Wildlife films to support conservation trip

SANDPOINT — A collection of short movies featuring animals from across the continents will show at the Hive at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. 

A $20 suggested donation at the door and proceeds from a silent auction will benefit local high schoolers raising funds to visit the Dominican Republic in June to protect and restore coral reefs. 

Both the showing and the trip are planned and curated by John Hastings, a retired Sandpoint High School teacher who has led area students to the Caribbean for restoration trips since 2019. 

Hastings was inspired to launch the initiative after he showed students in his Advanced Placement environmental science class a documentary about threats faced by coral reefs. When the high schoolers expressed a desire to help, he connected with a reef conservationist he had met on a diving trip and organized an eight-day expedition to the Dominican Republic to offer students’ labor to a local organization working to preserve corals.

“These are small-time operators that need every bit of financial and physical help they can get,” Hastings said. “We get to do meaningful work — so it’s a lot of fun.” 

On past trips, students have built support structures out of rebar and concrete designed to help corals grow and recover, planted mangroves to mitigate erosion, and snorkeled and dove to clear reefs of algae and sediment. 

“Normally, the fish come and eat the algae, so the corals can thrive,” Hastings said. “But because of overfishing, there aren’t enough fish to do the job. So, we become human fish.” 

To create a lasting solution, students have also built large nursery structures designed to attract fish that will keep corals clear. 

“That’s really had an impact,” Hastings said. “There's a noticeable increase in the fish population.” 

The first half of the trip is dedicated to work, but after students have completed their tasks, they visit local landmarks and gain unique cultural experiences like learning to dance salsa and bachata. 

The goal, Hastings said, is to expose students to new food, music, languages and lifestyles to help them better understand life in another part of the world. 

“It's very good for them to see it all, to broaden their perspectives on the world,” Hastings said. “We could go to the Florida Keys and do something like this, but that doesn’t have the cultural element that I want.” 

Hastings selected the films at the showing to appeal to local viewers. The itinerary includes movies spotlighting wildlife in northern Montana and Yellowstone National Park, along with a short film about a Dominican reef conservationist that one of Hastings’ groups worked with in the past. 

Students who volunteer at the film festival will split the proceeds from the donations. High schoolers who sell tickets or bring auction items will see 100% of the proceeds, which can take a considerable chunk out of the trip’s cost. 

“All I’m doing is providing an opportunity for them to raise some money,” Hastings said. “The more they put into it, the more they will get out of it.” 

If there’s anything Hastings hopes students take away from his trips, it's an appreciation for conservation and an understanding of their ability to impact their surroundings. 

“When they can see a healthy reef and a degraded reef, they can see the work that's been done,” Hastings said. 

“They can see how they — as relatively untrained young people — can truly make a difference,” He added. “It's highly motivating to see that you can make a difference in your world.”