Since 2002, Maryland Carey Law students in Professor Robert Percival's Environmental Law class have enjoyed an unusual assignment: to form small groups and make a short (5-7 minute) film about an environmental issue that concerns them. The purpose of the ungraded assignment is to make students think about how to communicate complicated environmental policy issues to the public. The films are submitted to an independent panel of judges who vote on which should receive “Golden Tree” awards in various categories.
Students in the Environmental Law class made four films. “Heat Islands” discussed how Baltimore is trying to confront the legacy of housing discrimination that has left poor neighborhoods with less green space, raising temperatures their resident experience considerably. “Pharmaceuticals and the Environment”. The film by Margaret Bushko, Nico Sarbanes and Rob Velazquez won Golden Tree awards for Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Most Educational.
The film “Pharmacueticals in the Environment” by Yifan Wang explored how waterways are being contaminated by pharmaceutical drugs discarded and excreted by humns. It won awards for Best Narration,Best Use of Animation, and Best Sound. “China’s National Parks” by Chunyi Peng examined how the People’s Republic of China recently has greatly expanded protected areas in the country.
“The Story of PFAS” explored how a class of chemicals widely used in a variety of consumer products and fire-fighting foam have caused widespread and persistent environmental contamination. The film by Paige Bellamy, Codi Coulter, David Karpay, Annabelle Klein, Ciera Miller and Nathan Siegel won awards for Best Acting, Best Use of Humor and Best Music.
The 2022 Golden Tree Awards were presented to the students in a ceremony on March 16 attended by some of the students who plan to make films in next year’s Environmental Law class, which will mark the 20th anniversary of film-making in the class.