Monday, July 29, at 7 PM
Since 1970, bird populations have dropped by 3 billion. This documentary looks at waterbirds in the Great Lakes region and how they have been hurt by disease, pollution, and habitat loss. The massive die-offs of birds due to botulism poisoning and avian influenza have biologists, veterinarians, and public health officials worried. Avian influenza has jumped from birds to mammals, and more recently has infected people working with infected dairy cattle. Legacy pollution, emerging contaminants, and microplastic pollution are growing concerns in fish, birds, and people. Vegetated wetland loss has been escalating and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision is likely to see that loss escalate. Underlying all of those issues in multiple ways is climate change. Veteran environmental journalists Lester Graham and Rebecca Williams tell the stories behind the headlines, consulting with several universities, conservation groups, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Audubon Great Lakes in a scene-rich, sound-rich exploration.