UGA scientists Pam Knox, Tom Mote and Tish Yager speak on a climate change panel. Photo via Facebook.

After the EcoFocus Film Festival wound down Sunday, founder Sara Beresford announced she is stepping down. From an email to supporters:

EcoFocus is the most exciting and gratifying work that I’ve ever done.  I am proud of our community for wholeheartedly supporting the project, whether as a sponsors, partners, cheerleaders, or audience members. It is a truly amazing thing to watch our audiences converge and grow around the festival and the themes that run through the featured films. The energy around this year’s festival was inspiring and exciting, and helps me to know that EcoFocus – in whatever form it takes – is an important part of our community. Keep your eyes peeled for developments with the festival, one-off screenings, and other opportunities to support the festival.

After seven years of working at the helm of EcoFocus, I will be stepping down from my position at the end of April. I will work with the UGA Odum School of Ecology – who initiated the project in 2007 – in the coming months to help them determine the next steps for the festival. The strength of any institution or project lies in its ability to weather transition, and I will do my best to help EcoFocus into its next phase.

Along with wildlife photographers Hugh and Carol Nourse, EcoFocus won the 2014 Alec Little Environmental Award, which will be presented at the GreenFest today.