge Trail in April, which gave us an opportunity to go back and visit the San Joaquin River Gorge in the spring, and it was jaw-dropping. Electric greens everywhere - exuberant from the wet winter. Temperance Flat Dam threatens this beautiful area.... Find out more through Friends of the River.
I spent a day with the folks from Hortau. We toured Deardorff Family Farms in Ventura, and I learned about the benefits of using Hortau's high-tech soil sensors on a commercial-scale organic farm, particularly in regards to total water use. I filmed a celery harvest, and came away even more appreciative of where my food comes from.
In April I spent a couple of days in the field with DigDeep, a non-profit working to improve the lives of families in Navajo Nation. While driving out onto the reservation from Thoreau, New Mexico, with Darlene, the Water Lady, in her water truck, I learned about some of the harsh realities of life in Navajo Nation. Over 40% of families do not have running water or electricity. Darlene fills up her truck every day, and delivers water to homes - for free - into cisterns, barrels, buckets. The need is so great that she can only make it to each home once a month. If the family runs out of water before Darlene's return, they must haul it themselves, a round trip of 100 miles for some. This reality, in 2017, hurts. We can do better than this. We need to stand up, and do more for each other, and specifically for our Nation's First Peoples. Learn more about the work DigDeep is doing HERE.
Tablas Creek, oh my goodness, Tablas Creek. I cannot wait to share all the beauty (and adorableness) that is Tablas Creek Vineyard. There's no way that you're not going to love these people and all that they do for the land and the community. (and I got to see their new baby llama!! you guys!)
The sneak-preview showing at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival was a huge success, and I remain crazy honored for the opportunity to have participated in the SLO Film Fest as a Filmmaker, even though this project is very much still in production. Thank you to the good folks at SLOIFF for your love & support - it really means the world.
I also had a great showing at the Bay Theatre in Morro Bay, CA, as a follow up to SLOIFF. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements in the future about screenings & fundraiser parties - there will be many opportunities in the coming year to participate, and we wouldn't want to do it without you, truly.
I'd like to finish today's rather long update (thanks for hanging with me, wow) with an image from the March for Science in San Luis Obispo. I've been inspired by our local marches - for a small town we've really been speaking up, and for that, SLO County, you should be proud! Let's keep it up!
(If you'd like to view and/or download images from the march for personal use, the entire gallery is available to you HERE, as my gift to you).
Her sign reads: "You will die of old age. I may die from climate change."