By Kevin Howell
We swim, play and bathe in it, collect it and drink it. Water flows to us from rivulets, gullies, streams and lakes, and all life on Earth depends on it.
A free series of seven films focusing on secrets within and beneath water, as well as worldwide water issues, will be shown at 1 p.m. on Saturdays beginning Feb. 1 at the Manistee campus of West Shore Community College, 401 River St.
The water film series will be hosted by the Great Lakes Environmental Festival. The films lead up to, and are a celebration of, World Water Day, March 22. On that day, the Great Lakes Environmental Festival will host its fourth annual event, a collection of expert presenters, thought-provoking films, an expo of stimulating exhibits and more taking place at Manistee High School, 525 12th St.
“We wanted to generate interest in World Water Day and this year’s Great Lakes Environmental Festival by showing the films prior to March 22,” Dr. Stephanie Baiyasi, one of the event organizers, explained. “The films are visually stunning and interesting, and are shown to interest the public in the topic of water as a prelude to World Water Day.”
The film segments were taken from a longer documentary titled “Water Life,” according to Baiyasi. The segments aired as part of a 26-episode TV mini-series.
A synopsis of the series reads: “Water Life captures extraordinary locations and intimate animal behavior never before seen on film. Two years in the making, this groundbreaking series takes viewers on an unprecedented visual journey to aquatic ecosystems on five continents to reveal how water shapes and sculpts the landscapes and provides food and refuge for an astonishing array of species.”
The film also discusses how our precious resource must be “conserved and preserved.”
Kicking off the series on Feb. 1 is “A World of Water,” followed by “The Wandering Water” (Feb. 8), “Where Water is Born” (Feb. 15), “Liquid Roads” (Feb. 22), “Soup of Life” (March 1), “Dark Water” (March 8), and “Useful Water” (March 15). Descriptions of each can be found in the below sidebar.
The series was originally produced in 2009 by the World Wildlife Fund, which reports that “less than 1% of the world’s water is fresh and accessible.” Among the series’ contributors was UN-Water (United Nations Water). UN-Water is a collaborative effort of international scope to bring together ideas to sustainably manage water and sanitation. “Action on water and sanitation is key to solving many global challenges,” according to a statement on Unwater.org.
Dr. Ziggy Kozicki, Baiyasi’s husband, helped coordinate bringing the film series to Manistee.
“The hope is to get people interested in water issues globally,” Kozicki said, “then on the 22nd we’ll be focusing on Michigan (waters) and what’s going on here.”
Great Lakes Environmental Festival
During the March 22 festival, additional films will be shown. There will be discussions with environmental experts as well as displays, and booths by area natural resource and environmental groups. (See the festival schedule below.)
John Helge is also one of GLEF’s “Water Life” organizers and puts together the festival’s expo at Manistee High School. He explained why this year’s event was moved from its usual time slot in April , in celebration of Earth Day.
“The 4th annual Great Lakes Environmental Festival is a celebration of the work being done to preserve and protect our precious natural resources, especially water,” Helge said. “That is why this year’s GLEF will be held on World Water Day and will focus on the Great Lakes and their abundance of the world’s supply of clean, fresh water.”
Baiyasi and Kozicki co-founded GLEF in 2007 as a film festival in Bay City. After a brief hiatus, the festival relocated to Manistee.
“Our festival initially started out being a film festival, so we have a strong emphasis, personally and in this event, for film because I think it’s a way that gets people interested, more involved, and educates them,” Baiyasi said.
Presentations during this year’s festival will not only show the variety of life that thrives in our waters, but discuss the effects and solutions to problems like PFAS, microplastics, oil spills and other pollutants, along with work by tribal and MDNR personnel to re-introduce native sturgeon, grayling and whitefish.
Individual films to be shown on World Water Day include “Return of Native Sturgeon,” “Sacred Waters,” “Plaster Creek Stewards” and “Bad River.”
“‘Sacred Waters’ and ‘Plaster Creek’ were (film ideas) submitted to us by students,” Kozicki noted.
The festival will begin by paying tribute to the 12 First Nations that live in the Great Lakes regions.
But the lead-up to World Water Day is as important as the day itself.
“We want people to come to the festival, but we really want people to come to the Saturday movies at West Shore at 1 p.m., too,” Kozicki said. “The movies show people what they can do for the environment on smaller scales. There’s a lot of things a group of people can do if they just decide they want to do (them).”
For more information on the World Water Day events in Manistee, visit the GLEF website at: https://www.glef.us Follow and “like” GLEF on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GR8FESTIVAL
“Water Life” weekly film schedule
All films will be shown at 1 p.m. at the Manistee campus of West Shore Community College, on the corner of River and Washington streets.
Feb. 1 – “A World of Water” Discover amazing and diverse worlds brimming with color and life, from tropical rainforests to coral reefs.
Feb. 8 – “The Wandering Water” Water, the messenger of life, on its never-ending journey. Cinematography captures the water cycle in all its phases.
Feb. 15 – “Where Water is Born” In the mountains, water produces the purest and wildest lakes that are the source of all the rivers on the planet.
Feb. 22 – “Liquid Roads” Even in small quantities, water holds big surprises. Streams, gullies and brooks are humble, yet extraordinary universes teeming with intense and vibrant life.
March 1 – “Soup of Life” Freshwater ecosystems barely make up one percent of the Earth’s surface, but 40 percent of the world species live here.
March 8 – “Dark Water” A spellbinding portrait of water as master sculptor. From rocky mountaintops to unexplored cavernous labyrinths, discover some of water’s masterpieces.
March 15 – “Useful Water” There is more liquid stored under our feet than is contained in all the lakes and rivers in the world. This eye-opening program explores the fundamental and surprising ecosystems found in wells and troughs.
March 22: GLEF’s World Water Day Schedule
Events take place at Manistee High School, unless otherwise noted.
Morning activities
9 Movie: “Return of Native Sturgeon”
9:40 Keynote: Native American Environment Stewardship
10 “Fern Gully” at the Vogue Theatre, 383 River St., Manistee. Animated musical for children. Admission 25 cents.
10:30 Movie: “Sacred Waters”
10:45 AFFEW – A Few Friends for the Environment of the World
11:15 Work for Nature panel – SEEDS
Afternoon activities
12 Lunch
1 Keynote: EGLE (Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy)
1:45 Movie: “Plaster Creek Stewards”
1:50 USDA Rural Utilities and WEP
2:40 Oil and Water Don’t Mix – Line 5 discussion
3:10 Movie: “Bad River”
5 Festival activities end
6 After Glow at North Channel Brewing, 86 Washington St., Manistee
Kevin Howell is a Mason County freelance writer. He loves the Michigan woods and lakes and especially Michigan craft beers–not necessarily in that order!
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