"The Quest for Sustainability in the United States" Documentary Project

INTRODUCTION

With all of the problems facing our world today such as overpopulation, deforestation, climate change, dwindling resources like clean water, oil, fertile soil for agriculture, and a multitude of others the world needs to know that there are people choosing to find solutions. In the United States there are groups of people who make it their life's work to find sustainable solutions to these problems. Some of these groups run as organic and permaculture farms, places that teach natural and carbon zero building techniques, and intentional communities that focus on sustainable solutions and research.

My name is Billy W. Mitchell and I am an Army Veteran who grew up on 127 acres of forested land in southeast Texas. Growing up, my family had a farm and raised hogs, rabbits, and chickens. I am an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys camping and hiking and is the host of a YouTube hiking channel called "Gecko's Trails" .

When my family and I moved to San Marcos, Texas it was so I could go back to college to pursue a B.S. degree in Geography with a minor in Sociology.

THE PROJECT

Over the span of 3 years I will endeavor to visit, tour, and interview at as many intentional communities, permaculture and organic farms, sites of sustainable building construction research, and tiny home builders and communities as I can. These places, communities, and people will be showing and telling me of the ways that they are finding to help solve the problems we face on our journey to sustainability that I will present in a video documentary and book.

As I travel to these places I will be thru-hiking the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails as a way of showing the public what we stand to lose if we don't work together and implement these solutions on a broader scale. It will be a journey of at least 8,000 miles that will take me through places like the Great Smoky Mountains, the Shenandoah Mountains, the Hundred Mile Wilderness, The Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite National Park, the Cascade Mountains, the San Juan Mountains, The Great Basin, Yellowstone National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Wind River Range, and Glacier National Park.

The reason that I wanted to incorporate thru-hiking into the project isn't just to show the pristine wild places that sustainability is helping to preserve and protect but also to achieve a personal goal of completing what the thru-hiking community calls the Triple Crown of Hiking and to incorporate the thru-hiking community itself. This is a community of outdoors enthusiasts who love and appreciate nature, wilderness, and conservation. Having their interviews included in the project introduces an additional perspective on sustainability and the solutions that I will be reporting on.

When my journey is complete I will have all of the video footage, interviews, and trail notes I will need to complete the video documentary and book that I have named "The Quest for Sustainability in the United States."

REQUEST FOR SUPPORT

To be perfectly honest, this project is not going to be cheap. I estimate that with the purchasing of thru-hiking gear and clothing, camera and video equipment, transportation to/from the trails and interview sites, park fees and back-country permits, lodging in hotels and hostels, food resupplies, video production, and book publishing that the final amount of funds needed will range between $50,000 -$75,000.

Given my family's current income I could never fund this project on my own so I am asking for people to help by becoming a sponsoring patron on Patreon.com. On my Patreon website I have setup multiple Donor Levels ranging from $10 per month to $1000. Each Donor Level comes with cumulative gifts and privileges including a Thank You Message, Livestream Access, a Shout-Out on the Gecko's Trails YouTube Channel, Private Blog Access, to be Published in a list of Donors in the Documentary Video and Book, a Canvas-wrapped Print of Best Trail Photograph, a Signed Copy of Completed Documentary Book, and an Interview With the Donor for Inclusion in the Documentary Video and Book.

I have also set up a GoFundMe.com account for people who would only prefer to making a one-time or infrequent donation.

PROJECT TIMELINE

I am proposing the following timeline for the journey:

Appalachian Trail - Mar 2020 to Sept/Oct 2020 Pacific Crest Trail - Mar 2021 to Nov 2021 Continental Divide Trail - Mar 2022 to Nov 2022 Documentary video production - Jan 2023 to ???? Book writing and publishing - Jan 2023 to ????

CONCLUSION

As I am so fond of stating: "Sustainability can be our legacy." As a geographer, permaculture and biotecture student, philosopher, and a person with the 'human doing', not 'human being', mentality I believe that with your sponsorship and investment, this project can enlighten, educate, and inspire a new generation to new heights of sustainability!

I thank you in advance for your support, faith, and trust. Carpe Diem!