And the award goes to...

Last November, the Center was honored to present the Adventure Film Festival Leave No Trace Award to "Ascending the Giants." Featuring Brian French and Will Koomjian, with the filmmaking artistry of director/producer John Waller, this film highlights the quest to find the largest tree in Oregon... by climbing them all. Featuring stunning cinematography of four Sitka spruce ascents, "Ascending the Giants" is unique in its excitement, adventure and portrayal of a proud recreational ethic.

The above video highlights the opening night of the 3-day festival, in which the filmmaker & actors were presented with the Leave No Trace Award "live," by using Skype to conference them in to the theater.

More on Leave No Trace & Adventure Film:
The Center is now in its second year as Adventure Film's Nonprofit Partner. The world's greatest stories play out in the wild places of this earth, and those wild places are a limited and delicate resource. We are all key players in preserving this stage for future generations. In the spirit of adventure and conservation, Leave No Trace empowers people to be the solution to environmental impact by educating communities worldwide on the skills and ethics of sustainable recreation. As such, this dynamic partnership brings awareness to our collective mission to promote "Activism through Adventure."

Ascending the Giants Receives the Leave No Trace Award at the Adventure Film Festival

Adventure Film, a dedicated partner of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, recently hosted its annual Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, CO earlier this month. As a local partner, it was a great opportunity for staff members to get hands-on in the great outreach AF is doing the community. Many of us volunteered our time to help with ticket sales, distribute flyers and posters, and staff booths at the festival. A true highlight for me, however, was seeing the film that received the Leave No Trace award this year: Ascending the Giants.

From the Adventure Film website:

Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is Adventure Film’s 2009 Nonprofit Partner.

The world’s greatest stories play out in the wild places of this earth, and those wild places are a limited and delicate resource. We are all key players in preserving this stage for future generations. In the Spirit of adventure and conservation, we recognize “Ascending the Giants” as recipient of the 2009 Leave No Trace Award, for upholding a mission of empowering people to be the solution to environmental impact by educating communities worldwide on the skills and ethics of sustainable recreation.

The Klootchy Creek Sitka Spruce Tree on the Oregon Coast was the largest of its kind. In December of 2007, it toppled during a fierce windstorm, leaving the designation of largest Sitka spruce in Oregon up for grabs. With just a handful of contenders for the title, Brian French and Will Koomjian spent several months measuring the candidates. Join them as they travel to four massive Sitkas, each with its own unique personality and growing conditions. This short documentary features stunning cinematography from both ground and canopy that captures the excitement of climbing these proud behemoths.

Watch the trailer: