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This 360-degree, full-dome immersive film will transport spectators into a universe of original narrative and compelling multimedia content for all ages. Produced for the United Nations international year of forests, The Life of Trees is an amusing animated 3D movie for the whole family, raising awareness about the value of trees and their indispensable influence on our planet.

Children and families can enjoy an exciting Family Day offering all free activities: film screenings, hands-on crafts, multiple educational giveaways including magazines, coloring sheets, forestry career cards, and free Every Kid Outdoors passes for 4th graders so they can enjoy America’s natural wonders.

Presented as part of Forest Youth Day, Kennedy Center Youth Ambassador for the Arts and Environment Aneeshwar Kunchala will present a talk on his recent trip to the Arctic Circle to see the effects of climate change on the region’s animals and glaciers.

Presented as part of Forest Youth Day, Lindsey Rustad will explain how the US Forest Service’s Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest uses environmental sensors to turn data from the water cycle into art you can see and hear—in real time!

Presented as part of Forest Youth Day, Kas Dumroese presents a fascinating talk on how the US Forest Service partnered with NASA to send tree seeds into space on board the Artemis 1 mission this past year. Now the seeds are back and being grown into trees that will be planted across the country. 

Families will enjoy a one-of-a–kind book fair dedicated to youth and children, featuring a collection of books for sale on the environment and wellbeing in collaboration with Politics and Prose. Exciting programs include author readings, children’s storytelling by notable authors, and book signings.

Presented as part of the Environmental Book Fair, Katherine Applegate, New York Times #1 best-selling author of beloved and award-winning books for young readers, will read from her book Wishtree. A book signing will follow the reading.

Presented as part of the Environmental Book Fair, Kennedy Center Youth Ambassador for the Arts and Environment Aneeshwar Kunchala reads from his new book Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Arctic Expedition. A book signing follows the reading.

Presented as part of the Environmental Book Fair, Colleen Shogan will read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss in celebration of his birthday.

As part of the Environmental Book Fair, Colleen Shogan will read The Wish Tree by Kyo MacLear and Chris Turnham.

March 3, World Wildlife Day and the closing day of REACH to FOREST, offers families an opportunity to enjoy wildlife themed craft activities and special giveaways from our festival partner organizations.

Relax in the pop-up Youth Book Lounge throughout REACH to FOREST with books about the environment and wildlife in different languages donated by embassies in Washington, D.C. Books in accessible formats will also be available on loan, courtesy of the DC Public Library. A photo exhibit on Young Champions highlights students from Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo participating in the festival’s cultural exchanges.

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REACH to FOREST is hosting a youth international cultural exchange program in collaboration with conservation advocates African Wildlife Foundation (Democratic Republic of Congo) and literacy organization Vaga Lume (Brazil). Students from two rural Amazon communities will participate in a cultural exchange with students from Project Create in Anacostia, D.C., and St. Philip Westbrook Primary School in the United Kingdom. Students from the Madina Conservation School located in a rainforest community in the heart of the Congo Basin will be featured in an exhibit in the Youth Book Lounge.

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The Moonshot Studio at the REACH celebrates creativity and the artist in everyone through hands-on art-making. The recommended age is 5 years old and above. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays & Sundays during REACH to FOREST to explore our projects.

MOONSHOT STUDIO

When the flowers of the Mãri tree blossom, dreams arise. The words of a great shaman guide a dreamy experience through the synergy between cinema and the Yanomami dream, presenting poetics and teachings of the forest people. This documentary short by Yanomami filmmaker Morzaniel Æ—ramari has been shortlisted by the IDA Awards, a major gateway to the Oscars®. 

This 360-degree, full-dome immersive film will transport spectators into a universe of original narrative and compelling multimedia content for all ages. Northern Lights features the compositions of Roman Zavada, a self-taught Ukrainian and Québécois-born pianist, accompanying the breathtaking immersive experience of the Northern Lights captured in real time like never before.

This 360-degree, full-dome immersive film will transport spectators into a universe of original narrative and compelling multimedia content for all ages. Produced for the United Nations international year of forests, The Life of Trees is an amusing animated 3D movie for the whole family, raising awareness about the value of trees and their indispensable influence on our planet.

Africa’s Congo Basin rainforest holds more carbon than the Amazon and is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Meet Simangele Msweli and Ariel Gakunga, two young conservationists working to build an inclusive conservation movement. Through short films, photographs, and stories,  they share a vision for Africa where people, wildlife, and forests thrive. 

Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films, The Territory provides an immersive on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by farmers and illegal settlers in the Brazilian Amazon. 

