All great ideas have a mastermind and birthplace. The origin of Student Nature Vids came from HDNR Professor David Knight in the Spring of 2022 while pondering over his usual coffee and breakfast burrito at Rainbow Cafe, a local spot just a few doors down from the Conservation House on W Laurel Street. One sip of joe untangled some wires upstairs and produced a fictional light bulb to flicker in Knight’s brain. He jolted up from his seat and proclaimed to nobody in particular, “THAT’S IT! We’ll put the ball in their court!”, and stormed out towards his office to document his breakthrough. The avid basketball fan’s metaphor was to make a challenge where the students have to find their own way of creatively showing what nature means to them through video. Upon returning to his office, Knight started scribbling down a mission, goals, and how to celebrate…

Mission:

To help students activate positive change in our world through creative energy and love for nature. It offers a vision of the natural world through the student lens, a vision that our world is simply dying to see.

Goals:

1. Creativity. Recognize and reward student passion for nature expressed through their own short video creations.
2. Awareness. Galvanize public awareness of nature, sustainability, and adventure.
3. Sustainability. Increase student engagement in sustainability action through friendly competition among university students.
4. Collaboration. Strengthen partnerships and visibility for college students, CSU programs, and environmentally-minded businesses / organizations.

Celebrate:

An awards reception / film festival event in April brings together nature video enthusiasts to deliver swag, celebrate sustainability, and honor many of the year’s top submissions.