The film documents the Massai people in Kenya and their struggle with conservation laws who have now become spokespeople for community-based conservation and the benefits they are able to reap in effect.  According to a recent update in April 2009, the establishment of Il Ngwesi Group Ranch  has provided the community with enough income to contribute to projects such as: “an HIV/ Aids program that has employed 17 people from the community, a training project to improve the quality and market-access for women’s handicrafts, upgrades to roads and the landing strip, an elephant fence around the school, renovation of teachers’ housing, a mobile bank, a new sinkhole and water pipeline repairs. “

Check out the trailer we featured in 2007 or visit their website to view other trailers and learn more about community development through conservation and other sustainable initiatives.

“When your whole life is spent in the outdoors, you realise you have a sense of responsibility to these wild places.”

So begins the trailer for 180⁰ South, Conquerors of the Useless. A film that follows Jeff Johnson as he follows the legendary 1968 trip of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins from California to Patagonia.  Jeff set out to find unclimbed mountains and un-surfed waves, but ended up being faced with the urgency of environmental disasters as well.  The film is still in post-production, but the Woodshed teams anticipates releasing it in the Fall. Watch the trailer and get excited about it here: 180 South

This was my first time to the Mountain Film Festival and I expected to see such films like the snow-boarding thriller “That’s It, That’s All” and “Solo,” which documents Australian Andrew McAuley’s ill-fated kayak trip across the Tasman Sea, but was happy to see the many issue-oriented documentaries such as Burns’s National Parks.

Desert view in Canyonlands, Utah

“National Parks” will air in six parts on PBS in the United States this fall.  First of all, it’s gorgeous to watch, and none of the images have been digitally enhanced.  Every deep red sunset and searing blue sky, all the storms and snowy rock faces shown in this film are completely natural.  Episode One unravels the story of Yellowstone National Park, created with little fanfare by Congress in 1872.  The characters of this historic period are colorful and entertaining, and in telling their stories Burns shows how easily we might have lost the beautiful, wild spaces we have today.  For example, Burns weaves the story of John Muir, so influential in the development of Yellowstone, throughout the film: Muir’s endless tramping through Yellowstone in what people observed to be a “beserk rapture” – and how, when separated from the wilderness he began to wither.  After years away his wife encouraged him back into the woods and he joined a trip to Mt. Rainier later explaining to her, “I didn’t mean to climb it, but got carried away.”

After Episode One, Ken took the stage with author and environmental activist Bill McKibbon to discuss the ongoing saga between people and nature.  Burns’ films explore many issues relative to the national park system in the United States, but I was especially caught by the tense interplay between tourism and the preservation of wild spaces that was going on then, and of course still exists to this day.

– Christina Heyniger

Check out the Easts Meets West Foundations documentary; a 24 minute film shot by Emmy award winning cinematographer Stephen McGee. The film showcases 20 years of work by the foundation.

With beautiful footage shot all over Vietnam, the film takes you to villages, hospitals, schools and local homes for an up-close view of the innovative programs of EMW that have had a profound impact on over 2.5 million people living in poverty in Vietnam. Watch it here

“I’ve never lost the magical feeling since first learning to kite. What amazes me the most is how many different types of people can get together at the beach and instantly become friends. It’s as if the feeling we share is a common ground to base an entire sport upon.

It’s hard to compare a sport to kiteboarding. Imagine driving the boat and water skiing at the same time, Or you could say its like flying a parachute with a board strapped to your feet. Kiteboarding has a nostalgia that brings all types of people together.

One of the unique aspects of kiting is the ability to go just about anywhere. Snowkiting is becoming very popular, using the power of the wind to pull the rider thru miles of backcountry that would normally never be accesable. The ability to use a kite to ride uphill, making speed turns the entire way to the highest mountian peaks gives many skiers and snowboarders a ski-lift that fits inside a backpack.

Kiteboarding is becoming the worlds fastest growing sport. And it is easy to see why. It is recommended to take lessons from a certified instructor. Would you jump out of a plane without first learning to skydive? Once you have the building blocks of kiting, The realms of possibilty are only limited to your imagination.

As the kite boarding family grows strong, I feel honored to do my part to keep the magic alive.”
Matt Thames, Eclipse Kiteboarding Team Rider & Co-Founder of the Southern Oregon Kite Addicts

- Check out Matt’s Photos here

Source: http://journals.worldnomads.com/positive_footprints/post/23235.aspx