Drawing on decades of work by the world’s most famous living ethologist and environmentalist, Jane Goodall - Reasons for Hope is an uplifting journey around the globe to highlight good news stories that will inspire people to make a difference in the world around them. 

A presentation of the Impossible Forest through an audiovisual installation inspired by the legend of Parsifal. The 20-minute redux edit of ATEM will be followed by a Q&A with the artist Antoine Wagner.

National Geographic brings a world premiere screening of the “Tiny Jungle Queens” episode of Queens, an epic natural history docuseries, produced by a women-led team from Wildstar Films and narrated by Angela Bassett. The series follows six powerful sisterhoods within the animal kingdom where females rule. 

Drop in to the Justice Forum between events or the Hammersmith Lounge to watch a loop of short films, documentaries, Improvs for Trees, forest photography, and more content related to the themes of REACH to FOREST.

This panel brings together artists, activists, designers, and scientists to explore the impact of nature on human wellbeing from diverse perspectives. Hosted by Therme US, a leader and innovator in urban wellbeing, the panel will discuss cutting-edge projects that are reinvigorating our relationship to the natural world—from experiments in biophilic design, community-led forest bathing, and radical art installations that “rewild” our built environment. Panelists include Anjan Chatterjee, Precious Okoyomon, Sara Zewde, Robert Hammond, and Ana Ka’ahanui.

This panel explores the role of nature in urban life and the intersection of architecture and community engagement. Panelists will discuss the impact of green infrastructure design on the wellbeing and health of communities. Panelists include Craig Dykers, Brenda Richardson, Benita Hussain, and Irfana Jetha Noorani.

REACH to FOREST’s Tree Talks, curated by author Marie Arana, celebrate literary giants that illuminate the beauty and wonder of the forest. Engage in thought provoking dialogue between literary and environmental experts in this discussion of the ancient medicinal wisdom of the forest. Book signings follow the event in partnership with Politics and Prose.

REACH to FOREST’s Tree Talks, curated by author Marie Arana, celebrate literary giants that illuminate the beauty and wonder of the forest. Two great American novelists, Barbara Kingsolver and Richard Powers, discuss their passion for trees. 

REACH to FOREST’s Tree Talks, curated by author Marie Arana, celebrate literary giants that illuminate the beauty and wonder of the forest. Engage in thought provoking dialogue between literary and environmental experts exploring advances in technology that have helped us understand forests. A book signing follows the event in partnership with Politics and Prose.

Quebec-based Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur presents the U.S. premiere of Acupunk, told through giant puppets. Éria and Terrenis, towering at 18 feet tall, will activate the REACH Plaza in a poetic fable about healing the Earth.

Through stunning photos and personal insights, conservation photographer and big tree hunter TJ Watt discusses his work on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, to explore and document ancient temperate rainforests in an effort to see them saved. Learn about the incredible old-growth ecosystems found in BC, why they’re endangered, and how TJ tracks down some of the biggest trees on the planet and captures them with his camera.

Following his film and discussion, join TJ Watt’s “Tree Hunter Party” at the REACH for Tree Hunter encounters with special guest forest ecologist and conservationist Andy MacKinnon, projections of incredible ancient trees from around the world, music, and a cash bar with themed drinks!

Visitors can appreciate live outdoor wood carving demonstrations by Colin Vale (“Carving Colin”), an artist from Maryland who transforms wood into large-scale sculptures using a variety of tools, from chainsaws and flamethrowers, to angle grinders and chisels. 

Representing birds from tropical Brazil, dancers will move through the crowd in colorful costumes created by acclaimed Brazilian designer Rosa Magalhães. 

In collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden, international instrumentalists improvised 60-second works inspired by endangered tree species from six continents. The new music is paired with tree imagery and facts, and will be projected onto Kennedy Center screens. In conjunction with Improvs for Trees, young native trees will be on display to be planted by Casey Trees in a low canopy region of Washington, D.C., after the festival.

Poetry will be in motion around the city during REACH to FOREST with Moving Poems, an initiative that will feature tree-themed works by acclaimed poets on Kennedy Center shuttle buses, including Rita Dove, Ross Gay, Joy Harjo, Juan Felipe Herrera, Aneeshwar Kunchala, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Jacqueline Suskin. Inside the shuttles, forest themed poems by students will be showcased in collaboration with the Kennedy Center’s Turnaround Arts national education program and their Poem Forest project.

Discover fascinating facts about the world’s forests provided by World Wildlife Fund, as well as inspiring thoughts from philosophers, poets, and authors, in this installation of leaves fluttering down the glass railing across from the Skylight Pavilion.

