sciencefilm

The most important thing to remember when it comes to climate change is that you can help, and there is still hope. This animated series reminds us that while the problems are dire, we have to remain hopeful, and even have a bit of fun from time to time. Produced for broadcast throughout the Caribbean, this is Part Two of a three-part PSA series/awareness campaign on climate change, its effects on the Caribbean, and action that people can take to help the situation. The series combines animations and footage from Trinidad with explanations from climate change experts from Trinidad & Tobago. Funded by Trinidad & Tobago's National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology in association with University of Trinidad & Tobago.

Some of Keith Fraser's best friends are birds. Join him at the famous Loch Lomond bait shop in San Rafael CA as he distributes Christmas presents to some of his favorites: snowy egrets Wee Willie and Wee Willie Junior, great blue herons Nasty and Nasty Junior, and his closest buddy, an endearing Heermann's gull named Ahab. Judy's award-winning feature documentary, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, is in international distribution. SPECIAL NOTE: Judy Irving will be answering your questions about this film, The Parrots of Telegraph Hill, and anything else you'd like to know in the lifeonterra.com forum!

When it comes to the art of making a yidaki (didgeridoo), Djalu Gurruwiwi of the Galpu clan in the Northern Territory of Australia is widely regarded as the best there is. Rising to International fame after making all the didgeridoos that the band "Yothu Yindi" recorded and toured with in the late 80's, Djalu has continued to design and shape his instruments and they are now sought after around the world. He has a passion to spread the music and message of the yidaki and that of the aboriginal people and does so, not only as a world famous musician and artist, but as a respected elder. Join TERRA and meet Djalu at his home in the Gove Peninsula where he shows us the amazing art of "Making a Yidaki."

We heard so much good feedback from the first three episodes in this series, so it was a no-brainer dusting off the second half of the series for a rendezvous with the growing TERRA audience. IF you need a refresher course, check out the original post from July! This is no ordinary biological field trip! Travel along with some of the world's foremost bird and nature artists to the incredible Chappari Reserve, among the last remaining high-altitude dry forests of South America. Previously undiscovered and majestical species come alive at the tip of a paintbrush in this rapid biological inventory of this incredibly rich and diverse part of the biosphere. This film reminds us of the age-old partnership of art and science and highlights observation, expression, and inspiration in a strategic effort to preserve one of the most fantastic places on Earth. The artist Paul Klee said ?the painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen." In this case, we hope such brilliant creatures remain in our sights forever.

We heard so much good feedback from the first three episodes in this series, it was a no-brainer that we had to bring the second half of the series for a rendezvous with the growing TERRA audience. IF you need a refresher course, check the original post from July! This is no ordinary biological field trip! Travel along with some of the world's foremost bird and nature artists to the incredible Chappari Reserve, among the last remaining high-altitude dry forests of South America. Previously undiscovered and majestical species come alive at the tip of a paintbrush in this rapid biological inventory of this incredibly rich and diverse part of the biosphere.

This is no ordinary biological field trip! Travel along with some of the world's foremost bird and nature artists to the incredible Chappari Reserve, among the last remaining high-altitude dry forests of South America. Previously undiscovered and majestical species come alive at the tip of a paintbrush in this rapid biological inventory of this incredibly rich and diverse part of the biosphere. This film reminds us of the age-old partnership of art and science and highlights observation, expression, and inspiration in a strategic effort to preserve one of the most fantastic places on Earth. The artist Paul Klee said ?the painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen." In this case, we hope such brilliant creatures remain in our sights forever.

THE TEN DAYS HAVE FINALLY COME TO A CLOSE! The final episode features the incredible algorroba tree - a true wildlife magnet! And, what are the economics of conservation? How can communities come together to protect wildlife? At long last, the finished artwork goes on display before local dignitaries and young Ecuadorians and Peruvians . . . hoping to inspire the next generation of artists and friends of the environment. Travel along with some of the world's foremost bird and nature artists to the incredible Chappari Reserve, among the last remaining high-altitude dry forests of South America.

The new TERRA website has arrived! Have a look around. Make yourself comfortable. Take the webtour and check out some of the new features. The filmmaker behind "Christmas at the Bait Shop," Judy Irving, will be answering questions in the lifeonterra.com forum. You can review the shows, add your own resources, and send feedback to us directly at info@lifeonterra.com. Or better yet, just grab some warm kettle corn and relax with a good movie. Remember, this space is for YOU to explore. Welcome to lifeonterra.

This live concert and interview with Michael Franti blends improvisation and activism.

