For the third year in a row, Trinity Episcopal Church is sponsoring the Wild & Scenic Film Fest at the Mineral Point Opera House, 139 High St., for school groups and the general public.
Wild & Scenic is a traveling environmental film festival featuring films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet.
At 9:30 a.m. Sept. 6, “Pursuing the Monarchs” will be shown for fifth grade through high school students. At 12:45 p.m., second- through fifth-graders will be shown the “Wild Child” series of eight curated environmental films. These school group films are free, but require a reservation to stenson.stories@gmail.com. In that email, include name of school, which film program, grades, number of students, contact chaperone and cell phone.
The evening film program for general audiences begins at 7 p.m. and is a series of short films with “Pursuing the Monarchs” shown in the second half. Ticket price is $10.
Both Trinity Episcopal and master gardener volunteers at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts put in monarch way stations this spring and summer. Already an increase in the number of pollinators and butterflies is evident. Planting varieties of milkweed is the most positive approach to caring for and redeveloping this insect’s population. Milkweed varieties planted include common milkweed, Swamp or Rose Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Poke Milkweed and Oval-leaf Milkweed. The adult butterfly deposits eggs on the milkweed, which the larvae eat and develop the chrysalis from which the beautiful butterfly emerges.
As an indicator of our environmental situation, the monarch population has declined by 90 percent. Aided by the planting of various types of milkweeds, as an easy beginning, all of us can encourage a monarch rebound. Come, join us, and learn more ways to help these beautiful creatures increase and thrive.