What: 17th Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
Where: 52 venues citywide
When: Today, March 11—Sunday, March 22
Why: This month, a New York Times op-ed writer expressed concern about Mother Nature and Father Greed hitting the wall, a luxury hotel brand is joining one billion globally in shutting off their lights for a full hour, and Disney will release its version of Planet Earth (to be called Earth). And with a spirit of “Yes We Can,” more then 24,000 filmmakers are proving why everyone should prick their ears to the serious issue of climate change.
Al Gore will not greet you with a green star sticker when you arrive, but you will find a higher calling following movies like “The State of the Planet’s Ocean” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Peter O’Brien, executive director of the festival, told offManhattan he hopes the audiences will “Learn something, enjoy the experience, and be encouraged to take positive action to address the major challenges facing the environment today.”
After two and a half years at EFF, the Harvard-educated O’Brien—who uses public transportation as much as possible and shuns plastic to avoid causing potential harm to aquatic life—culled 101 international organizations to present 141 films on a vast array of subjects. In addition to the two films above, he recommends “Cuttlefish: The Brainy Bunch,” about a mysterious shape and color-shifting deep sea creature and “Marina of the Zabaleen,” which explores a community of garbage recyclers in Cairo. Go Planet!
Cost: Many shows are free, but check the schedule on the website below for details on each documentary, feature, experimental, and animated film.
Photo: Courtesy of EFF
How to get there: Amtrak has a number of lines that will get you to Washington, D.C.’s Union Square station from New York Penn Station in about three hours. Check amtrak.com for a list of schedules and fares. Once there, D.C.’s Metro will get you to all Environmental Film Festival events.
(Environmental Film Festival, 202.342.2564, dcenvironmentalfilmfestival.org)
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram