Pioneering digital network empowers members to
take direct action to support NGOs
WaterBear Network Launch Video
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WaterBear Network, a new free, interactive
video-on-demand platform dedicated to supporting life on earth, has today launched to a
global audience of viewers who want to turn intention into action.
Prince Harry, The Duke of
Sussex was joined by WaterBear leaders Actress/Activist Lily Cole, Actress and
environmental activist Maisie Williams and Mya-Rose Craig (AKA Birdgirl - pictured right) in celebrating the
launch of the platform. | |
WaterBear’s brand ambassadors have a combined reach of 25 million and will take an active
role in creating content with the production team and be interviewed on WaterBear’s
original interview series: The Bear Hug in 2021.
Now live in eight countries around the world; the Netherlands, US, Canada, UK, Ireland,
South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand; WaterBear is an innovative digital platform and
mobile app with the goal of fundamentally changing the way people look at our world, love,
care and engage with it. Encouraging its audience to engage with a world of constructive
change based on three pillars: watch, join, take action.
Showcasing award-winning documentaries, inspirational original content and live streaming,
WaterBear collectively facilitates awareness, education and action. With original content and
curated documentaries inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), WaterBear members will now be able to stream hours of video at any time, and on
any device - all for free.
The network democratises the journey from inspiration to education, connection and
participation in making a difference. Its pioneering interactive technology enables viewers to
watch content, while donating to WaterBear NGO partners, getting involved with the
projects behind the featured films through advocacy or volunteering, or by booking
sustainable travel. Throughout 2021 TVOD, PPV, Live, sustainable e-commerce and more Take
Action features will be rolled out.
WaterBear is working with incredible storytellers including filmmaker, activist and influencer Jack Harries (pictured right) ; producer, director and writer Tom Mustill; environmental journalist and The
One Show’s Lucy Siegel and Emmy Award winner Nicolas Brown among many others.
Addressing issues such as biodiversity, climate action, circularity and community. |
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The interactive network aims to re-imagine corporate responsibility - creating a unique
ecosystem for impact.
From storytelling to innovative technology, content creation and
global partnerships it will help brands to fulfil their own SDG objectives and ultimately
contribute to a brighter future for all. |
The interactive network aims to re-imagine corporate responsibility - creating a unique
ecosystem for impact. From storytelling to innovative technology, content creation and
global partnerships it will help brands to fulfil their own SDG objectives and ultimately
contribute to a brighter future for all.
Entirely independent, Resilient Foundation works in partnership with WaterBear to help
fund, produce and distribute high quality, data-driven and inspirational content in
partnership with its growing network of NGOs. WaterBear and Resilient’s unique vision -
backed by the might and experience of Off the Fence, ZDF-E and more - is to bring together
three things: great storytelling; a global network of purpose-driven organisations; and
technology that facilitates impact and action.
WaterBear has acquired and produced a vast collection of high calibre content, setting the
bar for how innovative storytelling can create awareness, motivate people and inspire action.
The first WaterBear Original - Africa’s Hidden Seaforest (Swati Thiyagarajan pictured above) - a short film about facing our fears,
mental health and natures’ healing powers, as well as carbon sequestration below the
ocean is amongst a selection of original productions that will be available for global viewing
after today’s launch.
Anthropocene is a cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive
reengineering of the planet, licensed to WaterBear by their partners ZDF Enterprises. With
The Bear Hug, WaterBear will dip into interviews with impact, hosted by WaterBear’s Head of
Strategy, Sam Sutaria.
The launch of this platform is now even more relevant as the world deals with the impacts of
the coronavirus, which continues to set back many environmental and human rights
initiatives. In these unprecedented times, people around the world are increasingly
demanding change and the crisis presents an opportunity to build back a better world.
Lily Cole, WaterBear Leader said: “Story-telling has an absolutely critical role to play in
helping guide and inspire us to address our collective environmental crises - so I was
delighted to learn about WaterBear, and their dedication to creating and sharing powerful
stories that will inspire, educate and connect us to the threats and opportunities facing our
natural world. We need stories like this now more than ever.”
| Maisie Williams, WaterBear Leader said: "I’m so excited to be a WaterBear Leader. This
truly groundbreaking platform gives us the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with
important, educational content focusing on the sustainability of our planet, empowering us
to question the status quo and consider how we can contribute to permanent, effective
change.The power to save our planet is in all of our hands, and WaterBear is handing us the
tools. I am excited to be joining them on this journey to make further change by raising
awareness for issues us and future generations face.” |
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Maisie Williams, WaterBear Leader said: "I’m so excited to be a WaterBear Leader. This
truly groundbreaking platform gives us the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with
important, educational content focusing on the sustainability of our planet, empowering us
to question the status quo and consider how we can contribute to permanent, effective
change.The power to save our planet is in all of our hands, and WaterBear is handing us the
tools. I am excited to be joining them on this journey to make further change by raising
awareness for issues us and future generations face.”
