Hawk Mountain to Host Spring Documentary Series

Hawk Mountain is hosting Movies on the Mountain, a Spring Documentary Series, three Saturdays in April and May. The documentary films will be viewed in the Sanctuary’s accessible Outdoor Amphitheater, an inspirational learning space settled in the natural setting of the Sanctuary.

“Giving the public the opportunity to get an inside look into the natural world through photo and video footage that they wouldn't normally get to see can encourage people to connect with and appreciate nature,” says Riley Davenport, Education Specialist. “There are several barriers that keep people from connecting with nature, and photography and film are a way to get people a bit closer.”

The first of the series is Nature’s Clean Up Crew, a documentary film about the busy lives of scavengers, which will be presented on April 23 from 4 – 5 p.m. Scavengers live in our cities, recycling the mountains of waste that consumer society leaves behind. With the help of thoughtful and passionate scientists who have come to love and understand them, the film discusses how they have adapted to thrive in an urban environment. By the end, viewers may not all see nature's cleanup crew as beautiful creatures, the way some scientists do, but are likely to be willing to give them the respect they deserve. Click here to register.

The free showing of Tracking Notes: The Secret World of Mountain Lions, a new documentary film that debuted at the 2022 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, will be held on May 7 from 5 – 7 p.m. Joshua Lisbon, Education Director at MPG Ranch and featured mountain lion researcher will lead a Q&A session after the film. The documentary offers a glimpse into the life of the North American mountain lion and follows the cycles of the natural world over nine years. Viewers will discover how mountain lions interact with the land, other animals who inhabit their world, and how those connections all weave together with both beautiful and tragic consequences. Click here to register.

The viewing of Vanishing of the Bees, on May 14 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. is sponsored by Hope Hill Lavender Farm. A short talk will be presented followed by the documentary, which examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the relationship between mankind and earth. It takes a piercing, investigative look at the economic, political, and ecological implications of this species' worldwide disappearance. Click here to register.