Three short films about marine protected areas

In celebration of Environmental Awareness Month, we wanted to pass along these three short films about marine protected areas in the Pacific region from the Ocean Health Index Film Festival. Check them out!

http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/News/OHI_Film_Festival_MPAs

Don't forget to check deq.gov.mp for information on upcoming activities, including:

April 13, 8am -- Bird Hike and Invasive Species Removal at Bonzai Trail

April 19, 6pm -- Deadline for the OurLaolao Photo Contest (on facebook)

April 20, 9am -- Coral Watch Dive at Laolao Bay

April 20, 12pm -- Recycled Boat Race at Kilili Beach

We hope to see you at some of these events!

Gasland this Friday and EAM kickoff!

Happy April! Many of you know that April is Environmental Awareness Month, an excellent time to consider how you use and how you affect our environment, and also a great time to give back! Check out http://deq.gov.mp/ for a list of EAM events taking place all month. 

To kick things off, First Friday Films will be showing the documentary “Gasland” this Friday, April 5^th at 6:30pm in American Memorial Park’s theatre. 

The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. 

Fracking has been an important subject in the mainland environmental movement, but how does it relate to Saipan? Andrew Ashburn from the CNMI Energy Office will give a brief presentation before the film about where our energy comes from and what the costs and benefits of energy use are for our island. 

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Division of Environmental Quality, Coastal Resources Management and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations. This particular film is sponsored by CRM. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. For planning purposes, this event will run about 90 minutes.

Stay tuned for more information and short videos to check out this month to celebrate Earth!

Student research presentations Friday (22nd) at AMP

A group of mainland college students from Northern Arizona University have been on Saipan for a semester-long field experience in conservation biology. As they wrap up their visit, they are presenting on their research projects at American Memorial Park on Friday, March 22nd from 1-5pm. The public is welcome to attend!

Northern Arizona University Field Experience in Conservation Biology

Conservation Research Symposium

American Memorial Park

Saipan, CNMI

March 22, 2013

1:00-1:15              Opening remarks.

1:15-1:30              Factors affecting the species abundance and richness of fish in sea grass beds in the Saipan lagoon. Alling, R.

1:30-1:45              Contemporary medicinal trees: Diversity and use across the island of Saipan. Marshall, M.

1:45-2:00              Variation in luminescence and insect abundance on bioluminescent fungi. Pletzer, J.

2:00-2:15              Factors affecting green sea turtle nesting preference in Saipan. Brown, M.

2:15-2:30              Erythrina gall wasps on gaogao trees, and their effect on birds in Saipan. Watson, Z.

2:30-2:45              Intermission break.

2:45-3:00              The effect of enrichment strategies and environmental factors on the behavior of captive Mariana fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus). Eilers, J.

2:45-3:00              Effects of sewage effluence on coral reef diversity, richness, and recruitment. Senini, N.

3:15-3:30              Demographics, distribution, and public perceptions of free-ranging dogs on Saipan. Nimer, A.

3:30-3:45              Predation of the small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) in Saipan. Roof, K.

3:45-4:00              Evidence of selective breeding and habitat use in Lambis lambis. Raber, S.

4:00-4:15              Factors influencing metallic blue ladybird beetle abundance. Hottel, E.

4:15-4:30              Shell use and abandonment in hermit crabs (Coenobita spp.). Bulger, B.

4:30-4:45              Closing remarks.

We are grateful to our generous sponsors, collaborators, and supporters: CNMI Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife; Asia Pacific Academy of Science, Education and Environmental Management; Northern Marianas College; Saipan Zoo; Mayors of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota; CNMI Department of Environmental Quality; CNMI Coastal Resource Management; National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association; Commonwealth Utility Corporation; CNMI Historical Preservation Office; American Memorial Park.

Two short ocean films this Friday!

Please join us this Friday (March 1st) at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park for our monthly film event! In honor of World Water Day which takes place in March, we're paying tribute to that big blue body of water that surrounds us. We'll start off with a 18-minute film about the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument and continue with a 45-minute episode of the One Ocean series, entitled Footprints in the Sand.

First Voyage to the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument is a documentary produced by APASEEM (apaseem.org) which covers the scope and beauty of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument as well as the unique scientific discoveries in the area. The story centers around voyager Dennis Chan, a Saipan high school student who traveled to the trench on a research expedition. The film will be introduced by Ken Kramer, an APASEEM member who has been involved in the production of the film.

