Originally published at: https://geektherapy.org/natural-history-museum-celebrates-earth-month-with-new-film-series-events-activities-and-resources/
Author: Newsroom
Los Angeles, CA (March 20, 2025) — In honor of Earth Month, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) is introducing a film series called Green Screen: Our Planet on Film in its new NHM Commons Theater. The three Green Screen evening events happening on April 10, 17 and 24 will be part of the month-long celebration centered around the upcoming annual Earth Day festival on April 19.
“Earth Month is a chance to highlight the Natural History Museum’s ongoing stewardship of and commitment to scientific research and biodiversity education,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. “This includes showcasing the valuable work our in-house scientists and researchers are conducting year-round and how community members can participate in the understanding of and responsibility for our natural world.”
Online Earth Month content will explore such topics as how this year’s wildfires affected birds, the UN Biodiversity Summit, and how your smartphone can help scientists learn more about the biodiversity of Los Angeles for the historic 10th anniversary of the City Nature Challenge (which kicks off April 25).
City Nature Challenge is one of the world’s largest community science events, connecting tens of thousands of people through local nature and their communities each year. After launching the first-ever City Nature Challenge in 2016 with just 1,000 observers across a pair of California cities, NHM and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences has grown to include over 7.13 million urban biodiversity observations of 94,000+ species and engaged over 364,000 people. The four-day Challenge encourages community scientists to participate in organized biodiversity surveys or by simply recording the wildlife in their own neighborhood using free mobile apps like iNaturalist. 2025 is the 10th anniversary of the partnership between NHM and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, marking a full decade of community scientists around the world exploring their local environment and contributing to biodiversity science and conservation.
Alongside the major anniversary of City Nature Challenge, NHM’s biggest new addition for Earth Month is the Green Screen film series taking place at the NHM Commons Theater. These free evening events are designed to bring thought-provoking film-based programs to create constructive and actionable discussion on environmental issues facing the planet from both a local and global perspective. This year’s Green Screen events will feature Sundance World Cinema Documentary nominee Nocturnes (April 10), Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust (presented in partnership with Visual Communications and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on April 17), and Earth Focus (presented in partnership with PBS SoCal on April 24).
NHM’s annual Earth Day festival will take place on April 19 during regular Museum hours and will include hands-on activities, up-close encounters with actual NHM scientists showcasing behind-the-scenes Museum collections, live musical performances with Masanga Marimba, live animal meet and greets, and more. Nickelodeon will also be on hand that day, sharing the Science of Spongebob and a character visit from the beloved series. More information on the Earth Day festivities will be available soon.
NHMLAC is one of the leading institutions devoted to the study of the Earth and the singular organization in Los Angeles that brings the study of the natural and cultural worlds to the general public. While NHMLAC’s research has a global impact, community science is a core tenet of its work and helps to make the museum’s research and collections more accessible for everyone in Los Angeles and beyond.
Earth Month at NHM Calendar
Green Screen: Our Planet On Film
Link: nhm.org/green-screen-our-planet-film
Nocturnes
April 10, 6:30-9:30 pm
Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust
April 17, 6:30-9:30 pm
Earth Focus
April 24, 6:30-9:30 pm
Earth Day Festival
When: April 19, 9:30-5:00 pm
Link: nhm.org/earthday
City Nature Challenge
When: April 25-28 (Challenge), April 29 – May 4 (Reporting)
Link: nhm.org/city-nature-challenge