Dirt! this Friday, NRCS to speak, plants to take

It's that time again!  This Friday we will be screen Dirt! The Movie (see previous post for description).  The film will begin at 6:30 (note our new time!) at the American Memorial Park Visitor's center.

Members of our local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will speak after the film on soil in the CNMI and what resource managers are doing to conserve this extremely valuable resource (as well as answer audience questions).

For your planning purposes, the movie runs about one hour and 20 minutes.  Come early at 6 p.m. to visit our engaging soil displays on composting, tree plantings and environmentally friendly farming practices (and to make sure you get a seat...). 

While supplies last, each family will have the opportunity to take home one native plant after the film courtesy of the CNMI Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division.

We hope to see you there!

Dirt! to be shown in September

Coming up in September we have a great documentary, Dirt! the movie, that discusses our reliance on the Earth's soil and the damage we have wrought on it.  The film will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitor's center at 6:30pm on September 3rd (previous viewers note the new time!).

Official selection to the 2009 Sundance film festival, and winner of several awards (including Best Documentary at the Maui and "Visions/Voices" film festivals), Dirt! tells the story of Earth's most valuable and under appreciated resource, from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.  The movie seeks to revolutionize the way we see dirt and raise awareness to the plight of one of our most important resources.  Rather than simply bemoan the situation, Dirt! offers a myriad of actions that we can take as communities to promote the rebuilding of soil and the sustainable use of it, reminding us that "What we have destroyed, we can heal".


"An invogorating look at an invaluable substance we take for granted."
                                       - LA Times

"...an uplifting story about people from all walks of life who are striving to renew our relationship with the ground beneath our feet"
                                       - The Hollywood Reporter

You can see the trailer and find more information about the film here.


Please join us for this wonderful film on September 3rd.  As always it's Free!

Wahington Post article

Coincidentally enough, our SharkWater screening event happened to coincide with Discovery channel's "Shark Week".

In relation to this, the Washington Post held public discussion with biologist Andy Dehart that may interest some of you folks.  The link to the discussion can be found here: http://live.washingtonpost.com/shark-week-with-andy-dehart-08-04-10.html

This link was passed on by one of the attendee of last friday's event (thanks to her..), if anyone comes across anything interesting that we can put up here, please email those over.  Thanks!

Shark Protection update

Two updates to the information we posted earlier this week:

1) There is a pre-existing facebook page dedicated to getting people together to support making the CNMI a shark fin free zone.  You can join the group through this link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715392496#!/group.php?gid=138532896160975

The group's focus right now is supporting efforts by members of the CNMI House to introduce a bill banning shark fining in the CNMI.  Updates on the bills status and how you can get involved will be posted on this group page, so check it out if you're interested.

2) There is a WestPAC sponsored CNMI Bottomfish Scoping Meeting tomorrow night (Wens August 11th) at NMC from 6-9pm (flyer posted after jump link).  At this meeting they will be discussing (amoung other things) potential policy changes in relation to bottom fish.  Sharks happen to be among the largest bycatch species of this fishery (I am told anecdotely the largest), and it is likely that policy shifts in relation to the bycatch of sharks will be discussed.  The meeting will be an opportunity to hear and comment on potential management options.  So, particularly for you fisherman folks, it may be worth attending.

Information from SharkWater screening

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the movie on Friday night!  We had almost 150 people in attendance; it was great to see so many interested in protecting our shark populations.

Attached below (after the jump link) are the results of the restaurant/business survey we did to see who is serving shark fin soup or other shark derived products.

Also included are links to outreach materials that can be used to ask these businesses to stop serving these products and why they should; one of them is even translated into Chinese.

SharkWater Tomorrow!!

We will be showing SharkWater tomorrow at American Memorial Park's Visitors Center at 7:00pm.  As always, the film is free and open to the public.

Following the film, representatives from the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be on hand to discuss CNMI Shark populations and answer audience questions.

For more information on the film see below or visit the official movie website here

We hope to see you out tomorrow!