This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Eric Moe Award Shorts: Sallie's Ashes & The Clearing

Eric Moe Award for Best Short on Sustainability Presentation: Sallie's Ashes (Winner), The Clearing (Finalist)

Sallie’s Ashes

Sallie Smith doesn’t know how to retire. The 80-year old from Alabama admits “when I see something that’s a problem, it tends to call my name… and once it’s done that, I need to see it through.” The problem now is threatening her beloved Mobile Bay. Alabama Power’s ‘Plant Barry’ – Southern Alabama’s largest coal-fired power plant – has been depositing its waste ash into an unlined pit next to the plant for decades. It’s a ticking time bomb; if the levees were to be breached, 21 million tons of toxic ash would be released into the Mobile River and Bay.

Sallie recruits fellow retirees Diane Thomas and Savan Wilson to her cause, and together they set off on a late-life crusade to try and force the plant – and the EPA – to move the ash to safer ground. But Sallie is racing against more than one clock. The cancer she once beat has returned and metastasized. With only months to live, can she and her friends pull off one final fight for their community, the Bay, and for the generations to come?

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Ponyo

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong

As America’s aging wastewater system begins to fail, one plant does all it can to stay afloat. Plant manager Dustin Price, together with his dedicated team, battle aging infrastructure, “forever chemicals,” and the misconceptions of an odor-averse public to keep Portland, Maine clean and healthy.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Impact Preview Event: The Way of the Whale

Following climate activist Xiye Bastida, The Way of the Whale tells the story of the gray whales of Laguna San Ignacio, a pristine nursery along Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Tracing the whales’ epic migration from Baja to the Arctic, the film revisits the campaign that halted a massive industrial salt project and protected the lagoon, now considered one of the great environmental success stories of our time.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Solwara: Papua New Guinea's Sacred Sea

Some of the world’s greatest marine biodiversity thrives in Papua New Guinea. In this film, local communities and scientists from PNG and around the globe come together to better understand the health of the nation’s special waters — and protect them for future generations.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Pulitzer Center Shorts: Changing Tides

As social and political tides turn, changemakers and climate communicators around the world persevere for the protection of our planet and its people. The Pulitzer Center is proud to present a few of their stories, in partnership with DCEFF, during an evening of short films celebrating those who inspire change through meaningful climate storytelling.

From the Indigenous groups preserving the soundscape of the Indonesian rainforest, to the California town fighting for clean water, to the researchers sounding an alarm on Thailand’s vanishing dugongs, these films–and their creators–highlight the determination and creativity driving worldwide climate action at this challenging time. 

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Her Shark Story

This is the story of Sofia, a young marine biologist in the Galapagos who reconnects with her absent father through their shared passion for trying to save the biggest shark in the world: the Whale Shark.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West

As the most dammed, dibbed, and diverted river in the world struggles to support thirty million people and the peace-keeping agreement known as the Colorado River Pact reaches its limits, WATERSHED introduces hope. Can we meet the needs of a growing population in the face of rising temperatures and lower rainfall in an already arid land? Can we find harmony amongst the competing interests of cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, wildlife, and indigenous communities with rights to the water? Sweeping through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, the Colorado River is a lifeline to expanding populations and booming urban centers that demand water for drinking, sanitation and energy generation. And with 70% of the rivers’ water supporting agriculture, the river already runs dry before it reaches its natural end at the Gulf of California. Unless action is taken, the river will continue its retreat – a potentially catastrophic scenario for the millions who depend on it.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Vs. Goliath: Cancer Alley

What motivates a special education teacher and grandmother to fight back against the continent’s biggest plastics plant? A mission from God.

Sharon Lavigne, 70, has lived in St. James, Louisiana all her life, and she’s watched it turn from the lush and productive farmland of her youth into one of the most polluted places in the country; now known as “Cancer Alley.” When another huge petrochemical plant is announced for St. James, God tells Sharon to fight back. VS. GOLIATH follows Sharon as she wrestles with how to build a better future for St. James.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

The Keeper (World Water Day Presentation)

For 25 years, charismatic river steward John Lipscomb has patrolled the Hudson in his wooden boat, covering more than 80,000 miles on “America’s first river.” Fighting industrial waste, sewage, and negligence, Lipscomb has become both the river’s watchdog and poet laureate, bearing witness to its wounds and recoveries. Sweeping imagery and intimate reflection honor a life devoted to ecological justice while capturing the moment Lipscomb prepares to pass the torch to a new generation.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Shorts: Science & Scientists

