Thanks to readers, National Observer has now raised 94 per cent of its $60,000 goal on Kickstarter for one year of in-depth reporting on climate.
If we reach our goal, that means more urgent news stories on:
- Climate crisis
- Clean energy solutions
- Government policy
- Changes within the oil and gas industry
- Communities on the front lines of climate change
Now, as the campaign enters its final week, Reports from the Race Against Climate Change must hit that target by April 20. Because Kickstarter is all or nothing, we won't get any of the funds for reporting if we're not successful.
Since Vancouver Observer launched its ambitious, Canada-wide news site, National Observer has broken major stories and has already been nominated as a finalist in three categories for the Canadian Association of Journalists' 2015 annual awards.
National Observer made waves with stories including "Is Harper the worst Prime Minister in history?", "Redacted diary reveals oil's hidden route to Harper" (the Duffy diary series), Mike De Souza's five-part investigation on the National Energy Board, "Emails reveal pattern of regulator's off-record meetings with industry."
In addition to breaking news, National Observer also published important opinion and analysis pieces, including "The truth you still don't know about reconciliation" and "Solar industry says 70,000 jobs knocking on Alberta's door."
Please empower National Observer to do more of in-depth climate reporting in the upcoming year. See the list of rewards you can get form pledging this week:
Rewards
SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY ($15): Learn how to optimize your online presence in a one-on-one webinar with National Observer’s social media director. Valentina is a master of all things Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and with a little of her help, you could be too!
WILDLIFE FOR YOUR WALL ($40 + shipping): Pocket a stunning 8’’ by 10’’ print of the rare and elusive Spirit Bear, snapped in the heart of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest by one of our favourite budding photographers, Sophie Wright. The Spirit Bear is found nowhere else in the world, and is the result of a curious genetic variation of the black bear.
POLITICAL PRINT ($40 + shipping): Immortalize Justin Trudeau’s infamous boxing match on an 8 x 10 poster in your living room with this Liberal red sketch of the new prime minister by renowned New Jersey artist Victor Juhasz.
CLIMATE MAN MUG ($50 + shipping): Make your cubicle colleagues jealous as you drink your morning coffee in a caricatured Climate Man coffee cup, featuring an original design by renowned New Jersey artist Victor Juhasz. Climate Man, torn between two starkly contrasting climate realities, was created for National Observer in 2016 for the Race Against Climate Change campaign.
GROOVY GARB ($65 + shipping): Fashion means action in this unique Climate Man t-shirt that forces you to choose between the light side and the dark side of climate change action. The original design by Victor Juhasz is a National Observer exclusive. Sizes available from small to XL.
Climate Man t-shirts in all sizes are available as prizes in National Observer's Race Against Climate Change Kickstarter campaign.
Consultation
EXPERT CONSULTING ($500): Improve your writing, conduct a special investigation, or embark on your own entrepreneurial journalism journey with a one-hour professional training session from the National Observer’s seasoned reporting team. Available field veterans include Linda Solomon Wood, Jenny Uechi, and Mike De Souza, but other writers may available by request on the consulting issue of your choice. Sessions to be conducted by phone or Skype in a limited time offer by National Observer.
The National Observer team is available for consultation as part of the Race Against Climate Change Kickstarter campaign.
National Observer's grand prizes
CREATIVE EXPOSURE ($3,500): National Observer’s skilled reporters will write an article of your choice on their stunning audio-visual storytelling platform. Feature yourself, your business, your friends, your community group or any cause that compels you, and we’ll put our best writers to task. Think of it as the works on a hamburger, but for storytelling instead: video, photos, links, and logos. Our talent, your idea. Reward valued between $5,000 and $8,000, offered a major discount for a limited time only on this Kickstarter campaign ONLY!
Screenshot from a multimedia story on National Observer, including video
A TRIP TO THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST ($8,000) : Watch the video at the bottom of the page for a preview of what you will experience on this incredible trip! Cruise through British Columbia’s miraculous Great Bear Rainforest. See rare wildlife including whales, grizzlies, Spirit Bears, and sea wolves, and meet the Indigenous stewards of the land who have lived there since time immemorial.
Prepare for dazzling sunny days and rain-drenched mornings as you witness the brutal, inspiring journey of salmon upstream.Your reward will cover all costs once on board The Island Roamer, a luxury sailboat that will take you into a wilderness so breathtaking it will change the way you see the world. Passengers will be part of a group of 13, and must cover their own trip to Bella Bella, B.C. where National Observer will be waiting.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but if you are unable to attend in person (trip date from Aug. 20 - Sept. 5, 2016), consider sending one of our reporters or filmmakers with your reward instead. They will produce in-depth, multimedia journalism from the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, a place like nowhere else on Earth.