As a kickoff to the Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference held in Bozeman, Montana this week, a TERRA crew spent an afternoon with musician and filmmaker Michael Franti of Spearhead. Franti's "consciousness-raising" resonates on both the political and environmental front and he combines improvisation and activism to spread his message across the globe. Later that same evening, Franti brought the house down when he played the Wilson Auditorium in Bozeman and reminded us that inclusion, not exclusion is the only way to bring about political change. The Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference is one of over twenty Bioneers groups nation wide, which meet every year to bring together progressive communities and provide resources, tools, and inspiration to build sustainable, culturally-rich, active, and well-networked communities. Stay tuned to TERRA for a closer look at the Bioneers conference here in Bozeman, as we podcast all the action over the next few days.

Is this a conference, a festival, or a "happening?"

The Bioneers march on! Part Two of this series showcases the drama, the magic, and the beautiful chaos of the first half of Bioneers weekend. Is this a conference, a festival, or a "happening?" The Bioneers bring new meaning to the phrase "all walks of life." Everyone is a participant. Kids pick pumpkins, legendary authors talk from the podium, politicians mingle with idealists and local activists. Meanwhile, the experience radiates via satellite from San Rafael, CA to over twenty disparate locations around the world. But the network as a whole is stronger than any single part. Some come for ideas, others for the music, and still more for the incredible local food. The Bioneers message is clear: the future begins today. Ride with us on the zero-gravity veggie-oil Zeppelin of imagination as we take you from today's drawing board to tomorrow's reality.

The energy of Bioneers weekend is renewable - so it just keeps coming! Join us for Part Three of the journey and witness the creation of the "Boze-mandala" and hear vibrant sources talk about sustainable development, climate change, the "new" green movement, and the fusion of social justice and environmental justice. The Bioneers message is clear: the future begins today. Ride with us on the zero-gravity veggie-oil Zeppelin of imagination as we take you from today's drawing board to tomorrow's reality.

A dog's nose, the new scientific instrument.

Low-tech is the new high-tech. Take, for example, wildlife biologists who are swapping radio collars and GPS transceivers for a more sensitive instrument: a dog's nose. A dog's sense of smell is up to one thousand times more powerful than a human's. But this doesn't really explain what it means to "smell like a dog." When a human walks into a bakery, it smells generally very sweet. When a dog walks into a bakery, it smells every ingredient used in the baking process, e.g., eggs, butter, flour, sugar, and so on down to that last pinch of nutmeg. Dogs are able to differentiate smells even in incredibly minute concentrations. This innate ability, coupled with an obsessive "ball-drive," makes for an incredible partner in the fight to save endangered species. The trail is hot! Starring Finny, Carow, Peppin, Tsavo, Camas, Wicket, Alice, Megan, and Aimee of Working Dogs for Conservation.

The fate of Pacific Northwest salmon hangs in the balance.

"Ironically, as we work to save the salmon, it may turn out that the salmon save us." (Paul Schell, Mayor of Seattle) Salmon are an indicator species - their health closely tracks the health of the watershed to which they return. Salmon are also a keystone species, forming a critical link between forests and distant oceans. But most importantly, salmon are a symbolic species that allows us to understand the interconnected nature of the web of life. In Northern California, salmon populations are at 10 percent of their levels of one hundred years ago due to overwhelming pressures from logging, hydropower, and overfishing. This film brings into focus the plight of the salmon on the Klamath river and the future of the Yurok tribe who depend on the fish. Through science, we now fully understand the life-cycle of salmon, but how do we apply what we?ve learned to the everyday?

PART TWO of "THE LAST RUN" follows salmon from birth to ocean and from fishing net to market. This film brings into focus the plight of the salmon on the Klamath river and the future of the Yurok tribe who depend on the fish. Through science, we now fully understand the life-cycle of salmon, but how do we apply what we?ve learned to the everyday?

PART THREE of "THE LAST RUN" chronicles the spawn, the critical final chapter in the salmon life cycle. In 2002, under pressure from a serious drought, upstream farmers were authorized by the President of the United States to divert water away from the Klamath river. As a result, river temperatures abruptly warmed and an estimated 34,000 adult salmon were killed before getting a chance to spawn. What does the future hold for this keystone species?

Brooklyn is indeed home to many noxious smells, but perhaps the most intriguing one in recent history occurred during the peak blooming hours of the Amorphophallus titanum in the early morning of August 11th at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The "Corpse Flower," native to the equatorial forests of Sumatra, emits a revolting smell of putrefaction to attract its pollinators (carrion beetles and sweat bees) and is said to have made the first botanist who tried to paint it very ill. Nonetheless, visitors came out in droves to experience a rare natural show as mesmerizing as any modern art installation . . . and perhaps even to get a glimpse (and share a whiff) of the timeless beauty of evolution.