Fisheries, river ecology films to be shown Jan. 30 at PSUB

The Portneuf Student Unit of the American Fisheries Society will host a showing of two films – one on river ecology and the other on cutthroat trout conservation – beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at Idaho State University.

The films will be shown in the Pond Student Union Building Bengal Film Theater. The titles of the films are “RiverWebs” and “Rising Through the Shadows: The Return of the Cutthroat Trout.” Both films are accessible to a general and scientific audience. A description of each of the films follows below.

The showing of the films is a fundraiser for the event sponsor.  The Portneuf Student Unit of the AFS will raffle off several items, including a framed sockeye salmon print donated by the "Four Sockeye" group (http://www.foursockeye.com/).

For more information on this event, contact J. Ryan Bellmore, (208) 282-2139, or visit www.isu.edu/departments/strmecol/.

A description of each of the films follows:

• “RiverWebs”: This documentary film about life, death, science and streams takes a close look at an international group of river ecologists who share a story of tragedy, growth and recovery. Across Eastern and Western cultures, the interwoven lives of these scientists – which include ISU ecologist Dr. Colden Baxter – builds a story of interconnectedness, while providing a very personal window through which to view rivers, ecology and conservation. “RiverWebs” chronicles the life and work of a pioneering Japanese ecologist, Dr. Shigeru Nakano. From his boyhood exploration of Japan's mountain streams to his leadership of an international effort to understand connections between stream and forest ecosystems, Nakano's life story demonstrates the curiosity, creativity and community that drives scientific discovery. To view a trailer of this move visit the Web site www.freshwatersillustrated.org/riverwebs.html.

• “Rising From The Shadows: The Return Of The Cutthroat Trout”: Journey into an underwater world and discover one of the West's oldest wild animals first discovered and named on the Lewis and Clark expedition. "Rising from the Shadows" uses breathtaking underwater imagery to reveal the dramatic world of the Cutthroat Trout as they encounter fierce predators, changing habitat and the threat of hybridization with other species. Viewers will meet the scientists, anglers and artists who are making an unprecedented historic attempt to help the Cutthroat rise from the shadows of decline.