GGP’s water-themed Environmental Film Fest this weekend

By Sally High

Special to The PREVIEW

The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) invites the Pagosa Springs community to the seventh Environmental Film Festival this weekend, Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13. You are encouraged to support the GGP’s ongoing educational projects and Riverwalk park by attending.

The Springs Resort Atrium Room is the site of the Premiere Gala on Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. Wristbands issued Friday evening allow GGP members access to all films both days. Friday night attendees enjoy a catered stand-up dinner with a beverage, exclusive viewing of two films and a 2019 GGP membership.

2019/04/ggp-10-300x225.jpg Photo courtesy Jenna Miller
A data probe is placed in the water by members of Oceans Observations Initiative (OOI), a National Science Foundation-funded program. The OOI research efforts collect information so that future generations can make data-based decisions about caring for our oceans. “Offshore,” an OOI short film, will be shown at 12:30 p.m. at the Liberty Theatre this Saturday. Tickets are available at http://www.pagosagreen.orgfilmfestival.[/caption]

Abby Burk, Audubon Rockies Western River project director, will introduce “Ranching in the New Normal,” a short film that features our local Hershey Ranch. A National Geographic production, “Glen Canyon Revisited,” by Durango native Taylor Graham, will also be shown and discussed. Tickets are $25 for current GGP members and $50 for new members.

The Liberty Theatre will host the GGP’s seventh Colorado Environmental Film Festival Caravan on Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The film lineup contains first-run and classic award-winning films about water. Visit www.pagosagreen.org/filmfestival for a full schedule and tickets. Tickets are $10 for GGP members and $15 for nonmembers.

All GGP film enthusiasts will gather at Mountain Pizza after Saturday’s Film Fest Caravan. Water experts and water consumers ask and answer questions and share opinions about the big decisions being made around our local water resources.

Proceeds from the film fest benefit the GGP’s educational programming. This spring, the GGP is engaged in numerous community projects worth supporting:

• School classes are completing growing goals in the Education Dome. Some are transitioning to summer transplanting.

• Volunteers are starting perennial ornamentals for transplanting into GGP’s landscaping in the Rotary Garden and the Riverwalk.

• Volunteers are growing vegetables and herbs for community, including Pagosa’s Farmers Market.

• The GGP’s environmental educators are producing a youth water summit for sixth-graders. High school mentors join Al Pfister, Keith Bruno and Sally High to teach about our San Juan Watershed.

• The GGP and Youth Rise high school students are planning a San Juan River cleanup, birding with Audubon, replenishing the GGP’s pollinator hotels and making Monarch/milkweed seed balls.

• The GGP park is once again a destination for the sixth-grade Renewable Energy Fair.

• The Community Garden Dome is open to gardening groups.

• The interior of GGP’s Innovation Dome is being finished.

Support the GGP by participating in our water-themed film fest and discussions. Visit http://www.pagosagreen.org/filmfestival for Friday night and Saturday tickets. Tickets are also available at the door.