Presented at The Water’s Edge gala each year since 2011, the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence is a prestigious award for outstanding achievement in freshwater-related activities. Honorees represent regions and watersheds from around the world and a broad range of activities, professions, and scientific disciplines.
The Water’s Edge is moving to a virtual format for 2020 but the elegance will remain the same. Guests will enjoy a delivered gourmet dinner, a virtual champagne toast, and a presentation by the 2020 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence recipient, The Redford Center.
Transforming Social and Environmental Issues to Inspire Change
Co-founded in 2005 by Robert Redford and his son, James Redford, the Redford Center uses the power of film and media to engage people through inspiring stories to environmental action.
The Redford Center draws on the family’s multi-generational expertise in filmmaking and activism to produce, fund, and fiscally sponsor productions that show stories of individuals taking action to protect and restore the planet.
The Redford Center uses a multitude of tools to help share inspiring stories to engage environmental activism.
Through Redford Center In House Productions, a team of in-house producers and directors helps to tell a story that showcases individuals and organizations taking action to protect our planet. The Nature Film explores the term coined by Richard Louv ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ in today’s generation and helps to understand how we can help to reconnect children and parents to the planet. Watershed is a full length documentary about the Colorado River, the threats facing it, and solutions to help the future of the American West. Fighting Goliath takes a look at today’s global energy challenge of powering communities in a way that supports the local economy and protects public health.
The Redford Center Grants offers grants to provide early stage funding for independent filmmakers to share their story and drive awareness, education, and action on environmental projects.
Throughout the filmmaking process, The Redford Center collaborates with artists, activists, experts, policymakers, educators, scientists, business leaders and philanthropists. They invite both sides of a debate to engage in a conversation to find a common solution to pressing problems.
The Redford Center works with change-making organizations to lead community engagement campaigns that spark conversation and galvanize environmental action.
The Redford Family
Inspired by John Muir’s 1868 walk from San Francisco to Yosemite, young actor Robert Redford walked from San Francisco to Big Sur, and along the way fell in love with California’s nature, which led to Redford’s lifelong commitment to the environment. In 2007, Time magazine named Redford a “Hero of the Environment.” In 2009, Redford was awarded the Duke LEAF award for his contribution to environmental issues through fine arts. Robert Redford is an ardent conservationist and environmentalist, a man who stands for social responsibility and political involvement, and an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression.
“Some of the most moving and inspirational environmental stories are the ones that highlight what people are doing every day to ensure the health of our planet for generations to come.”
Robert Redford
Jamie Redford, co-founder and current chair of The Redford Center has many filmmaking and production credits to his name. Recent honors include the 2014 WildCare Environmental Award, 2015 filmmaker envoy for USC/US State Department’s American Film Showcase as well as serving the leadership circle for the UN’s second annual Media for Social Impact Summit. He lives in Marin County and is married to Kyle Redford, a popular educational blogger for Edweek, Huffpost, and Noodle.
“The environmental challenges we face today go deep and wide, and our storytelling arsenal needs to reflect that immense task.”
James Redford
