Earth Day in July

Storytellers, environmental change makers, teachers, students, & other humans come together for a daylong event of films followed by panel discussions, as part of The Maine Outdoor Film Festival.

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Location: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at Maine College of Art & Design; 522 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101
Parking: 

Each summer at its Portland festival, MOFF is a venue for new, independent films. Increasingly the festival has seen the volume and quality of conservation, climate change, agriculture, water and land-use films increase. Festival organizers and local conservation organizations, land trusts and educational institutions are collaborating to create focused sessions where films are shown and panel discussions are  and discuss the ideas and issues presented in these films in the context of their own work and communities.

Film screening tickets (no panels) available soon. Click on the name of the program FMI

Earth Day in July day-pass underwritten by No Umbrella Media.
A video agency specializing in mission-driven storytelling for Maine nonprofits.

SCHEDULE

7:45AM –  Doors open coffee + tea provided

Session One – Start Them Young: Cultivating an Outdoor Life and Environmental Mindset From an Early Age

8AM – Short film program (film titles and program announced June 1)

9AM –  Panel Discussion –  Early, deep connections to the outdoors build skills, habits, perspectives which can influence a life, and even a career, in the woods, on the water.

Tentative Panelists: 

Samantha Andrews – Teens to Trails – Sam is Teens to Trails’ Outdoor Program Manager. After four years of working as a ski instructor, wilderness and sea kayak guide, Sam came to Teens to Trails with hopes to inspire new, exciting adventures, sustain outdoor clubs with the tools they need to thrive, and make positive connections with students. She is a Certified Maine Sea Kayak and Recreational Guide, EMT, Wilderness First Responder, and Leave No Trace Master Educator. 

Kat Lipp – Maine Aquaculture Association – Kat’s diverse career in the seafood industry includes NMFS groundfish observer in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, direct-to-consumer seafood sales with Salmon Sisters, set netting for sockeye salmon in Cook Inlet and recently graduated as an Aquaculture Apprenticeship at Mere Point Oyster Co. Joining MAA in July 2024, Kat’s experience in both wild fisheries and aquaculture uniquely positions her to foster strategic relationships for an Ambassador program that she will design and implement and she looks forward to making valuable contributions to the broader Maine aquaculture community.

Tom Long – WinterKids – Tom is WinterKids’ Program and Environmental Sustainability Manager. Tom is a scientist, environmentalist, educator, snowboarder, skateboarder and all around good person. 

10:15AM – Break

Session Two – Relations to Place: Old and New

10:30AM – Short film block (film titles and program announced June 1)

11:30AM – Panel Discussion – The connected threads between Wabanaki and new American experiences in the outdoors.

Tentative Panelists:

Angelique Bitshilualua – Portland Trails –  Angelique is Portland Trails’ first Inclusion Manager! Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, she has a degree in Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Catering and is skilled at outreach and engagement. In her role at Portland Trails, she leads the Healthier Neighborhoods for All program where she has welcomed over 800 New Mainers to the trails since the program started in 2022. Angelique loves spending time outdoors and growing her community by sharing her love for the trails with others.

Mihku Paul – Stories for Change – Mihku Paul is a Wolastoqey (Maliseet) elder who grew up on a wild Maine river. She had both a traditional Waponahki education from her grandfather and went through public school, which afforded her a more holistic view of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures. Mihku holds a degree in Human Development and Communication and an MFA in writing. She has spent decades working in Portland Public schools providing curriculum enrichment to all ages. 

Santiago Tijerina – Filmmaker and Salt Alum – Portland-based director Santiago Tijerina, Salt ’23, received the Emerging Maine Filmmaker Award from the Maine Outdoor Film Festival in 2024 for his short film Courts of Belonging.

Sarah Madronal – Nature Conservancy – Sarah is the Outreach Manager for the Nature Conservancy and the Nature Based Education Consortium “Stories For Change” working group Co-Chair.

12:45PM – Break

Session Three – (session title here)

1:30PM – Short film block (film titles and program announced June 1)

2:30PM – Session Three Panels

3:30PM – Networking

4:30PM – Wrap

Partner Orgs: