“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” – John James Audubon
When Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970, environmental issues of pollution, depleting natural resources, and endangered species pervaded the news. This global movement mobilized earth’s citizens to advocate regulatory legislation within their national and local governments. Building the next generation of environmental stewards, educators developed curriculum and activities for community transformation. Fifty years later, environmental protection issues are still being discussed with newer practices of sustainability, climate action, zero waste, and restoration.
With a threat like the COVID 19 coronavirus pandemic, we are forced to re-evaluate our responsibilities to environmental sustainability. In the midst of this pandemic and enforced lockdowns across the planet we see the effects of less pollution being caused and the earth breathing again. Our connection and impact to the world is more powerful than anything else on earth. Today we see fish returning to the canals of Venice; views of the Himalayan Mountains in India which havenʻt been seen clearly visible in almost 30 years; and clean, clear skies in the U.S. and China. Although our fight for the environment is not over; a crisis like this helps to clear the fog of economic and social development. We all must do our part in protecting the earth and the environment for generations to come.
The conservation efforts chronicled and recorded by our local filmmakers and videographers are available to view in ‘Uluʻulu’s collections in our Earth Day Theme Page. These videos represent the wide breadth of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. They show our interaction with the environment, reflecting Native Hawaiian culture with respect to indigenous plants, animals, land and water.
May Earth Live : A Journey Through the Hawaiian Forest
The clips that we post are only about 10% of the full-length footage. So, if you find yourself wanting to know just how the rest of an interview or segment went in one of the clips, request the full-length video on the “Ask an Archivist” button located at the bottom of every page on our website. If you click on that button, you can fill out the form. Please indicate the title name and number. From there, we’ll be able to assist you in getting the full-length footage streamed directly to you.
ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi 