For the 2nd year in a row, the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve will be hosting the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival along with Downwind Sports and Students for Sustainable Living. The event is scheduled for November 4, 2010 at 6pm in room 103 of Jamrich Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University. Last year’s event was a huge success, reaching over 150 community members over two nights. This year films will be viewed over one night and will allow viewers to glimpse other communities addressing environmental issues with grassroots fervor. Each film highlights the power of the individual in securing a future for our collective planet. You won’t want to miss the fun! We will have local eats and treats, businesses and groups showcasing their efforts, and films that will leave you ready to put your ideas for a better world into action. Bring your spent CFL lightbulbs to get recycled to the event too! Below is a list of the featured films. If you questions or would like to sign up to volunteer, email us at emily@yellowdogwatershed.org. See you in November.

More information about the film festival can be found at the website below:
http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/

Films On Tour
Planting Hope: 
Lisa Merton, Alan Dater   7 Minutes
The simple act of planting trees by Kenyan Wangari Maathai grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration and the winner of Nobel Peace Prize. This is a 7-minute segment of a longer 80-minute film. 

Every Day at School- Introduction by Kathy Wright, Powell Township School
Tristan Bancks, Wendy Gray   5 minutes
Follow a class down under as they spend the first five minutes of every day at school taking action to change the world in positive ways.

Watershed Revolution- Introduction by Emily Whittaker, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
Rich Reid, Paul Jenkin 27 minutes
What is a Watershed? The answer is explored through interviews with concerned citizens working to protect and preserve the Ventura River watershed.

Missouri Stream Team- Introduction by Geri Grant, Superior Watershed Partnership
Jim Karpowicz         18 minutes
Over 4000 teams channel the energy and enthusiasm of 80,000 volunteers in a host of stream stewardship activities in Missouri. Told in their own words, Stream Team volunteers describe the connections they’ve developed with their natural resources and with each other.

Signatures- Introduction by Bill Thompson, Downwind Sports
Nick Waggoner           12 minutes
At the heart of this lovely tale of deep powder mystery: the seasons. In Japan there is a cultural connection to the different Signatures of our terrestrial home– a sense that the rhythm of fall, winter, spring, summer influences the rhythm of the person, their energy, their style, and the lines they choose. Niseko local photographer Yoichi Watanabe explains, “As a photographer, the change in season brings a change of subject. I have to be ahead of this change in nature, like I have to be thinking about flowers before they actually bloom in order to capture what really goes on. I can say the same about the snow as well.”

Ascending Giants- Introduction by Doug Turnbull, Students for Sustainable Living
John Waller              12 minutes
You may hug a tree, but would you climb one? Join tree lovers & climbers Brian and Will as they attempt to find Oregon’s largest Sitka Spruce trees. Through their eyes, from both ground and canopy views, we discover the breathtaking beauty of these beautiful giants.

The Fun Theory: Piano Staircase     2 minutes
“Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here.

The Fun Theory: Bottle Bank Arcade   2 minutes
Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that’s because we don’t get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile.

Young Voices on Climate Change- Introduction by Mindy Otto, Students for Sustainable Living
Lynne Cherry                      14 minutes
“If you adults won’t do something on climate change, then we kids are going to take the reins,” says young activist Shannon McComb. These kids speak directly about their concerns, knowledge, and their actions to combat climate change.

Generations- Introduction by Vern Barber, Marquette Mountain
Steve Jones        17 minutes
For many, snowy winters have a deep significance – culturally, personally, and financially.  Going beyond charts and numbers, this new film humanizes the debate on climate change by exploring the delicate balance of winter and the intrinsic value of snow to people across generations and cultures.

The Story of Cap and Trade-Introduction by Gary McDonnell, Northern Michigan University
Free Range Studios             10 minutes
Annie Leonard of “The Story of Stuff” is back! This time, she is telling the story behind one of the most talked about solutions proposed to combat climate change: carbon trading. But is carbon trading a real solution, or just a dangerous distraction? Annie looks at the controversial issue in a head-on, matter-of-fact, and provocative way that will open your eyes and make you think twice about this supposed “silver bullet.”

Split Estate- Introduction by Kristi Mills, Save the Wild UP
Debra Anderson              15 minutes
Imagine discovering that you don’t own the mineral rights under your land, and that an energy company plans to drill for natural gas two hundred feet from your front door. Imagine having little recourse, other than accepting an unregulated industry in your backyard. Planet Green’s Documentary Film Series – Reel Impact.

Garbage Angels
Pierre Trudeau        6 minutes
What happens when trash meets trash? Could there be life in a dump? Best Canadian Short, Planet in Focus.

Nourish- Introduction by John O’Bryan, Students for Sustainable Living
Kirk Bergstrom, Linda Davis          26 minutes
What we eat, where we eat, and how we eat reveals much about our relationship to food. Today, more than ever, we need to understand where our food comes from and how it reaches us. If you want change, vote three times a day – with your fork!