From The Now: http://www.thenownews.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Filmmaker+focuses+nature/6810444/story.html

Another week, another batch of awards and international recognition for 12-year old Anmore phenom Miranda Andersen.

This time the young documentary filmmaker has been named an Eco-Hero by Action for Nature, a San Francisco based non-profit that encourages young people to take action to better their environments.

And not two weeks later, Miranda was also nominated for a Me to We award for her tireless work in putting others before herself.

Both awards are fine and well for Miranda, but the real value is getting to spread the word about the environmental causes she so keenly champions on film.

“I was amazed. I think it’s great. I always like to get more recognition out to all these environmental issues that are so important and so many people don’t know about,” the deferential auteur said.

For her Eco-Hero award, Andersen received a $100 honourarium and you’ll never guess what she has it earmarked for.

“I’m going to put it into my savings to get better filming equipment. I have really low-tech stuff. It works for now but in the future, I really want to upgrade to something even better,” she said.

Miranda is in the final stages of gathering footage for her latest documentary. In it she explores the concept of “nature deficit disorder” – the notion that society is suffering as a direct result of its avoidance of and ambivalence towards nature, and how that relationship works both ways.

For the doc, she travelled to San Diego to interview Richard Louv, the man who coined the phrase.

“It’s basically talking about how kids and adults aren’t getting outdoors enough today and therefore they don’t care about it,” she said.

The message is in keeping with what Miranda has learned from Ruth Foster, a volunteer at the Mossom Creek Hatchery, as well as Miranda’s mentor and the subject of her first documentary film.

“She got me started in filmmaking, basically,” Miranda said. “She told me that if you don’t know about something, you won’t care about it and you won’t protect it.”

Miranda said if she could offer just one piece of advice to protect the environment, it would be for people, young and old, to get out into nature and start falling in love with it.

“Adults that want to protect the environment, they were always out in the environment at a young age – I’d say just getting outside. Doing small things. The small things always help. I know people always say that, but it’s true,” she said. Miranda’s yet-to-be titled documentary on nature deficit disorder should be out in August. To see her past documentaries, visit www.mirandaandersen.wordpress.com.

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