On Tuesday, Jan. 29, MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper and the Hemlock Restoration Initiative will host a screening of the documentary “The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Film About the Loss of an Ecosystem” at the Purple Onion in Saluda.

The 30-minute long documentary was produced in 2016 by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and won the award for Best Appalachian Environment Film at the Boone Film Festival.

The groups hope that screening the film will help increase public awareness and build momentum to save more hemlock trees, representatives said.

“We’re excited to help educate the public about the invasive woolly adelgid that is killing hemlock trees in our own backyard,” said Gray Jernigan, Green Riverkeeper and Southern regional director of MountainTrue. “We also want to let folks know about some local efforts underway to save hemlocks and how they can get involved and support our work.”

After the featured film, the groups will screen a short, locally-produced documentary highlighting the efforts of the Paddlers Hemlock Health Action Taskforce to save hemlocks locally in the Green River Gorge. Those interested in learning more may visit paddlersforhemlocks.com.

The night will conclude with a Q&A with MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper and Hemlock Restoration Initiative to contextualize the films and help the audience understand the next steps for action.

Admission to see the films is free, and the first film will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 29 is also Oyster and Pint Night at the Purple Onion, and a portion of proceeds will benefit MountainTrue and the Hemlock Restoration Initiative.

– Submitted by Eliza Stokes