DFW to speak after Sharkwater

We're gearing up for our August event, which will feature the film Sharkwater.  The film will be free and open to the public and will begin at 7:00pm on Friday August 6th at the American Memorial Park Visitor's Center.

Following the movie, representatives from the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) will be on hand to talk about shark populations in the Marianas and threats to them as well as answer audience questions.

For more information on the film visit: http://www.sharkwater.com/ , or watch the trailer of the film in our previous post below.  If you're interested in helping us spread the word about First Friday Films contact Aric Bickel at aricbickel@deq.gov.mp  .

We're really excited about this award winning film and hope to see you out on August 6th!

Gulf Disaster information links

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the screening of Black Wave last Friday! For those looking for more information regarding the Gulf oil spill as well as other ways you can get involved in making sure a disaster like this never happens again, please check out the following links:

The Center for Biological Diversity's Gulf Disaster page


NOAA fisheries service oil spill website

BP's spill response page

Google Earth layers concerning the spill disaster and response

Geoplatform's gulf response application

NY Times coverage of the oil spill

Sharkwater to be screened in August

For our August First Friday Film we will be screening Sharkwater. As always the film will be free and open to the public, and will be shown at the American Memorial Park visitors center at 7:00pm on Friday August 6th.

Sharkwater, the winner of 31 international awards (details here), is a film documenting the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations and the effect we are having on our ocean ecosystems by removing these top-level predators. Through this documentary, director Rob Stewart seeks to debunk wide-spread stereotypes and media depictions of sharks and to detail their roles as pillars in the evolution of the seas and corner stones to their continued health. The film addresses how "these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed." (cited from Stewart here).

Following the film, local experts will be on hand to discuss the status of our regional shark populations and steps we can take to protect them.

“Compelling…part gorgeous, ethereal swim with the sharks…part message movie about the slaughter of the innocents.”
Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun

"Sharkwater will change the way people view sharks and the ocean. It will open their eyes... and, hopefully, their hearts."
Cristopher Chin, Deeper Blue (see full review here)

Please join us for this event August 6th, at 7:00pm. Find the trailer and links to the movie's website below:

BP spill cam and spill tracker

In light of our inaugural movie for First Friday Films, Black Wave, we have added the spill cam below along with a counter keeping track of how many gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf (with a sliding scale allowing you to change the amount based on different estimates).

"Black Wave" to kick off First Friday Films

First Friday Films will kick off tomorrow with a free screening of Black Wave, a film on the lingering impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Black Wave will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitor’s Center on July 2^nd, at 7:00 PM.

Sponsored by the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA), Black Wave is a documentary about the 20-year legacy of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In the early hours of March 24th 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil supertanker ran aground in Alaska and discharged millions of gallons of crude oil into sensitive Arctic waters. The incident became the biggest environmental catastrophe in North American history. The official Black Wave trailer can be viewed here: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/bw.html

Black Wave kicks off “First Friday Films” – a free monthly environmental film program aimed at inspiring the community to become actively involved and make environmentally friendly choices. Following the film, local oil spill responders will discuss the Gulf of Mexico spill and the response plans in place for the CNMI.

“First Friday Films” is a free and monthly event set to repeat every first Friday of the month. It is coordinated through a partnership between the Division of Environmental Quality and American Memorial Park, with the help of organizations such as MINA.