Importance of water conservation featured at next First Friday Films

Blue Gold: World Water Wars, a film about the conflicts arising from the world’s dwindling freshwater supply, premieres at the next “First Friday Films” at American Memorial Park Visitors Center on Nov. 5. At 6:30 p.m.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars, a film directed by Sam Bozzo, conceives how a seemingly plentiful natural resource, water, could actually spur war. The film examines how large corporations and private investors are buying territories where there are abundant supplies of water, and what everyday citizens can do to collect and conserve water. Blue gold makes a strong case for community awareness and action. It also highlights some success stories of water activists around the globe.

After the film, Derek Chambers, Division of Environmental, will discuss where our tap and drinking water come from on Saipan and highlight ways we can become better stewards of this precious resource. The Visitor’s Center lobby will also feature an exhibit about the declining supply of global freshwater and ways we can help conserve it.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 90 minutes long. As always, “First Friday Films” is free and open to the public. Find more information at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

Sea Turtle Volunteer Program Meeting

There will be a sea turtle conservation volunteer meeting this Friday at 11:40. The meeting is open to anyone interested in helping sea turtle conservation in CNMI. The meeting will be at the Pacific Marine Resources Institute office next to Naked Fish Bar&Grill on Beach Road. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided or bring your own lunch-- its an informal meeting.

Sea Turtle Books Available for Local Schools

The Pacific Marine Resources Insitute is providing free copies of several sea turtle books to schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The books are part of an effort to build educational capacity in support of the DLNR Sea Turtle Conservation Program and is funded through a contract with NOAA NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Please contact info@pacmares.com if you would like copies for your schools library. Contact the DLNR turtle program for in class presentations at 664-6026.

Watch, Learn, Discover!

In celebration of Environmental Awareness Month, the following films are scheduled to play for free at American Memorial Park Theater:

THE END OF THE LINE
Dates: April 22
Time: 5:30 p.m. (85 minutes)
Place: American Memorial Park Theater
Sponsored by the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance – MINA (minapacific.org)

THE END OF THE LINE delves beyond the surface of the seas to reveal a troubling truth beneath: an ocean increasingly empty of fish, destroyed by decades of overexploitation. Exploring the tragic collapse of the cod fishery in Newfoundland in the 1990s, the imminent extinction of the prized bluefin tuna, and the devastation wreaked by illegal catches and surpassed fishing quotas, the film uncovers the dark ecological story behind our love affair with fish as food.


The Lorax (a family film based on the book by Dr. Seuss)

Dates: April 19 and April 22
Time: 3 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. (30 minutes)
About “The Lorax”
The Lorax, one of the earliest environmentalists in children's literature, attempts to save trees from destruction by the Once-ler. Watch the Lorax fight for his cause in this animated feature, which also includes "Pontoffel Pock and His Magic Piano," about a piano-playing sprite who travels through space and time in a blink.


HOME
Dates: April 20 and 21
Time: 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. (120 minutes)
Place: American Memorial Park Theater

About “HOME”
Award-winning photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand directs this breathtaking ode to planet Earth, an aerial voyage that captures the interdependence of the world's ecosystems -- and the bruises left behind by human indifference. From the agricultural revolution to our ever-increasing reliance on oil, narrator Glenn Close examines the changes that have wreaked havoc on our home, urging viewers to preserve the Earth's remaining natural treasures.


For info: Lisa Eller, DEQ, 664-8500.

MMT gets a 'spot' on Google Ocean. Mariana Islands Biodiversity Survey (Guam), CNMI Sea Turtles (Tinian), and the CNMI MMT's Surveys (Rota) are now highlighted in the Google Ocean layer that is sponsored by the Deep Search Foundation (deepdeep.org). Each post is maked with a blue and white dot that pops up a bit of informatio about an ocean feature and links to related content. You can register to add your own content to the layer through the interface at www.thedeepness.org.

ihaggan.com - Mariana Islands Sea Turtles' Home on the Web

Sea Turtles of the Mariana Islands website launched. 'ihaggan.com' will now feature information about DLNR's Sea Turtle Program. The site will provide educational resources, information about the STP research activities and information about how you can help protect CNMI's sea turtles.

The United Nation's declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity- a celebration of the importance of the myriad species of plants and animals to the function of the earth's systems and their enrichment of our lives.

The United Nation's Convention on Biodiversity's site at:

http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome

Also check out the IUCN's Countdown 2010 website at:

http://www.countdown2010.net/year-biodiversity