“My scientific and technocratic role can feel removed from the reality of how nature works, and this event reminded me of the magic of community.”

“There were so many creative ways I never thought to engage in climate justice! As someone steeped in environmental work on the ground, which can be lonely and wearing on the soul, especially with so much bureaucracy is required to navigate moving this forward...this event really helped me feel connected and inspired.

“My scientific and technocratic role can feel removed from the reality of how nature works, and this event reminded me of the magic of community. I was able to meet people that I've been wanting to meet for a while, and even something as small as a ‘I've heard about you, and I'm excited to finally meet you in person!’ is such a nice feeling. I was also able to invite several people I recently met in the neighborhood, and it felt like a lot of my Queens community showed up and enjoyed all the festival had to offer. Lots of seeds were planted (initial meetings, ideas sparked) during this event and I'm looking forward to seeing them sprout in the next few years.

“I really enjoyed playing a dual role as a climate expert and a volunteer. Helping in both roles really made me feel part of the event. I appreciated that each artist had such depth to what they were creating that you could have a 30 minute conversation with each of them. And each artist allowed you to get as deep as you desired allowing for different levels of engagement.”

— Neha Savant