Art met environmentalism Thursday at the Crest Theater when the first annual "Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival" made a one-night stop. This version of the "Wild and Scenic" is an extension of the original film festival that is in its eighth year in Nevada City. The event is sponsored by the South Yuba River Citizens League.

The condensed festival in Sacramento also was sponsored by the S.O.S. Cranes, Habitat 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) and several other local environmental activist groups. It was made possible by a grant from Patagonia as well as donations from other organizations, including Clif Bar, Tom's of Maine, Osprey Packs and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

The event benefited the California Heartland Project, a program that targets conservation and preservation of the biological diversity of the Sacramento Valley.

Eleven films were chosen from the original 120 film, three-day festival in Nevada City. The films ranged in length from 3 minutes to more than an hour. The topics of discussion covered everything from climate change and grassroots activism to natural beauty and generational problems.

"We tried to select films with local appeal," said Matthew Baker, habitat director of ECOS. "This is a pretty exciting night."

The master of ceremonies, Koula Gianulias of Channel 13 News, kept the evening flowing with commentary.

The longest film, "A Sea Change" by Barbara Ettinger, told the story of a man and his grandson on a quest of knowledge about acid levels in the ocean. Just as impressive as the knowledge they gained was the bond they built.

Each film had a touch of artistic flare or humor, but the serious nature of the matter resounded. We face serious environmental issues today, and amassing knowledge at events like these may be our only hope for a future. I have never experienced people so eager to share ideas with strangers as at the "Wild and Scenic Film Festival."

For more information on the largest environmental film festival in the United States, see www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org.