“JOJO” celebrates a creative and musical portrait of JoJo Nyaribo, a young nature lover and wildlife advocate, as he explores the meaning of biodiversity and stewardship in his own backyard.

This story weaves Jojo’s love for the natural world with his journey in learning about and fighting against a specific fungus that has been wiping out a staggering number of amphibians around the globe. Jojo will explore his role in preventing the spread of this fungus through small actionable tasks such as cleaning his own running and hiking shoes and educating his friends and family.

This young adventurer is constantly on a path of discovering who he wants to be in the world through the lens of being kind to himself and the environment around him. Using Jojo’s uniquely creative voice and experiences, this film hopes to share an inspiring perspective on the natural world and how a larger impact can be made through small actions and sharing joy. JoJo aims to encourage outdoor user groups to look at the positive opportunities they have in caring for biodiversity in the environments they’re connecting to.

The themes of this film also explore the bridge between urban environments and surrounding natural spaces- showing how access and observation can be a catalyst for building intrinsic value and stewardship for outdoor environments and their inhabitants. The overall message of this film is to touch on the many benefits of spending time in nature and what access looks like for everyone.

Winner – Short Short Category Award.