Born
in West Virginia and brought up in the swamps of Central Florida, Randy Hayes
had an early interest in both saving the environment and in making films. His
activism first gained notice when, as a student film-maker, his "The Four Corners,
A National Sacrifice Area" won the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
award for best student documentary in 1983. Because he worked closely with Native
American tribes on this film, he learned from them about the plight of native
peoples living in the tropical rainforests. This led to his campaign to save the
rainforests and to the founding of the Rainforest Action Network. He now serves
the organization as President and continues his fight for the rights of indigenous
peoples as well as for saving the world's rainforests and replacing fossil fuel
with alternative sources of energy. He was recently appointed by Oakland, California's
Mayor Jerry Brown as that city's Director of Sustainability.
Bio
© Larry Auld