July film delayed to August 7th

Hello everyone! We apologize for the late notice but have been unable to access our email account or update our blog the last two weeks due to the communications outage.

Because of the storms and government offices closing on July 11th, we had to cancel First Friday Films for the month of July. We will be showing "Plastic Paradise" on August 7th at 6:30pm with our wonderful speaker, Aileen Benavente from BECQ. Please join us at AMP in two weeks and spread the word!

-Kaity and Steven

PLASTIC PARADISE Film on July 10th (one week later than normal)

Every single piece of plastic that has ever been created since the 1800s is still somwhere on our planet. So if it never goes away, where does it go?

This question will be answered in the premier showing of the new movie Plastic Paradise at American Memorial Park on Friday, July 10^th at 6:30pm. (This is one week later than the normal FFF event due to the 4^th of July holiday.)

Thousands of miles away from civilization, Midway Atoll is in one of the most remote places on earth. And yet, its become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. In this independent documentary film, jounralist/filmmaker Angela Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious phenomenon. Along the way she meets scientists, researchers, influencers, and volunteers who shed light on the effects of our rabid plastic consumption and learns the problem is more insidious than we could have ever imagined.

Before the film, you will get to learn about where our plastics go on Saipan, and what it means to recycle on our island. Staff from the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality will discuss garbage and how we management it on Saipan and in the rest of the CNMI.

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations and individuals. This particular film is sponsored by BECQ. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes.

More "Future Food" episodes this Friday

First Friday Films presents a new film from the Future Food series this Friday, May 1^st at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park. This episode is called “Fat or Skinny” and looks at the lives of people in India as they are faced with the choice between Western-style fast food and healthy indigenous food options.

Every day, as India awakes, 1.2 billion people need to be fed. By 2050 it could be 1.7 billion. Half a billion small scale farmers supply most of India's food. Traditionally, Indians have eaten the healthy cuisine of India's 29 states, but as people move to the cities there's a growing demand for fast processed food, the so-called 'junk food' accused of causing obesity and chronic health problems. Now India is a country on the edge of two possible futures: a future that's well fed and healthy; or a future with Western diets and Western obesity.

Before the film, Patricia Coleman, Nutrition and Health Program Leader from NMC-CREES will speak about her ongoing partnerships in the CNMI that are aiming to promote healthy food choices and healthy lifestyles within the community. Her work includes nutrition education, childhood overweight and obesity research, and studying the built and food environments in the CNMI and the region. NMC-CREES recently received the “Best Practice” in Health Award by the World Health Organization – Western Pacific Region.

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations and individuals. This particular film is sponsored by BECQ. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 60 minutes.

Local Short Film at Festival on Earth Day!

April 22^nd is Earth Day and the CNMI is using this entire month to pay tribute to “Our Natural Treasures”! The community is invited to a film festival of local short films celebrating the CNMI’s natural treasures on Wednesday, April 22^nd at American Memorial Park, starting at 6:30pm. Children are welcome and will love seeing new sites from their own islands!

Community members, families, tourists and locals alike will all enjoy these locally-made movies showing beautiful insight into Northern Mariana Islands and the Micronesian Region. 

First, engage with volunteers in Talakhaya: the Luta Livelihoods Project where local agencies and community members work together every year to prevent fires from destroying soils and vegetation and ultimately damaging our nearshore marine resources in Rota.

Next, we will continue to explore Rota to learn with Fanihi: A Cultural Digest to better understand the ever-changing interactions between people and the beloved fruit bat populations there. Then, watch Laolao Bay: from Ridge to Reef to learn about the ways that our land is connected to the oceans. Local researchers, managers and marine biologists explain the diversity of Laolao Bay’s heritage and natural rseouces in this film.

We will finish the evening with one final short film Micronesia’s Changing Climate about regional efforts to protect our environments. Environmental experts will be on hand to answer your questions about caring for our natural treasures!

This festival is being presented by First Friday Films, a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations and individuals. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes, but the audience is welcome to come and go between films, which last 15-30 minutes each.

Celebrate "Our Natural Treasures" all month long in April!

