I did not nominate the film Call of the Forest simply because it is a documentary about trees which are a type of plant and therefore, I have made my connection to applied plant ecology. I nominated this film because, in my opinion trees are one of the most overlooked and under appreciated organisms. Trees require more spotlight to be placed on them since they play many important roles in environments throughout the globe.
Another reason for my selection of this film is that it focuses on forests of the northern hemisphere. I think it is safe to say that every York University student, at some point or another, has come across native Canadian tree species which the film focused on when highlighting Canada’s great Boreal Forest. I found this particularly important because it allows students to draw up their own relationship between the film and real-world experiences.
While the film is comprised of many breathtaking drone shots that were filmed over large areas of vast, pristine forests. The film also goes into a great amount of detail discussing the various roles trees play in the environment and also includes some of the ways trees help directly benefit humans, like their role in the production of medications.
The film leaves the audience with a challenge, that challenge is to simply plant one native tree species in a native area each year. Calculations predict that by doing this it has the potential to reverse the effects of climate change. By nominating this powerful film the hope is that it will get shared between more students, friends and families which just might be what it takes to make accomplishing this challenge a little easier with the goal in mind of making the world a cleaner, better place.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 
