“You Don’t Need to be a Biologist to be a Nature Conservationist; You Need to be Human and Have a Voice”

Special Screening of "Blue Heart" in Washington, DC Co-Hosted by GFDD/DREFF, Patagonia, DCEFF and CREST

On Wednesday, September 5th, a special screening of the film "Blue Heart" (2018) was co-hosted by Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), the DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF), the Center for Responsible and Sustainable
Travel (CREST) and Patagonia, at the Patagonia Georgetown store in Washington, DC.

The
film, directed by Britton Caillouette and supported by Patagonia, shows how dams and diversions drastically change the environment and contribute to global climate change, negatively affecting waterways, natural habitats, surrounding landscapes and entire communities.

Dozens of Washingtonians were able to enjoy the film and learn more about these important issues while sharing some experiences and best practices from the Balkan region on how to better address them.
“You don’t need to be a biologist to be a nature conservationist; you need to be human and have a voice”, was one of the most celebrated quotes of the film.

Bill Miles, Patagonia DC’s Floor Leader started the night welcoming the audience and giving away some “No Dams” cups for all the attendees. Maria Victoria Abreu, GFDD International Affairs and Socioeconomic Program Manager and DREFF’s Programming
Director; Brad Forder, DCEFF’s Programming Director, and Rebekah Stewart, CREST’s Communications & Outreach Manager were amongst the co-hosts representatives that attended this event and gave some welcoming remarks.