News & Events

American Conservation Film Festival
Children’s Film and Activity

ZOO VETS

Free Admission
Saturday, November 8, 12:00 noon
National Conservation Training Center – Byrd Auditorium

Film: Zoo Vets   50 min.
A Smithsonian Channel film, Zoo Vets goes behind the scenes of the National Zoo and shows us the lives and the work of the people who care for the sick animals.  One of the film’s biologists, Linda Moore, an expert on raptors, will be on hand to discuss her work at the National Zoo.  Perfect for children and the whole family.

After Zoo Vets, Melissa Kowalski of Melissa’s Zoo will be showing a rescued Eastern Box Turtle and a variety of snakes.  She will talk about the care and protection of these wild and sometimes domestic creatures.  There will also be a variety of parrots on hand

A Presentation for Parents: Children and Nature
Saturday, November 8, 12:00pm
National Conservation Training Center - Studio Theater
Free Admission

Film:  Where Do Children Play?  60 min.
An examination of how restrictive patterns of sprawl, congestion, and endless suburban development across America are impacting children’s mental and physical health and development.

Conservation in Context panel discussion, Saturday November 8, 1:15 p.m. NCTC
Family practice physician, and father of two young children, Dr. Mark Cucuzella, will discuss the health issues brought out in the film.  Dr. Cucuzella is a Family Practice Physician at HF Family Medicine.  He is also a career Air Force Reserve Flight Surgeon with 20 years of service.  His passion is the promotion of physical activity as the best medicine for life.  He is currently orchestrating a pilot program at Harpers Ferry Middle School which last year involved 700 students walking 3500 miles of trail.  This year the initiative is being funded and assisted by the National Park Service and the Benedum Foundation.

Children's Author, Lynne Cherry, specializes on books on conservation for children.  She will talk about how entertaining children can find nature.

The American Conservation Film Festival will be held in Shepherdstown the Shepherdstown Opera House, Shepherd University and at the National Conservation Training Center from November 5-9th.  A full schedule of movie times and venues is available on the festival’s website at conservationfilm.org, or call 304-876-7373.