Science Literacy Week September 21 - 27, 2020

Biodiversity on our planet is in trouble. Plant and animal species are going extinct at a rate unprecedented in earth’s history. Some scientists believe that if nothing is done, between a third and half of all species on earth could disappear by the end of the century. The series 1000 Days for the Planet offers a troubling overview of the situation. (Curio)

In this collection, meet experts from the Canadian Museum of Nature whose research shows us how knowledge of the Arctic’s biodiversity can offer clues to better understand climate change. (Curio)

The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and their beloved dog when they make a choice that takes them out of their tiny L.A. apartment and into the countryside to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature. (Criterion On Demand)

A look at bats, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and flowers examines their impact on the ecosystem. (Audio Cine Films)

Narrated by James Earl Jones, this documentary spotlights how creatures on Earth live over the course of a given year. The filmmakers focus on various different geographical locations, as well as a plethora of animal species. (Audio Cine Films)

Every Living Thing follows a 20-year biodiversity research project to identify and catalogue as many species as possible in the province of New Brunswick, before human encroachment and climate change intensifies. (Curio)

The last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood. This film is an exploration of an observational Indigenous visual narrative that deeply impacts our behavior towards natural resources and the human condition. (Criterion On Demand)

In director Kamala Todd's lyrical portrait, Wyss reveals the remarkable healing powers of plants growing among the sprawling urban streets of downtown Vancouver. (NFB)

In the Similkameen is a short experimental film which interrogates ideas of landscape and place by placing the viewer in the position to engage with the experience of being. Set on the Lower Similkameen Indian Reserve lands in the Southern Okanagan, the central conflict of the work subtly exists between the 'natural' landscape and 'man-made' incursions--namely a turn of the 20th Century missionary chapel, St. Ann's. While the church and its relationship to its surroundings represent the larger history of conflict between the smelqmix people of the syilx (Okanagan) nation and Canadian settlers, In the Similkameen focuses on the visceral impact that it has as a part of the landscape. As Upper Similkameen Elder Ramona Allison related to me what her father had told her as a child, "We used to pray under the trees. Then the white man came, cut 'em all down, and now we pray in the trees." This perspective reminds us that the dichotomy of 'natural' and 'man-made' is a construct of western thought, and encourages us to think, and experience our world as whole--as an ecosystem. In the Similkameen is the expression of attempting to embody such a perspective. It is an invitation to look, to listen, and to reflect. (V Tape)

For generations, we've tried to preserve wilderness, and the amazing creatures that live there. But what if we could bring back the wild of the ancient past? A radical new movement called Rewilding aims to do just that. (Curio)

"The Oldest Tree in the World" is a love song to the oldest sugar maple in the region, living just outside of Peterborough in Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park. This grandmother tree, one of our oldest living relations, has witnessed over 500 years of history. (V Tape)

In this meticulously researched documentary, filmmaker Mark Hall traces the origins of sushi in Japan to its status today as a cuisine that has spawned a lucrative worldwide industry. This explosion in demand for sushi over the past 30 years has brought with it problems of its own, as fish stocks have steadily depleted, threatening the balance of the ocean's ecosystems. Through extensive interviews with prominent industry representatives and environmental activists, Hall carefully presents the various solutions being proposed to the vexing issue of overfishing. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival, Sushi: The Global Catch raises some pressing questions that all sushi lovers should seek to address. (Kanopy)

Director Mirjam Leuze’s The Whale and the Raven illuminates the many issues that have drawn whale researchers, the Gitga’at First Nation, and the Government of British Columbia into a complex conflict. As the people in the Great Bear Rainforest struggle to protect their territory against the pressure and promise of the gas industry, caught in between are the countless beings that call this place home. (NFB)

Four years in the making, and filmed over 3000 days across every continent and habitat, includes 130 stories from frontiers of the natural world. Presents the variety of life on Earth and the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive despite challenges from both adversaries and their environment.

David Attenborough returns to the world's oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face.

One of the most ambitious landmark series allows us to experience the world from the viewpoint of the animals themselves. Traveling through jungles, deserts, mountains, islands, grasslands, and cities, this series explores the unique characteristics of Earth's most iconic habitats and the extraordinary ways animals survive within them. New technology has allowed individual stories to be captured in an unparalleled level of detail.

Featuring live action and animation, this movie examines the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to.