chiff Nature Preserve’s seventh annual Environmental Film Festival is planned for Sat., June 4, at 8 p.m., and will include one feature film, “Shellshocked: Saving Oysters to Save Ourselves.” The festival will include a short film, as well as a guest speaker from the feature film’s cast, Meredith Comi, director of the NY/NJ Baykeeper’s oyster restoration program. Comi will lead a discussion about the importance of oysters in cleaning water and rebuilding fragile local ecosystems.
The films will be shown in Schiff’s Woodbadge Lodge, which is transformed into a woodland theater each year for this special event. Festival attendees may choose to walk from the Nature Center in Mendham along marked trails to the theatre location, which is a gentle two-mile, or 20-minute, hike. Transportation from the Nature Center to the theatre will also be available starting at 7 p.m.
Films are family friendly, but the content is geared for ages 12 and up. Tickets are $15 each or four tickets for $50; students pay $10 each. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Tickets are available online at www.Schiffnaturepreserve.org. Questions, call 973-543-6004.
Schiff Nature Preserve includes 780 acres of preserved land in the Mendhams and Chester. Its mission is to preserve open space, serve as a model of environmental stewardship, and provide environmental education to the public.