Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“Finding My Own Trail” tells the story of a young woman struggling with anxiety and depression, who experiences the benefits of spending time in the outdoors, while on a hiking trip in the Gila Wilderness. Directed by Lexi Minton, Cherish Pena, and Ky Blohm.
The Gila Film School was a first-of-its-kind documentary filmmaking program at New Mexico State University, offered in collaboration with the Forest Service, with the objective of creating a showcase of short films for the Centennial Celebration of the Gila Wilderness. Thirteen students from diverse backgrounds took part in the immersive 3-semester program. In July 2022, the group spent twelve days in the Gila, making seven short documentaries about people living and working in the Gila Wilderness. The films reflect the unique natural, cultural and conservation history of the Gila, including Indigenous and Latino history. Through compelling human-interest stories, they explore the relationship between people and their natural environment, and the importance of protecting wilderness.
Learn more at fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/learning/history-culture/?cid=fseprd1202132
“Finding My Own Trail” tells the story of a young woman struggling with anxiety and depression, who experiences the benefits of spending time in the outdoors, while on a hiking trip in the Gila Wilderness. Directed by Lexi Minton, Cherish Pena, and Ky Blohm.
The Gila Film School was a first-of-its-kind documentary filmmaking program at New Mexico State University, offered in collaboration with the Forest Service, with the objective of creating a showcase of short films for the Centennial Celebration of the Gila Wilderness. Thirteen students from diverse backgrounds took part in the immersive 3-semester program. In July 2022, the group spent twelve days in the Gila, making seven short documentaries about people living and working in the Gila Wilderness. The films reflect the unique natural, cultural and conservation history of the Gila, including Indigenous and Latino history. Through compelling human-interest stories, they explore the relationship between people and their natural environment, and the importance of protecting wilderness.
Learn more at fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/learning/history-culture/?cid=fseprd1202132
