ThS2026 | Stories that inspire us
- Grey Gowder
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
We're back with more exciting updates about The Hope Summit 2026!
Last week, we shared the exciting Saturday ocean-filled line-up for The Hope Summit 2026 Film Festival. We believe in the power of films and storytellers to inspire change, create connection between and within communities, and create pathways to hope.
The Hope Summit 2026 Conference will welcome an inspiring mix of short and feature films each afternoon, followed by a conversation with filmmakers and local experts.
On October 1st, The Hope Summit 2026 is proud to welcome "In Our Nature," which explores how environmental education and the people who teach it can help heal some of our most pressing social, emotional, and political divides. Through stories of resilience and reconnection, the film reveals why nature belongs at the center of a meaningful education. Join a post-screening discussion with The Green Heart Project, the St. Christopher Barrier Island Environmental Education Program, and the Environmental Educators Association of South Carolina.
On October 2nd, The Hope Summit 2026 is proud to welcome a the Lowcountry premiere of "A Black Rail's Tale" by Lynn Tomlinson and J. Drew Lanham along with inspiring short films "Ghost Lands," "A Mystical Ornithology" & "An Invitation to Wonder." Wrap up The Hope Summit 2026 Conference with an inspiring conversation with champions of the Southeast's wild spaces and the creatures that call them home.
In Our Nature
Explore how environmental education and the people who teach it can help heal some of our most pressing social, emotional, and political divides. Through stories of resilience and reconnection, the film reveals why nature belongs at the center of a meaningful education.
A Black Rail's Tale
A Black Rail's Tale explores the intertwined histories of people, place, and wildlife through the quiet presence of the Black Rail—one of North America's rarest and most elusive birds. Guided by the poetic narration of writer and cultural ornithologist J. Drew Lanham, the film journeys through South Carolina's former rice plantations, revealing how landscapes engineered through the expertise and forced labor of enslaved Africans have become vital habitat for endangered wildlife.
Ghost Lands
Follow herons, finches, and snow geese through hazy marshes and moonlit forests to trace the footsteps of renowned abolitionist Harriet Tubman and explore what it means for us to physically dwell with the ghosts of America's past. Traveling along the Harriet Tubman historical byway, Ghost Lands reflects on the natural and unnatural landscapes Tubman would have encountered on the Delmarva Peninsula.
A Mystical Ornithology
Immersed in the songs of blue jays, yellow-throated warblers, and red-shouldered hawks on his forty-six-acre farm in rural South Carolina, acclaimed poet and ornithologist J. Drew Lanham exchanges calls with birds that stop over at his home during their seasonal migrations. For Drew, these creatures are gods, transcendent beings who summon a response of reverence. Reverberating with sound, music, light, and ethereal cinematic expression. A Mystical Ornithology weaves a kinetic texture for the senses and invites you into a poetic evocation of the paradox of love and grief within the changing nature of the seasons.
An Invitation to Wonder
Guided by the wisdom of his grandfather, wetland scientist Calvin DeWitt, a young filmmaker spends a summer immersed in the mysterious world of Waubesa Wetlands. Together, they uncover the life, secrets, and importance of wetlands, and in doing so reveal our relationship to all living things.
Conference
Oct 1-2
Two days of speakers, panels, workshops, working groups, impact screenings, morning coffee socials, and evening receptions.
Available in-person or virtually!
Community Fest
Oct 3
A family-friendly outdoor festival featuring tabling organizations, local businesses, and a repair fair. While you're there, check out the incredible exhibits at the Charleston Museum!
Film Fest
Oct 3
Two blocks of awe-inspiring films about the deep sea and marine mammals followed by Q&A discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.
Set your own price for the tickets!
The Hope Summit 2026 Community Festival | October 3rd
The Hope Summit Community Festival returns for its fifth year, featuring our community solutions village of dozens of local nonprofits and organizations serving local communities, a sustainable ecopreneurs market, The Hope Summit Repair Fair, and more exciting opportunities to shape the future of our community.
This is a free, family-friendly event open to the public.
THS 2026 Experiences | October 3rd | Discover the Nemours Ecopasture Initiative
Presented by the Nemours Wildlife Foundation
The Nemours Wildlife Foundation invites The Hope Summit to join a Nemours staff member for a guided tour of the Nemours Ecopasture Initiative discussed in the "Rewilding Landscapes & Seascapes" panel at The Hope Summit 2026 Conference. You might even encounter some Pineywoods cattle, the remarkable ecosystem engineers bringing megafaunal grazing back to the longleaf forest.
While this event is offered free of charge, donations are essential to advancing the mission of the Nemours Foundation: fostering conservation and human well-being in the ACE Basin through research, leadership, and education. Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and can also be left anonymously in the donation box at duPont Conservation Hall during your tour. Your support helps us maintain the property, fund student research, and offer educational programs (including these private group tours!) to the community.
If you have any general questions about The Hope Summit 2026 or would like to learn how to support The Hope Summit 2026 as a sponsor, please contact Grey Gowder at grey@carolinaoceanalliance.org.
We will share additional event details, receptions, side events, and exclusive opportunities as we get closer to the event. We hope to see you at The Hope Summit 2026!
In community,
Grey Gowder
Executive Director | Carolina Ocean Alliance
The Carolina Ocean Alliance is an environmental nonprofit based in South Carolina, dedicated to acting as a catalyst for community-driven solutions, civic ecology, and the transformative power each of us has to use our unique gifts and passions to be the change we want to see in the world.
Help support our work. Donate TODAY!
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