What does it mean to study a world in crisis? From dirt digging to deep diving, follow the collective of environmentalists and scientists alike in their discovery of the world at large, the ecosystems within it, and smallest of discoveries that can make the largest of impacts. At the edge of uncertainty in a world of accelerating change, these individuals test resilience, navigating the environmental and ethical challenges of the modern world. Together, these films capture what can become, when observation becomes action, and when the pursuit of change carries real consequences for both people and the planet.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

The Last Dive

Terry is a legendary figure in Baja Mexico, an American veteran who has spent decades living on (and in) the water. Once a man burdened by a troubled past, Terry’s life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry’s sailboat to signal their next dive, and together they explored the ocean’s depths. An extraordinary bond that turned Terry into an unexpected conservationist.

Now in his 80s, Terry embarks on one final journey to a remote island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend. But he’s also searching for something deeper: peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy and produced by acclaimed Mark Monroe, The Last Dive is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant documentary that invites viewers to reflect on our connection to the natural world and the wild, mysterious creatures that help us find our place in it.

TThis year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

The Last Whale Singer

When a monstrous creature escapes from a melting iceberg, a self-doubting teenage humpback whale must face his greatest fears and dive into the darkest depths with his friends to discover the mystical song that can save the oceans from destruction.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current. We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Opening Night: A Life Illuminated

A LIFE ILLUMINATED follows trailblazing marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder — one of the first women in her field and one of the first humans to explore the ocean’s twilight zone — as she descends 3,300 feet into the ocean’s darkest depths. From capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid to unveiling the glowing mysteries of deep-sea bioluminescence, Edie embarks on her most daring quest yet: to document a bioluminescent phenomenon that could forever change how we understand life on Earth.

This year is the 34th annual DC Environmental Film Festival! The theme this year is Against the Current, dedicated to amplifying the unwavering voices of those who press on in defense of our planet, even in the face of significant challenges. 

We’re bringing you a list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code WANEFF34 for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here. 

Opening Night: A Life Illuminated March 19th 7:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

The Last Whale Singer March 21st 1:00PM | The Miracle Theatre

The Last Dive March 21st 7:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

Shorts: Science & Scientists March 22nd 1:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

The Keeper (World Water Day Presentation) March 22nd 7:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

Vs. Goliath: Cancer Alley March 23rd 12:30PM | Reservoir Center for Water Solutions

Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West March 23rd 3:00PM | Reservoir Center for Water Solutions

Her Shark Story March 23rd 6:00PM | Georgetown Capitol Campus

Pulitzer Center Shorts: Changing Tides March 24th 7:00PM | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Solwara: Papua New Guinea's Sacred Sea March 24th 7:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

Impact Preview Event: The Way of the Whale March 25th 6:30PM | American University - Center for Environmental Filmmaking

Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong March 26th 3:00PM | Reservoir Center for Water Solutions

Wild North Sea (De wilde Noordzee) March 26th 6:00PM | Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Ponyo March 28th 11:30AM | AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Eric Moe Award Shorts: Sallie's Ashes & The Clearing March 28th 4:00PM | The Burke Theatre at US Navy Memorial

Call for Proposals: 2026 National Marine Educators Association Conference

We’re excited to share that the Women’s Aquatic Network is serving as an Affiliate Organization for NMEA 2026: Meeting of the Waters, taking place July 12–16, 2026 in Cambridge, Maryland. As part of this partnership, our members are encouraged to submit session proposals for a dedicated WAN Track of Sessions within the conference program. This track will highlight innovative programs, research, professional learning, and community-based approaches led by our community. Proposals are submitted through NMEA’s standard Call for Proposals process, and submissions from our members will receive priority consideration during review. NMEA’s national conference brings together educators, researchers, and practitioners from across the country to advance ocean and aquatic literacy through learning, collaboration, and connection.

Call for Proposals are open: January 1–February 28, 2026

Learn more and submit a proposal: https://www.marine-ed.org/2026

POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

Due to snow and icy sidewalk conditions, we’re postponing the Women’s Aquatic Network 2026 Kickoff Happy Hour originally scheduled for Thursday, January 29th. The event will now take place one week later on Thursday, February 5th.

