The Pillar Arts Alliance Center hosted “Saving the Hoosier: The Concert" on Sunday, which included performances by local musicians Sarah Flint and the duo Jeff Shew and Steve Houk. The concert was part of an effort to raise awareness and funds for a new documentary film about logging, burning and other forest management techniques impacting the Hoosier National Forest.
Around 50 people attended the event. Brought together to support the Hoosier National Forest, guests mingled, ate food and browsed the artwork in the room in anticipation of the musicians’ performances.
Flint, a long-time local musician, opened the musical part of the event. She sang a set of around five acoustic folk songs, most of which related to the theme of nature. Her soft voice complemented her acoustic guitar as she sang “Trees” by Jesse Welles.
Shew and Houk, also local musicians, followed Flint’s performance. Shew was on bass and vocals while Houk played the acoustic guitar and sang backup. The duo played some of Shew’s original music, including “Down To The Valley” and “With Every Breath.”
Closing off the musical portion of the night was Rachael Himsel, co-director and executive producer of the film, who led the audience in a sing-along of the Indiana state song “On the Banks of the Wabash” by Paul Dresser. Himsel said this song will be included in the final edit of the film.
After the musicians completed their sets, audience members saw a 20-minute preview of the documentary, titled ““Saving the Hoosier: The Fight for America’s Forests.” The film's sneak peek included interviews from various advocates and other experts on issues facing the Hoosier National Forest.
Throughout the film, Himsel met with people involved in the Hoosier National Forest preservation movement. The movement involves combating prescribed burning and logging projects like the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project and the Houston South Project, which the U.S. Forest Service hopes will treat vegetation and improve forest health through logging and prescribed burns.
Organizations like the Indiana Forest Alliance have opposed these projects because of the effects of logging and burning. The Houston South Project, which has been temporarily paused, worries because of the potential increased risk of sediment runoff into a creek feeding Lake Monroe, which could affect Bloomington's drinking water.
“There are projects that are detrimental to public health, to wildlife, to the forest environment and to the future and climate that the majority of folks aren’t aware of,” Steven Stewart, who was an advisor on the film, said.
As a leader of the Hoosier National Forest preservation movement, Stewart was featured in the documentary. To him, one of the main goals of Sunday’s concert was to spread awareness since many people don’t know the issues plaguing local forests and the effects the projects could have on the residents.
Though she had never made a documentary before, Himsel said she thought there needed to be one about those projects after meeting Andy Mahler, a prominent Hoosier National Forest activist. She felt inspired by Mahler’s passion for the forest and asked her friend, Indianapolis filmmaker David Yosha, to co-create it with her.
She decided to include music as part of Sunday's event for a few reasons, one being that music is a large part of the film. Indiana native artist John Mellencamp’s music is featured in the documentary, and his son Hud Mellencamp narrates the film.
“Music helps deliver the message in a way that’s memorable and leaves you kind of walking away humming the song or remembering the words,” Himsel said.
Audience member Natalie Ebertz was glad to have time to think about the environment. She said these issues can sometimes get lost in the noise of other stuff going on, but events like “Saving the Hoosier: The Concert” help give people time to really think about these issues.
“Music is something that we share, you know, it is by its very nature something that we share together, and I think the natural environments that we’re trying to protect here today are very much so the same,” Ebertz said. “They are, you know, those spaces that we get to enjoy together so I think those two things mesh really nicely.”
From the musicians who opened the concert to those involved in the film to even the audience members that attended Sunday, the event included many people passionate about saving the forest. Himsel said the people she most wants to get involved though, are younger people and students. She thinks the movement could gain a lot from younger participants' skills and ideas.
To learn more about the upcoming documentary visit the documentary’s website. Himsel also encourages people to learn more about the movement and projects happening within the Hoosiers National Forest as a whole.
“I think we just need more young energy, and I’m really grateful for everyone who’s here, but like, you know, we definitely need more youth and your talents,” Himsel said.
