David Mrazek/ 2014/ 57 min/ Wildlife
FILM DESCRIPTION: From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction reveals the compelling story of the unlikely extinction of the passenger pigeon. For millennia, the sleek long-distance flyer was the most abundant bird in North America and perhaps the world. Then, in a matter of decades, it was hunted to extinction. On September 1, 1914, Martha, the last passenger pigeon in captivity, died in the Cincinnati Zoo, marking the end of the species. This award-winning film follows naturalist and author Joel Greenberg, A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction, (Bloomsbury USA, 2014), as well as scientists, artists and teachers that are drawn to this literal teachable moment and its striking relevance to conservation challenges today. The "De-extinction" movement and its plan to bring back the passenger pigeon, is briefly explored. Highlights include breathtaking CGI animation of massive flocks, as well as astonishing aerials captured by remote control quadcopters equipped with GoPro cameras.