Robert Redford passed away on the 17th day of September 2025 in his beloved home of Sundance, Utah. Redford was everyone’s favorite actor’s favorite actor. He was a fixture in the world of Hollywood and an Academy Award winning actor and director whose work spanned many decades. He has starred in notable films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Great Gatsby (1974), The Sting (1974), Out of Africa (1985), Indecent Proposal (1993), Avengers: Endgame (2019) as well as Broadway shows such as Sunday in New York (1963) and Barefoot in the Park (1963).
While driving through Provo Canyon on a motorbike, Redford took in the scenery and instantly knew that he wanted to make a home there. Always an avid lover of nature, Robert was mesmerized by the landscapes of Utah and sought to purchase more than 5,000 acres of land in Sundance while keeping the goals of preservation and conservation in mind. He opened Sundance Mountain Resort in 1969 and it became a pristine and peaceful haven for Redford. It was his dream actualized; a place that blends the worlds of art and nature and Redford wanted to share it with others. Sundance Resort can still be enjoyed by the public as it offers numerous rustic style accommodations, a restaurant and spa as well as activities such as hiking, horseback riding, skiing, and mountain biking. Visitors can also attend art workshops, film screenings and gallery exhibitions. Redford’s Sundance is recognized as a symbolic representation of the American West and a safe space for nurturing the wild at heart and the free spirits who roam.
Redford, more affectionately known as Bob, and his son James established the Redford Center--an environmental non profit organization created for the mission of spreading environmental awareness through the modality of filmmaking. The Redford Center has developed and invested in films that have helped to push environmental causes forward. Films developed and produced by the Redford Center have helped to restore the Colorado River Delta and have been useful in stopping the construction of coal plants. The center has produced over 40 environmentally focused short films and three award winning documentaries. Titles in the organization’s film roster include, Fighting Goliath, Ablaze, Watershed, and Happening Extra: How Fossil Fuels Threaten U.S. National Security. Through Redford’s fervent activism via filmmaking, various environmentally focused pieces of legislation have been passed.The Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability was named in his honor at Pitzer College in 2012 to help increase socio-ecological justice and sustainability in the state of California. He supported the college’s environmental advocacy goals, helped them to divest from fossil fuel stocks and served as a special advisor on environmental matters.
Redford had genuine concerns about what would be left of the planet to pass on to future generations. He believed that educational awareness is key and is absolutely necessary in order to leave a thriving and sustainable planet to the future. In order to be able to pass on a healthy planet to future generations, we must be able to acknowledge the current state of the climate crisis and embrace change by taking action.
Mr. Redford played a significant role in the fight to end the climate crisis through decades of advocacy and being a forward thinking change agent within the field. Let us all take a moment to honor Mr. Redford and thank him for his contributions in the collective efforts of fighting this climate crisis. May his spirit rest in eternal peace and creativity.
By: Dr. Mechelle Eleene
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