Our planet is changing, and Mountaineers—both current students and alumni—are working together to secure a resilient future, creating local benefits like health, jobs, innovation, and recreation while putting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies to work in our community. Come learn about the food-based, nature-based and energy-based climate solutions being led by Mountaineers through Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, MountainTrue and App State’s Renewable Energy Initiative!
Monday, August 31: Planet Courage—Stories of Local Climate Heroes
5:30-7:00 pm in Parkway Ballroom (PSU 420), open to the public
We are excited to celebrate each of the organizations listed above by screening new video stories about their work. We’ll spotlight current Mountaineers and alumni who are working with these organizations on climate mitigation and adaptation, learn about ways to get involved with their work, and have some conversation with the filmmakers (bios below).
“Planet Courage” aims to illustrate that everyone is capable of contributing to positive climate action, including storytellers!
Tuesday, September 1st: Planet Courage Class Visits—Telling Local Climate Stories
9:30-10:45 AM and 11:00 AM-12:15 PM in Parkway Ballroom (PSU 420)
Climate storytellers Matt Scott and Erik Douds will be in conversation with a panel of students about their work aimed at inspiring positive climate action. Matt and Erik have been connecting with local climate heroes in our region and around the country, creating video stories about many forms of climate engagement.
We’ll share snippets of their Planet Courage video stories spotlighting members of our community who are working on food-based, nature-based and energy-based climate solutions. Attend the Monday evening Planet Courage event (details above) to see the full video stories screened for the first time!
Faculty, if you have a class that meets at one of these times on Tuesdays and would like to bring your class, contact Laura England to reserve seats for them (englandle@appstate.edu).
Planet Courage is a project in partnership with Project Drawdown and is led by Matt Scott (right) and Erik Douds (left).
Matt Scott, Director of Storytelling and Engagement, leads Project Drawdown’s climate solutions storytelling and community engagement efforts, helping everyday people connect more deeply with climate solutions. He is the founding director of Drawdown Stories, where he helps shape the organization’s storytelling and engagement strategy while working to pass the mic to people and communities who often go unheard in the climate space.
Erik Douds is an adventure filmmaker and disability advocate producing films focused on underrepresented voices. With a background in international environmental policy, his skillset has taken him to nearly every continent.