April is BECQ’s annual Environmental Awareness Month! EAM is all about protecting and caring for our islands, and this year’s theme is “Our Natural Treasures.” To celebrate BECQ is hosting a number of activities throughout the month of April. Bring the whole family to and help us make EAM 2015 a success!

Contests

Recycled Boat Race

Build your own boat out of recycled materials, and race to the finish! Your boat has to be man powered and cannot sink, or lose parts. There will be 2 races, for 18 and under, and one for 18+, with cash prizes. This event will take place on Saturday, April 26^th at 10.30 am at Kilili Beach, across from Ada gym. Contact Cal Westergard at calwestergard@deq.gov.mp for details.

 “Trash-to-Treasure” Tote bag design display

(Friday) April 24, 2015 from 6-9p.m.

Susupe, Flame Tree Arts Festival fair grounds

Remade tote bags created by our young designers to be featured at Flame Tree Arts Festival event by turning the garbage back into art. Help save our earth and inspire the habit of using reusable shopping bags! For more information, contact us-the “Trash-to-Treasure” Committee: Olivia Tenorio or Leilani Sablan, at BECQ 664-8500

Events

Proclamation Signing

Join BECQ’s Environmental Awareness Month Proclamation Signing on April 1, 2015 at 10:00am at the Governor’s office. 

Island Wide Clean Up

This year’s 2015 Island Wide Cleanup event will take place on April 17, 2015 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm. For more information about this event, please contact Robert Deleon Guerrero and Aileen Benavente at 664-8500 and sign up today!

Environmental Expo for all 4^th and 5^th grades

The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality is inviting all interested public and private agencies to join us this April for the 2015 Environmental Expo. The Expo provides the opportunity for environmental and natural resource groups to conduct widespread outreach efforts to 4th and 5th graders from all public and private schools on Saipan over a three-day period. In past years over 1500 students and 30 organizations have participated.

 Where: American Memorial Park

When: 8:00am to 2:00pm, April 14-16 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

Please contact Avra Heller or Jihan Buniag at 664-8500 to sign-up!

            

Native Plant Giveaway

The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality in partnership with CNMI Forestry will be giving out free native trees to the community on April 25, 2015 from 9:00am-12:00pm at the Flame Tree Arts Festival. 

First Friday Films

First Friday Films is showing a free documentary Islands of Sanctuary (celebrating island culture and environment) on April 3rd at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park visitor's center. Island of Sanctuary is about Native Hawaiians and Aboriginal Australians resisting threats to their sacred places in a growing international movement to defend human rights and protect the environment. For more information, visit firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. 

To celebrate Earth Day on April 22^nd, First Friday Films is inviting the public to view three local short films that explore the CNMI’s environment and natural resources at American Memorial Park visitor’s center on Wednesday, April 22^nd, at 6:30pm.

Turtle Tagging

Join staff from DFW’s Turtle Team at Fishing Base at 11 am on April 7, to learn more about these amazing creatures, and how the folks at DFW work to protect them. For more information contact Tammy Summers at tammymaesummers@yahoo.com.

Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance EAM Activities

Every Tuesday of April:  Tuesdays are getting greener.  Joeten is partnering with MINA to encourage their customers to say no to plastic bags.  As part of Plastic Bag Challenge campaign, MINA Volunteers will be setting up learning stations at Joeten stores giving out FREE reusable eco bags for those who pledge to "Choose to reuse their bags" and refusing plastic bags at the checkout counter. 

April 11: MINA is leading a Marine Debris Contest challenging fishermen at the Mahi Mahi Fishing Derby to collect any man-made debris they encounter while they're out fishing.  All qualifying entries will be entered to win exciting prizes.

Throughout the month:  MINA Volunteers will be encouraging the community to bring their old T-shirts to the MINA office located in the Gualo Rai Center near BECQ.  Volunteers will be turning these shirts into reusable bags!

Throughout the month: MINA will be coordinating beach cleanups with Adopt-a-Bin sponsors at their adopted site.

For more information contact Becky Furey at 233-7333.

AND SO MUCH MORE! Contact EAM Chair, Tom Pangelinan at tompangelinan@deq.gov.mp or check www.deq.gov.mp for a full calendar of events.