thewaterinstitute.org 41 HEADLINE #WATERHEROES WATER HEROES EarthEcho's central philosophy: "Action leads to awareness." Photos Courtesy: EarthEcho International Q. What lessons have you learned from both your grandfather and father to fuel the work you do today? Philippe: One very important lesson is that tenacity is a virtue. Most people read the glorious headlines and saw all the accomplishments of my grandfather; all the films, and the success stories, and all his other projects. What you don't hear about are the struggles; how difficult it was to raise money for a nonprofit to do films and to do all the hard work that went into them. There were constant challenges he had to overcome, but he made it look easy. Growing up with those stories, I recognized early on that you can’t give up when things get difficult. Just a few years ago, the financial crisis took the rug out from under everyone. Yet, nonprofits didn't get a bailout, even though the nonprofit industry [in the U.S] is the backbone of our society and employs more people than financial services and auto industries combined. It was a difficult time. When the economy suffers, charity suffers. Overcoming those types of challenges – many of which you have no control over, but threaten everything you've built – are a key to success. Q. How do you think your television shows and outreach in the media have affected your conservation efforts and helped further your mission? Philippe: In the media space, we have an opportunity to continue to be outside and involved in fieldwork. As an advocate for sustainability and the environment, it's really important to get out and into the thick of it. You can't be an armchair conservationist. To speak to an issue and be passionate about it, you have to see it, touch it, and feel it, in person. The filmmaking and other related work allows me to do that, while also providing the added benefit of providing a platform to share those stories and experiences with millions. We have many different shows and programs and they're all designed to inspire people, to engage them, and to keep them asking questions about the world around them. To honor this legacy and that’s when EarthEcho was born. Without a youth strategy, I don't think the environmental movement has a strategy.