Ponyo Movie Poster

There is a new delightful Hayao Miyazaki movie out called Ponyo. In the film, the world is returning to the Devonian Period, AKA the Age of Fishes.

The movie is worth watching alone for the beautiful animation of trilobites, armored placoderms, and other pre-historic creatures. I tried to fish-out some clips of the sea creatures but the official trailer doesn’t feature any devonian animal scenes. If you’re a historical geology lover this is a must-see movie!

Link to more info about the Devonian Period.

The commercial was made for the Reality Campaign which is an anti-coal project founded by a coalition of environmental groups.(LA Times article about the group and movie)

For balance, here is a science blog post arguing that clean coal technology is a needed tool during our transition to sustainable energy.

Steve Furman's Films

Steve Furman is very talented local nature film documentarian who you shouldn’t miss.

His two children-friendly documentary films Ride of the Mergansers and Chicken of the Sea were filmed locally here in Minnesota.

Both films required great ingenuity and patience to film and were cleverly edited to engage children and adults. 

Steve and I met years ago while volunteering on an animal care crew at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota where I think he bonded with an orphaned merganser and found his film inspiration.

A great way for environmental, arts, and community organizations to reach out.

The Filmanthropist Project is a competition for films featuring individuals or organizations which contribute to society. The project encourages film makers of all skill levels to participate; the emphasis is on honoring people who make our communities healthier and stronger.

Its a great opportunity for local organizations to show off! The Minnesota Conservation Corps was on the front of this wave: Check out their film.

Or watch all the submissions.

This film suggests more knowledgeable and experienced environmental organizations should be featured and share information with the public. I worry about the Swan Lady setting the stage for disease outbreaks and teaching maladaptive behaviors… but her heart is obviously in the right place. 

The 2008 submissions screened last week, but its not too early to start thinking about next year! It would be a great volunteer or intern project! Plus you’d gain a great video to use for additional promotions.