Celebrate the start of the year with a WAN community happy hour. Swing by McGinty's Public House in Silver Spring for networking and good conversation. All are welcome!

RSVP here to let us know if you’ll be dropping by.

We warmly invite you to join us for an evening of holiday cheer as we celebrate this significant milestone in WAN’s history!

WAN member ticket | $35

Non-member ticket | $60

Bundle: Ticket + 2026 Student Membership | $65

Bundle: Ticket + 2026 Professional Membership | $75

WAN holiday ornament | $10

Register here

Join Executive Board member Michelle Levano for a virtual LinkedIn workshop. Come with questions - this is your time to focus on your online outreach and networking though LinkedIn!

WAN members | FREE

Non-members | $10

Register here

This event continues the Reservoir Center Careers for Change series that empowers professionals to harness their skills and energy to have a positive impact on the world around them.

As the climate crisis intensifies, we must confront the realities of what’s at stake while holding fast to the belief that change is possible. Join a community dedicated to building a sustainable future by putting their skills, energy, and passion to work. Share what drives you and connect with others who are turning climate anxiety into climate action.

Doors open at 5:30. Event will start promptly at 6:15. Light bites and drinks will be served.

RSVP here

*Thanks to our sponsors, we've been able to reduce the cost of the limited remaining tickets!

Join us and the National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board on Wednesday, October 22nd for our annual Speed Mentoring event. This event provides an opportunity to connect across different professional levels within the DC aquatic community. Much like “speed dating,” speed mentoring allows individuals to meet one-on-one for a short period of time to gain advice and feedback for career growth and opportunities before moving to the next person in the queue.

$20 for WAN members* | $35 for non-members (registration includes food and non-alcoholic drinks)

Register here

*WAN memberships purchased after October 1, 2025 also cover the 2026 calendar year.

Register for the event here

In turbulent times, finding ways to cultivate inner calm can feel daunting. It's easy to get swept up in the current of schedule and routine as we move through busy days, distracted and distressed. Thankfully, there are ways to invite more ease and clarity, both individually, and with the support of community. For many, spending time outdoors relaxes the nervous system and reminds us that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. This workshop, rescheduled from June, will bring mindful awareness to the sense of peace our natural environment provides and invite slow, sustained attention to calm our inner energetic waters. Working alongside Rock Creek, we'll take guidance from the water's movement as we contemplate how our own emotions move and flow within us.

Nature journaling is one method to disrupt the regular current of daily life and access a flow more in sync with the natural rhythms around us. Nature journaling is an ancient practice which combines elements of scientific inquiry, drawing, writing and mindfulness to connect with the wonders of the natural world around us. Tapping into curiosity and deep, sustained attention, participants will use the tools of journaling to practice judgement-free observation using all 5 senses. Through community reflection and sharing, we will build upon the ideas of one another to foster a deeper sense of place, groundedness, and support. Mindful awareness will be practiced through guided meditation and applied within each journaling exercise.

This workshop will be led by seasoned educator and environmental education researcher, Lindi Shepard. Whether you are brand new to the practice of nature journaling or a long-time practitioner, every participant will find new lenses to frame their experience, expand their practice, and reflect on the wonders of the more-than-human world. 

Journals and basic writing implements will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies. 

In case of rain, this event will be rescheduled for the following week, Saturday, September 27th at the same time.

Lindi Shepard is the Teaching Fellowship Director at Words in the Wild, an organization dedicated to improving early literacy through joyful, nature-based experiences. She is working towards a Ph.D. in Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she conducts research on how people learn in and about the natural world at the Social Psychology in Education and the Environment (SPiEE) Lab. Lindi developed a keen interest in the learning sciences as a classroom teacher, inspired by watching children play and co-construct knowledge in community. She is particularly interested in how we learn in collaboration with the more-than-human world, leveraging curiosity and play to build place-based connection and an ethos of collective stewardship. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Join the Women’s Aquatic Network and DC EcoWomen at the Reservoir Center for an engaging evening focused on the unique journeys of women working in the water sector. Through candid conversations and interactive breakout discussions, we’ll explore how professionals have navigated career shifts—whether moving between sectors, stepping into leadership roles, or shifting into new specialties—while building cross-sector impact in water. This event offers insight, inspiration, and connections for attendees at all stages of their water careers.