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Carving wooden benches is a longstanding artistic practice among Indigenous peoples in Brazil. In its U.S. premiere, this exhibition features over 70 animal-inspired benches crafted by peoples from 41 ethnic groups across the Brazilian Amazon Forest region. Patrons may also enjoy photographs of the process and live carving demonstrations.

Cuban artist Roberto Fabelo’s paintings, sculpture, illustrations, and drawings have been exhibited worldwide. Fabelo’s work urges viewers to wake up from the nightmares man has created. His commissioned work for the festival features three large portraits inspired by Botticelli’s painting Primavera (Spring).

In Cuban visual artist Celia Ledón’s hands, discarded videotapes, pop-top rings, plastic bags, and rubber tires are given new life as dramatic wearable art. Celia’s show-stopping works have been featured at the Kennedy Center’s Artes de Cuba and RiverRun festivals. For REACH to FOREST, she has created THE-FORESTATION, a towering baobab tree of cardboard and other recycled materials, in collaboration with the GW Innovation Center, George Washington University.

One of the greatest expressions of graffiti in the North region of Brazil, Raiz Campos’s work transforms the Amazon’s flora, fauna, and native peoples’ lives into impactful murals and paintings. For REACH to FOREST, he has created a colorful mural of the animals flourishing in the Amazon.

Enter Edwin Fontánez’s luminous winter fairytale inhabited by the magical creatures hidden among the graceful bodies of a frozen forest. Defined by the tenuous beams of light that filter through the icy branches of the birch trees, visitors will discover the intricate patterns of delicate paper cutouts that portray the tranquil and enchanted atmosphere of a fantastical winter wonderland.

For REACH to FOREST, FABELOHUNG has created The Forest of Kali, the latest piece in his “Kali Yuga” series, which includes videos, sculptures, robotics, and works such as this one using the Midjourney AI program. In Hinduism, Kali Yuga is the fourth and worst age in the current world cycle—often referred to as the dark age.

Byeongdoo Moon is a Korean sculptor who bends and welds stainless steel wire to express the symbiosis between humans and nature. His sculpture I have been dreaming to be a tree creates a surreal hybrid of deer and forest.

As the globally acclaimed ethologist, conservationist, and UN Messenger of Peace approaches her 90th birthday, the Kennedy Center pays tribute to the remarkable life of Dr. Jane Goodall with an exhibit featuring world class photography, video experiences, and stories of successful efforts to regenerate forests worldwide.

Drawing on decades of work by the world’s most famous living ethologist and environmentalist, Jane Goodall - Reasons for Hope is an uplifting journey around the globe to highlight good news stories that will inspire people to make a difference in the world around them. 

Carving wooden benches is a longstanding artistic practice among Indigenous peoples in Brazil. In its U.S. premiere, this exhibition features over 70 animal-inspired benches crafted by peoples from 41 ethnic groups across the Brazilian Amazon Forest region. Patrons may also enjoy photographs of the process and live carving demonstrations.

One of the greatest expressions of graffiti in the North region of Brazil, Raiz Campos’s work transforms the Amazon’s flora, fauna, and native peoples’ lives into impactful murals and paintings. For REACH to FOREST, he has created a colorful mural of the animals flourishing in the Amazon.

Representing birds from tropical Brazil, dancers will move through the crowd in colorful costumes created by acclaimed Brazilian designer Rosa Magalhães. 

When the flowers of the Mãri tree blossom, dreams arise. The words of a great shaman guide a dreamy experience through the synergy between cinema and the Yanomami dream, presenting poetics and teachings of the forest people. This documentary short by Yanomami filmmaker Morzaniel Æ—ramari has been shortlisted by the IDA Awards, a major gateway to the Oscars®. 

Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films, The Territory provides an immersive on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by farmers and illegal settlers in the Brazilian Amazon. 

Join a presentation by Dr. Meg Symington, one of WWF’s leading Amazon experts. Meg will discuss her storied career, the Amazon’s future, and why protecting it is imperative for the health of people, nature, and our climate.

In collaboration with the Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C. and Instituto Guimarães Rosa, REACH to FOREST presents an exclusive culinary experience that will take you on a journey through the tastes of the Amazon curated by award winning Brazilian Chef Felipe Schaedler.

Experience tastes of the Amazon through special menus and culinary events during REACH to FOREST.

REACH to FOREST explores the symbiotic relationship between forests and the human world with two weeks of free programs, films, art installations, conversations, and more.

This two-week event explores the intersections of art, science, and the environment, and adopts a global perspective on environmental issues.

Covering over 30 percent of Earth’s land area, forests have nourished humans for millennia. Explore the dynamic and controversial relationships forged between humans and forests and the ongoing challenges that still remain.