Dr Mya-Rose Craig said, “ I' m very excited to join WaterBear as an ambassador. Being able
to take immediate action after watching and engaging with content is exactly what the
world needs right now and I couldn't be more excited to join a team striving to make a real
difference.”
Jack Harries, environmentalist and activist said, “ Storytelling is the most powerful tool we
have in our fight to tackle climate change and create a fairer, greener planet for all. As a
filmmaker I have always looked for a platform that is dedicated solely to telling these stories.
WaterBear represents a new type of media company, one that is dedicated to inspiring the
next generation to find tangible sol utions to some of the most pressing issues of our time.”
Ellen Windemuth, CEO, WaterBear Network said : “Nothing matters more to me than
training a young generation of talented storytellers to create more inspiration and
excitement around those values that will give our children a better future. The best way to
focus this network is on the UN SDGs – seventeen key values which already more than 193
countries have committed to together.
Victor Eckard, Managing Director, WaterBear Network said: “WaterBear represents the
collective vision of millions of people around the world that believe there is hope and that
the future is full of opportunities to make the world a better place. At WaterBear we believe
in collaboration, local and global partnerships, and using the power of inspirational
storytelling, networking and technology to reach and inspire as many people around the
world as possible to act (in a small or big way) to make a positive difference to the world we
live in.”
The WaterBear Network is designed to galvanize the hard and dedicated work being done
in the field by our world’s most effective NGOs - with top quality storytelling expertise from
the documentary world. With this, we can share our impact universe with a global audience
and engage each viewer with the cause they feel most passionately about.”
Sam Sutaria, Head of Strategy, WaterBear Network said : “This is the start of decades of
action, and we firmly believe WaterBear can play a central role in the global fight for a
sustainable future. We also believe in the power of good business, and its role to play as we
face the challenges ahead. WaterBear is no exception. We are busy building and driving a
sustainable business model that is uniquely designed to support a growing network of
frontline champions and organizations.”
Andrea Walji, Head of Content and Production said “At WaterBear, we will always keep
impactful storytelling at the heart of all we do. We are delighted to welcome on board such
high quality content creators: talented directors, producers, personalities, celebrities,
influencers, scientists, journalists, and of course our valued NGO partners. And we are always
looking to expand and build on our network of global filmmakers to keep adding content to
the slate.”
Lisa Rose, Head of Impact, WaterBear Network said : “We are stubborn optimists at
WaterBear - we’re focused on solutions and the simple, positive steps everyone can take to
support them. We believe both systemic change and behaviour change are possible and
essential on a massive scale and we are facilitating both types of change on WaterBear.”
Download WaterBear from the app store or head to: waterbear.com
Click here for App store / Click here for Google Play
Follow: facebook.com/waterbearnetwork & twitter.com/waterbearnet + instagram.com/waterbearnetwork
Also read: Harry calls for ‘doing not talking’ on environment and climate crisis - independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/prince-harry-climate-change-nature-tv-streaming-waterbear-b1763845.html The duke took part in a discussion to launch WaterBear, a streaming service dedicated to documentaries about environmental issues, conservation and the climate crisis.
About WaterBear
WaterBear is the first network of its kind: a free interactive video and digital platform
dedicated to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It does this through
inspirational content, cutting-edge technology that facilitates action, and through its global
network of partners. It uniquely empowers the viewer to take direct instant action to support
NGOs around the world and shape a better future for our fragile planet.
About WaterBear’s CEO, Ellen Windemuth
Prior to WaterBear, she was owner and CEO of Off the Fence, having founded the company
in 1994. Under her leadership Off the Fence has acquired, produced and co-produced over
6,000 hours of content.
Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to
date herself. She is the Chair of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Board, Honorary President of
the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France and is active in conservation and land
development. Her experience in factual entertainment programming is extensive in both
production and distribution. Ellen was recently presented with Wildscreen’s Christopher
Parson’s Outstanding Achievement Awards 2018. She has three children and a great passion
for the outdoors.
About Resilient Foundation
Resilient Foundation is a registered charity based in the Netherlands, that seeks to raise
funds to educate the public in all matters pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. The mission aligns deeply with that of WaterBear. The partnership is simple:
Resilient raises funds to produce inspirational and educational content, and uses WaterBear
to produce and distribute that content to the world - for free.
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