Event Schedule

5:30 pm Doors Open / Happy Hour

6:00 pm Welcome

6:05 pm Panel - Cross-Sector Impact in Water

Rabia Chaudhry, PhD, PE, Director of Water Supply Resilience, DC Water

Dr. Miriam Goldstein, Executive Director, National Ocean Protection Coalition

Tosca Lichtenheld, Head of Federal & Defense, Sofar Ocean

Moderator: Bria Jamison, DC EcoWomen

6:45 pm Transition into “Knowledge Cafes” (breakouts - knowledge sharing)

7:15 pm Thank you and closing

RSVP here

Subscribe to the DC EcoWomen newsletter

Subscribe to the WAN newsletter

Spend a day outdoors with WAN! We'll be going on a 4-mile hike in Sky Meadows State Park and then meeting for apple picking at Hollins Farm. Join us for one or both activities, and kids are welcome! We will be reaching out to registered attendees to discuss potential carpooling.

RSVP for one or both activities here

Join the Reservoir Center for an inspiring and insightful event celebrating the journeys of water and environmental professionals who have transitioned from federal service to roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  During the evening, you’ll hear former federal leaders share their experiences, lessons learned, and the opportunities that lie beyond government service.

Whether you’re considering your next career move or simply curious about the evolving landscape of water and environmental jobs in DC, this is a unique opportunity to connect and be inspired. This is not a hiring fair, you can expect candid conversations about career transitions and will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and build community.

If you need a refresh of your LinkedIn profile picture, there will be a headshot station. Dress is business casual. Light bites and drinks will be served. Doors open at 5:15.

This event is geared towards current and former federal employees and contractors, students, and anyone interested in exploring environmental and water career opportunities in the DC metro area that are outside of the Federal Sector.

Learn more and RSVP here

Dive into a flowing fusion of strength and serenity! Join us for this special Ocean Month barre class at Barre3 Bethesda where we'll move like kelp swaying in underwater currents while building ocean-strong muscles.

Come ready to sway, strengthen, and make waves with your fellow ocean lovers. All levels welcome – prepare to feel as fluid and powerful as the sea itself! Class starts at 5:45PM, please plan to show up 10-15 minutes prior to class.

NOTE: Registration will close June 13th in order to have time to get information to the studio. Please purchase your ticket before then!

Register here

Register for event here

In turbulent times, finding ways to cultivate inner calm can feel daunting. It's easy to get swept up in the current of schedule and routine as we move through busy days, distracted and distressed. Thankfully, there are ways to invite more ease and clarity, both individually, and with the support of community. For many, spending time outdoors relaxes the nervous system and reminds us that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. This workshop will bring mindful awareness to the sense of peace our natural environment provides and invite slow, sustained attention to calm our inner energetic waters. Working alongside Rock Creek, we'll take guidance from the water's movement as we contemplate how our own emotions move and flow within us.

Nature journaling is one method to disrupt the regular current of daily life and access a flow more in sync with the natural rhythms around us. Nature journaling is an ancient practice which combines elements of scientific inquiry, drawing, writing and mindfulness to connect with the wonders of the natural world around us. Tapping into curiosity and deep, sustained attention, participants will use the tools of journaling to practice judgement-free observation using all 5 senses. Through community reflection and sharing, we will build upon the ideas of one another to foster a deeper sense of place, groundedness, and support. Mindful awareness will be practiced through guided meditation and applied within each journaling exercise.

This workshop will be led by seasoned educator and environmental education researcher, Lindi Shepard. Whether you are brand new to the practice of nature journaling or a long-time practitioner, every participant will find new lenses to frame their experience, expand their practice, and reflect on the wonders of the more-than-human world. 

Journals and basic writing implements will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies. 

In case of rain, this event will be rescheduled for the following week, Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at the same time.

Lindi Shepard is the Teaching Fellowship Director at Words in the Wild, an organization dedicated to improving early literacy through joyful, nature-based experiences. She is working towards a Ph.D. in Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she conducts research on how people learn in and about the natural world at the Social Psychology in Education and the Environment (SPiEE) Lab. Lindi developed a keen interest in the learning sciences as a classroom teacher, inspired by watching children play and co-construct knowledge in community. She is particularly interested in how we learn in collaboration with the more-than-human world, leveraging curiosity and play to build place-based connection and an ethos of collective stewardship. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Join the Women's Aquatic Network and Surfrider DC for a World Ocean Month happy hour to kick off Capitol Hill Ocean Week!

All are welcome. Let us know if you're planning to stop by.