Wild Hope tells the story of our deep spiritual connection to the natural world, a connection that has the power to rewire our brains, take us back to our deepest roots, and change how we think and act in a world needing our care. This short documentary combines personal story, science and passion in a unique mix to inspire viewers to protect wild ecosystems against an unrelenting materialistic culture that’s producing social malaise and an uninhabitable planet. Our economic system fails us, but our tie to the natural world is elemental. Scientific studies document the power of nature to induce pro-social behavior, reduce stress, shorten healing times and ameliorate trauma. Psychological research verifies that the awe of the natural world turns our attention away from ourselves, inviting us to transcend our day-to-day agendas , to un-self and to care. We don’t have decades to change course. Wild Hope dares to challenge the economic underpinnings driving climate change, and awaken us to the possibility of a more meaningful life—a life defined not by consumption, but by compassion.

Filmmaker Suez Jackson leads a conversation after the film.

The evening also includes a bonus short film: Welcome to Gwichyaa Zhee

This film explores the connection of threats faced to Bears Ears National Monument and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge through stories and perspectives of the Diné (Navajo) and Gwich’in communities. Led through the eyes and experiences of Len Necefer, we’ll follow his journey in Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon) as he meets with various members of these communities who are fighting to protect their land. By sharing his own stories and mementos from home, we begin to understand how similar these two communities are, and how they’re not alone in their struggles. As we move through this story and learn about the Gwich’in people, bigger questions remain.  What happens to these communities, land and cultures they support when protection is lost? And how do we, as viewers, understand the commonalities of these struggles to value and take steps to protect our own backyard?

This program is presented by Bud Werner Memorial Library, Yampa Valley Sustainability Council and Great Old Broads for Wilderness