One of MoveShake’s sponsors has been inspired by the story of Gregg Treinish and Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation – so much so that they are matching funding for ASC’s crowdrise up to $2,500! Check out the crowdrise and double the bang for your giving buck through Clif Bar!!
http://www.crowdrise.com/makeadifferencewhileyouplay/fundraiser/adventurescience
The first two MoveShake films will be released this coming Thursday, June 7th, right here on MoveShake.org.
Join us from 7 to 9pm (MDT) to watch the stories of Movers and Shakers Shannon Galpin and Julio Solis. Once you’ve watched the films, you can get involved in the conversation by asking questions to director Allie Bombach, Shannon Galpin, and Julio’s mentor – Wallace J Nichols.
The first MoveShake story features Shannon Galpin, founder of Mountain2Mountain. A rape survivor and mother, she realized she couldnʼt just stand on the sidelines when it came to standing up for human rights. Working in Afghanistan, Shannon shares her story of connecting communities on both sides of the equation. Determined to combat apathy, Shannon uses her drive and passion to successfully create positive change for an issue that many assume is hopeless.
Also launching on Thursday is the story of Julio Solis. Julio is a sea turtle conservationist in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California, Mexico. In his youth, Julio poached sea turtles until a life-changing mentor shifted his perspective about his relationship with the ocean. Julio is now working to protect the sea turtles by running a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Magdalena Bayʼs natural resources. His story is one of perseverance and personal growth as he works to change the tide for the future of his community.
To be reminded of the launch, join the facebook event, and we’ll keep you updated as the week goes on.
Premiering Julio Solis, A MoveShake Story, at MountainFilm was an absolute honor. We had a great turn out at both screenings, and led question and answering sessions about the work Julio is doing, as well as the MoveShake series at large.
But what really made the experience extraordinary came Monday afternoon at the festival’s closing picnic. The film was awarded a Moving Mountains Grant from MountainFilm. This means that Julio’s conservation work with Vigilantes Bahia Magdalena has been awarded $1000 of funding.
Because the work of nonprofits often attracts filmmakers, the festival makes it a priority to honor and give back to the work being done by characters in the films. A panel of judges watch the nominated films, examining the work being done and considering the impact that be had if awarded the funding, then decide which organization to give the grant to.
In past years, a grant of $3000 has been given to one nonprofit. Because of the generosity of donors, this year was different. The $3000 grant was given, but they were also able to award a number of other nonprofits with $1000, which will help to support many organizations and projects.

Julio Solis, A MoveShake Story
We are thrilled to announce that this weekend, MountainFilm Festival will premiere the MoveShake series with Julio Solis: A MoveShake Story.
Founder of Vigilantes Bahia Magdalena, Julio Solis is a sea turtle conservationist who lives in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California, Mexico. In his youth, Julio was a poacher of sea turtles until a life changing mentor shifted his perspective about his relationship with the ocean. Julio is now working to protect the sea turtles by running a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Magdalena Bay’s natural resources. His story is one of perseverance and personal growth as he works to change the tide for the future of his community.
A huge inspiration to this film series, Mountainfilm has influenced our storytelling as well as introduced us to some of our featured movers and shakers, such as Shannon Galpin who gave a symposium at the festival in 2011. To have Julio’s story as an official selection of such an inspiring film festival feels like the exact way we should be kicking off the series, and we are eager to attend and join this years conversation of making positive change.
If you are unable to make it to the festival, mark your calendars and be sure to come back to MoveShake.org on June 7th for the launch of the film series. We will be releasing Julio’s film online, as well as the powerful story of Shannon Galpin, founder of Mountain2Mountain.