Stars and STEM Stories
Planetwalk — Dr. John Francis' Journey Towards a Better Earth
In 1971, an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay (California, USA) prompted volunteers to join the efforts to clean beaches and save local wildlife from the polluted waters. One such volunteer was John Francis. Reflecting on the spill and his life involving materials that cause harm to the planet, Francis opted to forgo the use of motorized vehicles and take on a vow of silence. Then, he began to walk. Known as the "Planetwalker," Francis travels the globe in hopes to spread awareness on the many issues plaguing the world. With every step, he works as an ambassador for the environment, meeting with locals, interacting with government officials and schools, and overall being a beacon of hope and change.
Currently, Dr. Francis is on his latest venture: "Planetwalk Africa, Cape Town to Cairo." During this trip, Dr. Francis will partake in climate data collection, collaboration with local communities, and much more.
"At the age of 77, most people reflect on the steps they’ve already taken. Dr. John Francis is not one of those people. With a bright glimmer in his eye and deep hope in his step, he is as alive, curious, and eager to create positive change as ever. By walking. This time, across Africa. Back to his roots – and the roots of humanity – to collect data, spread kindness, and put hope into action." - Planetwalk.org
John Francis began this walk on 16 January 2023 and wrapped up this portion at the end of February 2023 — the first 100 miles from Cape Point to Gordon's Bay, South Africa. From 6 January 2024 through the end of February 2024, he walked from Gordon’s Bay to Mossel Bay and ended in Plettenberg Bay. During this time, Dr. Francis has praised the work of The GLOBE Program, visiting GLOBE schools and speaking about the many ways students can get involved in bettering their local environment. After a few months in the U.S., John will return to Africa to resume walking. The total distance will be around 6,000 miles between South Africa and Egypt.
While Dr. Francis is in the U.S., he will be participating in and promoting events related to Planetwalk. A documentary about his life, "A Symphony of Tiny Lights," will be shown at these 2024 film festivals:
- March 21-25: American Documentary & Animation Film Festival & Film Fund, Palm Springs, California
- March 21-30: 32nd Annual Environmental Film Festival DCEFF, DC Metro Area
- April 3-13: 48th Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland, Ohio
- April 4-7: The 12th Annual Annapolis Film Festival, Annapolis, Maryland
- May 23-27: Mountainfilm Festival - A Documentary Film Festival, Telluride, Colorado
Dr. Francis' work has no doubt inspired many to pay closer attention to human activities that affect the environment — or take a walk themselves; John Moore at Palmyra Cove Nature Park/Institute for Earth Observations hosted middle school students from a local school to conduct a mini-Planetwalk at their facility. In a perfect world, people would take more responsibility for what they do on this planet; it is Dr. John Francis' goal, through Planetwalk, to encourage that. Francis shows that anyone can make a change for the better, as long as they do it one step at a time.
To learn more about Dr. John Francis and Planetwalk, visit the Planetwalk website. To keep up to date with Planetwalk, sign up for their newsletter.
Images courtesy Jo Arlow, Jo Arlow Photography.
