Lawrence, KS -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/06/2013 -- The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a collection of films from the annual festival held the third week of January in Nevada City, CA which is now its 11th year! Wild & Scenic focuses on films which speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet. “Films featured at Wild & Scenic give people a sense of place,” says Tour Manager, Lori Van Laanen. “In our busy lives, it’s easy to get disconnected from our role in the global ecosystem. When we realize that the change we need in this world begins with us we can start making a difference. Come watch and see!”

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in 2003. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. The 4-day event features over 100 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. The home festival kicks-off the national tour to over 100 communities nationwide allowing SYRCL to share their success as an environmental group with others organizations. It is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of their National Partners: Patagonia, CLIF Bar, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Mother Jones, the festival can reach an even larger audience in tour venues coast to coast.

Featured at the tour venue in Lawrence are several fun films including "Yosemite Nature Notes-Sky Islands", a film that shows the Sierra Nevada's extremely isolated "sky islands" in pristine detail. Other films show everything from waterfall kayaking to skiing in remote Alaska, and much more! The festival is a natural extension of Friends of the Kaw's work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment. This year we are very excited to offer FREE tickets to science teachers and students. Friends of the Kaw is the only grassroots environmental group that works to protect and preserve the Kansas River, and events like this one allow us to reach out into the community and show them what an amazing thing the Kansas River is.

About Friends of the Kaw
Friends of the Kaw, (http://www.kansasriver.org), based in Lawrence, KS, is a non-profit, grassroots environmental organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the Kansas River for all generations.