On Sunday, March 1, the Augustana Sierra Club and hundreds of Quad City locals gathered on St. Ambrose’s campus for the annual Quad Cities Environmental Film Series (QCEFS). Partnered with the Eagle View Sierra Club, Augie’s campus branch hosted the documentary “Reef Builders,” a 2025 release showcasing coastal communities’ fight to protect their coral reef systems through new and creative inventions.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, half of the world’s coral has been lost since 1950. Not only is this detrimental to the many flora and fauna that rely on delicate reef systems, but also to the indigenous and coastal communities that depend on the billions of dollars that come from fishing and reef tourism.
Stephen Shearman, the director of “Reef Builders,” flew in from Bristol, England, for a Q&A and later had an exclusive dinner with the Augustana Sierra Club. He said the most important part of making the film for him was giving voice to Traditional Owners of the reef systems, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have continually stewarded Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
“International filmmakers like myself, we’re engaged actively in how we can transfer our knowledge and technology into indigenous groups to showcase their fight and their struggle,” Shearman said. “The most important people on this planet are the guardians of our environment.”
Coral reefs may feel distant from Midwestern farmlands, but restoring the environment is imperative for survival everywhere. Though not scuba diving to conserve local ecosystems, Quad Cities environmentalists gain inspiration by learning about international success stories.
Sophomore Annika Sevig, special events chair of the Augie Sierra Club, said the film was important for the way it brought local environmental organizations together.
“It gives us a chance to see what’s happening around the Quad Cities as far as environmental organizing,” Sevig said. “Sometimes it can feel like, ‘Okay, we’re watching a movie, but what’s that actually doing for the environment?’ But I think that one of the biggest things we can do is stay connected to each other.”
That connection was evident in the lobby outside the auditorium, where Augustana students who participated in the 2026 J-Term trip to Bonaire’s coral reefs discussed their research with attendees. The Augie Sierra Club and Eagle View Sierra Club tabled at the event, meeting with a multi-generational crowd all united by their love of the environment.
Emerson Lehman, senior and president of the Augie Sierra Club, said community is important in the face of an often depressing environmental situation.
“It’s hard to be an environmental studies student,” Lehman said. “Some days I come home from class, and I’m like, ‘Wow. What’s the point?’ But through my peers and the people I look up to in community organizations, I’m able to find hope through their hope.”
The fight to preserve dying ecosystems worldwide is nowhere near over. But through education, community connections and shared hope for the future, QCEFS attendees were inspired to carry the movement forward.
According to Sevig, although college students are often temporary residents of their environments, we still have the responsibility and power to care for our surroundings.
“We see these communities around the world that often have less resources than we do … coming together because they love their local environment,” Sevig said. “We also have the power to come up with unique and unconventional solutions. Nobody’s gonna do it for us.”
Augustana Sierra Club meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Lindberg 204. More information can be found on their Instagram @augie.sierraclub.
