“People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure” – Sir David Attenborough
Those fortunate enough to work with or experience nature on a daily basis, understand Sir David’s words implicitly. Nature grounds us and heals us. It protects us and nourishes us. Yet, as a species, we are not translating this sense of value, amazement, and pleasure into the urgent action needed to protect the planet we depend on.
The science is clear about the need for healthy natural systems and what we must do to maintain and restore them, but sometimes numbers, facts, and data are not enough to move us. Throughout our history, we have shared stories as a means of connection within and between communities and generations. By creating an emotional connection with our environment, we inspire action and enhance our own wellbeing.
An image can transport us to the other side of the world. Film brings to life forests, ocean floors, rivers and deserts in landscapes we’ll likely never set foot. Music created by our ancestors and shared by our communities reminds us of our roots while uniting us in place and time. The arts are among the most powerful means we have to inspire.
SER2025 will explore how to mobilise restoration by harnessing this inspiration through multiple media. Throughout the conference program, presenters will share projects that draw on art and culture to engage creativity and curiosity, bringing science to life and making it accessible to wider audiences. Some use music to build environmental awareness in marginalised communities. Others strengthen community resilience by integrating cultural identity and local expertise into restoration initiatives.
SER2025 Film Festival
As a way to showcase the creative breadth inspired by the practice of restoration, the SER2025 Film Festival will build on the success of its predecessor at SER2023. It invites established filmmakers alongside students and restoration practitioners to submit films that use the power of visual storytelling to inspire, educate, and accelerate ecological restoration worldwide.
Introducing Weaving in Indigenous Perspectives
This year, the film festival proudly introduces a new category: Weaving in Indigenous Perspectives. The feature video below, inspired by conversations with cultural communicator Ryan Deneault (Skeetchestn First Nation) and Cultural Committee Co-Chair Natalie Tashe, explores the cultural, spiritual, and ecological importance of Indigenous knowledge in restoration. It offers both inspiration and guidance for filmmakers, providing a meaningful lens on the connections between Indigenous communities and ecological restoration.
Meet Ryan Deneault and Natalie Tashe
In a recent interview with Film Festival Co-Chairs Jillianne Segura and Sharif Durzi, Ryan and Natalie discuss how Indigenous knowledge can shape stronger restoration outcomes and how storytelling, including filmmaking, can help bridge gaps between practitioners, communities, and non-scientific audiences. Explore the full conversation from this dynamic team and learn how their work is shaping the future of ecological restoration practice.
While scientific papers and reports capture the facts, film speaks a universal language that brings together scientific practice, community values, and Indigenous ways of knowing. The SER Film Festival helps fosters connection between knowledge and public understanding, making ecological restoration more accessible and impactful.
With the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, SER2025 invites delegates from around the world to share their restoration stories in Denver. We especially encourage submissions from students, professionals, Indigenous knowledge holders, and filmmakers at all stages of their careers. The deadline for film submissions is 23 June.
Connecting Art and Restoration
Strengthening the connection between art, restoration, and our host city of Denver, Colorado, local Navajo artist JayCee Beyale has been commissioned to create dedicated art work for this year’s conference. JayCee’s art is influenced by music and through the combination of his traditional Indigenous ideologies and his Buddhist practice, he strives to illuminate core concepts and convictions: the Laws of Movement, Unity and Impermanence.
Art has the power to shift perspectives, spark dialogue, and deepen our connection to the natural world. Through multiple media, SER2025 will illuminate the stories, challenges, and triumphs of ecological restoration in ways that inform, inspire, and move people to action. SER2025 will invite us all to see restoration not just as a technical and scientific practice, but as a cultural and emotional journey shared across communities and landscapes.