April 10, 2010 The Okanagan Saturday – Kelowna
by Tara Miller
Talk dirty to me. It’s a phrase that perks up your ears a bit doesn’t it? The
Fresh Outlook Foundation has used that sex appeal to gain some perk through the Okanagan to raise awareness about… dirt.
Fresh Outlook Foundation is a non profit organization promoting Talking Dirty, a community based social marketing campaign designed to promote awareness of sustainability through screenings of the award documentary DIRT! The Movie.
Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, this movie delves into this valuable and often passed over resource to show how our soil is alive, what it is, how important it it, what we’re doing to damage it, and what we can do to mitigate that damage now.
Fresh Outlook Foundations, Founder and CEO Joanne de Vries watched the movie at it’s screening at the REEL CHANGE Film Festival at the end of January and was motivated to set out a challenge to create the Talking Dirty awareness campaign.
“I never looked at it this way before, but dirt is a a living system; it is the skin that surrounds the earth. Our goal is to have 10,000 views by 10:10 p.m. on Oct 10, 2010. The movie was so well received and the dialogue to positive following the film that I leapt into this project that night and had a planning committee in place within a few days.”
de Vries’ goal is to have the movie shown through community groups and events throughout every community in the Okanagan.
“We’d like to see community groups, businesses, special interest groups, and even individuals host screenings for which we’ll give each person or group a screening kit. We expect that people will really use their imaginations and to view this film and get a fresh outlook.”
Not only does the film address the importance of our soil, but it challenges common misconceptions about it showing how every person can make a difference through the choices they make.
“The choices you make can hurt or they can help. I think people get overwhelmed about environmental issues. One reason it appealed to me is there is such a thing as cumulative acceptance; the idea that the more people learn, the more the behaviour changes they adopt are easier.”
What appealed to de Vries is the message of the film that encourages proactivity not only individually through things like composting, but along every level up to business purchasing decisions.
“Statistics show that people are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviours at home home first.This new message has impact for every sector and shows the things we can do at work. From landscaping choices to composting of office kitchen waste, it provides solutions.”
Everyone that screens the movie will receive a regular newsletter that will have success stories, provide how-to’s and soil friendly tips.
“We minimize soil’s importance in development and construction, we are covering over too much of our soil with asphalt and concrete and polluting the soil that we have mostly due to lack of education. I believe, that generally, people, when they know better, they do better.”
The planning committee has representatives from UBC-O, OUC, School District 23, IHA and and soil related businesses and experts encouraging this platform forward but Fresh Outlook Foundation still accepting sponsors throughout the valley for Talking Dirty.
The fundraising kick off takes place at the atrium of the Best Western Inn in Kelowna, Wed March 24 from 5 – 9 p.m. Local wineries have come on board for the event with samples of their wines and will be sharing their sustainability practices in currently in place or in their future plans for the Okanagan soil that supports one of our most recognized industries.
“The mandate of the film is to generate dialogue not to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do. Whatever people’s opinions, we want them to share and be part of the solution.”
The Fresh Outlook Foundation website www.freshoutlookfoundation.com will be posting a list of pick up spots and borrowing locations for the films as this movement takes shape.
