By now I’m sure everyone is royally unimpressed with 2020, and I really hope it rallies and we can all make “in hindsight” jokes on the flip side of all this. After sitting around the fire pit and listening to my grandparents talk about the Great Depression and World War II, taking a pause from camping, hiking, and pretty soon rafting doesn’t sound as dire. Perspective.

Starting Monday, eight weeks of educational and inspiring and free entertainment is just a registration away, so keep reading!

The sting of reality is real. I definitely don’t want to minimize that. At first I didn’t understand the run on brown sugar, but after a week of daily chocolate chip cookie baking I realized I was no longer doing it for the kids.

In hopes of taking the high road, I went in search of…something. Through massive amounts of yard work involving detailing the cracks between concrete slabs in the driveway, removing leaves that have occupied nooks since I was in high school (not revealing graduation year), and strategically weeding so not to disrupt the caterpillars, I found what I needed. Any guesses?

I needed to be outside. Dirt. Sun. Fresh, flower-blooming air. Outside.

Admittedly, outdoor recreation seems like a great idea right now, but even on the trail social distancing can get challenging. We are opting to camp at home and walk our neighborhood. Anything we can do to make this madness and tragedy stop.

So many businesses and organizations have responded to this crisis in really interesting and creative ways. The Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT), for example, kicks off its Learning on Land series with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival inspiring environmental activism and a love for nature–through film.

Typically held in Maxey Auditorium on Whitman College campus, a lecture hall doesn’t exactly follow any rules right now. Why not online? And that is just what the hard working folks at the land trust put together.

Over eight-weeks beginning April 20, BMLT will stream a selection of short films that illustrate the challenges facing our planet and explore how communities are protecting the places they love.

Each week, they will release a new lineup of films that conveys a broader theme of environmental activism. Additionally, three weeks of films are geared toward kids and include activities that compliment the films.

Outside Walla Walla is proud to sponsor this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. The Blue Mountain Land Trust is a wonderful organization doing great work throughout the region. We definitely plan our calendar around Blues Crew work parties and Learning on the Land events–all great ways to reconnect in the future. Stay well everyone.