 

Footprints in the Sand is an episode of CBC’s One Ocean series. Humans have always lived along Earth’s varied coastlines. For tens of thousands of years the ocean has nurtured and inspired us, and we lived in balance with its seemingly endless bounty. Footprints in the Sand explores how that has changed as our growing demands are changing the ocean and the places of recovery that can give us hope for a healthy future ocean.

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Division of Environmental Quality, Coastal Resources Management and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations. This particular film is sponsored by the Humanities Council. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. For planning purposes, this event will run about 80 minutes.

"Homeland" this Friday

Come join us for our February First Friday Film this Friday, February 1st at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park. This month's film is called Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action.

Nearly all Indian lands in the U.S. face grave environmental threats – toxic waste, strip mining, oil drilling and nuclear contamination. But a handful of activists are fighting back. Filmed against some of America’s most spectacular backdrops, from Alaska to Maine and Montana to New Mexico, Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action profiles the against-all-odds struggles of Native American leaders who are taking on powerful energy companies and government agencies to protect the environment for all Americans. A moving tribute to the power of grassroots organizing, Homeland is also a call-to-action against the current dismantling of thirty years of environmental laws.

 

Before the film, we will hear about grassroots efforts taking place on Saipan from members of the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance. MINA has been an environmental presence on Saipan for years, engaging young local community members and building support for initiatives that protect and preserve our island’s resources.

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Division of Environmental Quality, the Coastal Resources Management Office and the Humanities Council, with support from other organizations. This particular film is sponsored by the Humanities Council. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. For planning purposes, this event will run about 90 minutes.

Plus, we'll be sharing some new information about what FFF has in store for the next several months. We hope to see you there!

"Plan B" tomorrow!

Happy New Year everyone!

We hope you can join us this Friday, January 4th at 6:30pm for "Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization" at the American Memorial Park theatre. The film is part of the public television series Journey to Planet Earth.

Hosted by Matt Damon and produced by Emmy-Award winning filmmakers Marilyn and Hal Weiner,"Plan B: Mobilizing To Save Civilization" is a PBS documentary based on the book by environmental visionary Lester Brown. Featuring some of the world's most original and influential thinkers, Lester Brown's message is clear and unflinching — either confront the realities of climate change or suffer the consequences of lost civilizations and failed states. Ultimately "Plan B" provides audiences with a glimpse into a new and emerging economy based upon renewable sources plus realistic strategies to avoid the growing threat of global warming. The film presents what will happen if we choose plan A -- "business as usual", and recommends plan B, confronting global environmental problems, as an alternative.

First Friday Films is a partnership between DEQ and American Memorial Park with support from other public and private organizations. This particular film is sponsored by the Humanities Council. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. For planning purposes, this film runs for approximately 80 minutes.

We'd like to encourage you to consider the environment in your New Year's Resolution this year! Commit to making a small environmental change in your life during 2013 -- recycling your aluminum, walking or biking instead of driving once a week, turning off your aircon, or participating in monthly beach clean-ups. It's not to late to make a commitment for 2013!

Native plants for your yard

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday for "Green" and a great presentation from Shelly Kremer about building native species habitat in your own yards on Saipan. There were many requests at the movie for more information to be sent about your home litmus test for bird habitat and plants that you can place in your yard, so we have compiled the following information:

Chichirika, Naabak, Rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)

The litmus test can help you figure out if your yard has sufficient habitat for birds. 

If you see a lot of TREE SPARROWS in your yard, your native bird habitat is BAD.

If you see a lot of STARLINGS, BRIDLED WHITE-EYES, and HONEYEATERS, your habitat is OKAY.

If you see a lot of RUFOUS FANTAILS and GOLDEN WHITE-EYES, your habitat is GOOD.

Don't worry! If you scored low on the litmus test, you can plant the following trees to improve your habitat and attract more birds to your yard:

Nanaso (Scaevola taccada) 

• Gao Gao, Tiger Claw
• Sumak
• Ahgoa, False Elder*
• Agetelang
• Lulujut
• Alum
• Aploghating*
• Nunu, Banyan
• Papaya
• Guava
• Nanaso
• Manzanita

Remember, some of these trees (like papaya) grow very quickly, or you can check our local nurseries or CNMI Forestry for some older saplings to plant. 

If you're looking for more information on native and non-native plants check out:

CNMI Forestry: call 256-3320, stop by the nursery in Kagman, or visit http://www.cnmiforestry.gov.mp/component/content/?view=featured

University of Guam's "Plants of Guam" website, and click on "Plants of Guam" at the top http://university.uog.edu/cals/people/

Even though this is a Guam-specific website, most of the same plants are in the CNMI.

Don't forget about our lending library if you have a community group that would like to host a film showing, and stay tuned for information about our November FFF night of local short films on November 2nd!