Green screen: Environmental Film Festival

A weekly screening of free documentaries comes to the Boys & Girls Clubs in July for the first annual Environmental Film Festival.
The series begins July 8 with “The Dirt,” which tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility, from its miraculous beginning to its ongoing degradation. Three additional documentaries on sustainability issues will be shown on consecutive Thursday evenings through July.

The festival is presented by the Maxwell Farms Regional Park Stewardship and the Sonoma Ecology Center.
All screenings will include an environmental discussion of the film hosted by a local expert. Agricultural scientist John Guardino will lead a Q and A session following the July 8 screening, for example, and Will Pier, an expert on fish and riparian restoration, will be on hand for “Fish Passage Stories” on July 14.

The series continues with “River of Renewal” on July 22 and “A Simple Question: The Story of STRAW” on July 28.
“This is an opportunity for residents to view an environmental documentary and have access to local experts who can answer their questions and lead discussion,” said Julie Jehly, watershed stewardship coordinator at Sonoma Ecology Center. “We are so excited that the partnership between Sonoma County Regional Parks, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, the volunteers of the Maxwell Farms Stewardship, and the Sonoma Ecology Center can develop and bring this free educational event to the community.”

The free screening events will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the BGCSV, 100 Verano Avenue. Documentaries are appropriate for teens and up. Popcorn will be provided, but guests should bring personal beverages. Biking and walking are encouraged; the parking fee is $6.

For more information about upcoming Sonoma Ecology Center events, check our website at www.sonomaecologycenter.org.