<p>Those teaching, studying and working in the environmental field are confronted on a daily basis with bad news about the current state of the world. When constantly bombarded by news of a changing climate, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse many students and faculty feel anxious and fearful about the future. This reality has led to a rich discussion of approaches that can be used in teaching in colleges and universities to help to balance hope and despair in environmental education. This article is a reflection on 15 years of teaching in Environmental Studies and strategies that have been used in various courses to help combat the negative news and foster hope and action. These include featuring examples of art and artists being inspired by the natural world, calling attention to inspiring examples of those engaged in environmental action in the past and present, and creating opportunities for students to become engaged in personal action to address environmental challenges. While not neglecting the reality of the challenges we face in our world, these approaches can help to develop learning communities of hope and optimism for the future among students and faculty.</p>