Earth Week took place mid-April, and the Eco Club at Nepean took charge! They organized several activities, like having classes go on walks to pick up garbage, and a special film night open to all of Nepean High School! Complete with snacks and drinks, this was a night to remember.

The first decision they had to make was what film they were going to watch. Eco club chose to watch A Life On Our Planet because, “It encapsulated a lifetime of observations on humans' effect on the climate. This gave us, as high school students, a different perspective on the climate, that surpassed the realms of our lifetime. The documentary itself is very well made, and David Attenborough. That’s it.” the group commented during their meeting.

The World Wildlife Fund calls A Life On Our Planet a powerful first-hand account of humanity's impact on nature and a message of hope for future generations. The host, David Attenborough, is a well known TV broadcaster, biologist, and activist. He works towards spreading awareness about the climate crisis and instituting change. As you could tell from the Eco Club’s answer, he is very well-liked by the climate change activist community.

This ended up being an incredible decision, as the film, “Had a perfect balance of harsh reality and hope for the future.” affirmed a member of Eco Club. They left the viewing feeling inspired, motivated, and most of all educated.

“This film gave us some shocking facts and figures about the environmental crises, such as the fact that the world’s total wilderness has shrunk by more than half in volume in David Attenborough’s lifetime. It also reminded us that nature is resilient and that we depend on nature more than it depends on us.”

But what inspired this film night?

During their meeting, the club discussed this question: “Our inspiration for our eco movie night was to get people involved in our earth week environmental initiatives. Showing a documentary allowed us to raise awareness on the environmental issues and allow people to learn more about the environment, all while creating a good environment to socialize and relax. At the end of the screening, we asked the attendees to write about how the documentary had inspired them on a piece of paper we had provided in the cafeteria. This encouraged them to reflect on what they had learned during the documentary and how they could apply it to their lives.”

I think the Eco Club would be happy to know the attendees were having fun at this wonderful event, and learning something along the way!