The Cradle of Aviation Museum, SK Films and Sweet Briar Nature Center are joining together to inspire families to put down their technological devices and enjoy nature again.
Studies show that almost 90 percent of our lives are spent indoors and that increased exposure to nature can help heal many of today’s common health ailments.
On Sunday, Jan. 13, from 12 to 4 p.m., museum visitors can see animal demonstrations from Sweet Briar Nature Center (free with admission) and view the award-winning documentary, “Backyard Wilderness,” that will surprise and entertain viewers with the unexpected wonders of nature that are right in their own backyards. Tickets are $9 for adults and $8 for children and seniors.
Created by Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers Andrew Young and Susan Todd, “Backyard Wilderness” will surprise and entertain viewers with the unexpected delights of nature that are in their own neighborhoods and communities.
Spanning a seasonal year around a suburban home, the film displays a stunning array of unique wildlife imagery and behavior — all captured by cameras mounted inside dens and nests, and moving along forest floors and pond bottoms.
The film reveals the animal inhabitants in rare and breathtaking detail. We follow Katie, a young girl, and her family who are absorbed by an array of electronic devices and, at first, oblivious to the natural world just outside their home. Katie gradually discovers the intricate secrets that nature has hidden so close to her front door and the audience gets to experience the joy she finds in her interactions with this newly uncovered world.
The film reminds viewers that Wi-Fi is not the only connection that matters and that sometimes in ordinary places, you can uncover extraordinary things that can transform you forever — you just need to step outside.
“Backyard Wilderness” is a winner of several awards including Best Film Short Subject, Best Film for Lifelong Learning, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effect from the Giant Screen Cinema Association
“’Backyard Wilderness,’ through breathtaking camerawork, shows us an intimate portrait of the world around us,” said evolutionary biologist, Dr. Sean B. Carroll, vice president for science education and executive director of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. “The goal of this film, coupled with our educational outreach effort, is to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers to look closely and observe the natural world around them to better understand how it works.”
The Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center is located on Museum Row, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., in East Garden City. For more information call 516-572-4111 or visit www.cradleofaviation.org.
