Mission
Possible

Trish is founding director of Cinema Verde, an environmental film and arts festival held in Gainesville, Florida, since 2010. She has been dedicated to helping the world understand environmental issues and sustainable solutions since childhood, when she had the good fortune to grow up playing in the forest, then watching it torn down to make way for houses and pavement.

Trish is a national award-winning investigative and environmental journalist and author, with work published in major newspapers and national and international magazines. Her books include The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Greening Your Business (with Heather Gadonniex, Penguin 2009); The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living (2007); Palm Beach, Miami, and The Florida Keys: A Great Destination (Norton 2009); and The Explorer’s Guide to South Florida (with Sandra Friend, Norton 2009).

She is a past board member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and an honorary member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

She is the founder of GoGreenNation.org, a website designed to promote green jobs, resources, and businesses; and GoGreenGift.com, an eco-starter kit. She also founded Green Drinks Gainesville, a local chapter of an international networking group open to anyone interested in sustainability issues.  

Nicole Zaldivar is a senior at the University of Florida studying Sustainability and International Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. She is currently working as a social media intern to help promote awareness of Cinema Verde to the public. Cinema Verde has allowed Nicole to showcase her skills as well as develop new ones. Nicole's interest in environmental education and ensuring that everyone can have access to it is what led her to Cinema Verde. In her free time she enjoys cooking, crocheting, and taking walks outside.

Christine Heinrichs writes from her home on California’s Central Coast. She keeps a backyard flock of about a dozen hens. She follows coastal issues, writing a regular column on the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery for the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Her narrative on the Central Coast condor flock will appear in Ten Spurs 2021 edition.

Her book, How to Raise Chickens, was first published in 2007, just as the local food movement was starting to focus attention on the industrial food system. Backyard chickens became the mascot of local food. The third edition of How to Raise Chickens was published in January 2019. The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens was published in 2016. Look for them in Tractor Supply stores and online.

She has a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Oregon and belongs to several professional journalism and poultry organizations.

Hi, I'm Mica and I am a third-year Public Relations major at The University of Florida. My work at Cinema Verde focuses on strengthening community engagement as well as spreading the word about our efforts. We work to build a network of creative expression that emphasizes the vitality of our environment and ways to nurture it.

I am currently a senior at the University of Florida with a major in English, and a minor in Agricultural and Resource Management. At Cinema Verde I offer my skills as a technical communicator by either creating written content, or editing content created by colleagues. I plan to refine my skills as a technical communicator while I'm at Cinema Verde so that I can pursue a career working with environmental organizations.

Thompson Draper is a fourth-year architectural design major at the University of Florida and the Graphic & Web Design Intern at Cinema Verde. His tasks require developing a brand image for the annual festival and creating designs for developing the usability and overall appeal of the website. He has had a great interest in the environment all his life, and even pursued a minor in Sustainability & the Built Environment. He hopes to take the many skills he has developed while working at Cinema Verde, from technical to interpersonal, in order to develop himself further for a career in UX design.

Lauren Wright is a fourth year Sustainability Studies major at the University of Florida. Currently, she is a general intern for Cinema Verde. Her interest in environmental management and sustainable development led her to Cinema Verde, and she is particularly interested in the idea of spreading environmental awareness through film. She is excited to connect Cinema Verde with like-minded student organizations on campus and assist with the preparation and coordination of Cinema Verde's upcoming events!

Ruth-Ann Creary is a senior majoring in Sustainability Studies at the University of Florida. Growing up in Jamaica played a crucial role in fostering her interest in environmental issues and impacts from an early age. Ruth-Ann has various experience in event coordinating, social media marketing and photo/video editing. She wishes to continue to expand her knowledge and experience within Cinema Verde as she takes on these different tasks as an interning member of this organization.

Marielle Todd is a sophomore at the University of Florida studying Business Administration and specializing in English. She is currently a business intern with Cinema Verde and is enthusiastic about promoting ethical and environmentally friendly business practices that make a difference. At Cinema Verde, she combines her business, marketing, and written communication skills to increase awareness and use art as a pathway for learning about safe and sustainable environmental practices for anyone and everyone interested. Outside of Cinema Verde, she is a creative person who appreciates all forms of the arts, spends time in nature, and loves to read.

Hi, my name is Alexandra Miller and I am a first-year accounting student at The University of Florida. I am from West Palm Beach, Florida, and in my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, working out, and hanging out with my friends. I am currently involved in my sorority, and I just wrapped up serving as an Emerging Leader for Dance Marathon and Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program as a mentee this school year. I currently work in the UF Department of Religion as a student assistant, and this past summer I interned for Renew Family Wealth under one of their two owners. During my time working there, I had the opportunity to learn some of the back-office tasks for a financial firm. This experience pushed me toward pursuing an education in the business field. During my time at the University of Florida, I have gained valuable insight into professional development, proficiency in Arduino and Fusion 360 technologies, and have been able to develop my professional writing skills. In the future, I hope to continue my school involvement, and professional development by pursuing more internship opportunities, sorority involvement, and on-campus clubs. As an intern for Cinema Verde this summer I plan to learn more hands-on skills and get a taste of what it is like working as a professional. I am excited for all that Cinema Verde has to offer!

Lori Herrala is a field to vase Farmer/Florist, Master Gardener, Herbalist and Sustainability Intern for the Cinema Verde Organization.

Thomas Berning is our Technical Director and Webmaster. When he is not maintaining our film archive and website, he enjoys exploring the mountains near his Denver, Colorado home. His favorite thing about working with Cinema Verde is the passion and dedication of the team behind the scenes. Thomas is also the Head of Audio for Opera Colorado, an abstract video artist, and a connoisseur of Indian food.