At Disney we take our citizenship responsibilities seriously all year round, but with April being Earth Month in the U.S., it’s a perfect time for us to achieve greater awareness in areas like wildlife conservation.
That makes April an important month for our Disneynature film label. All four of our Disneynature theatrical releases – Earth, Oceans, African Cats and last year’s Chimpanzee– debuted in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22).
This year we’re unveiling an ultra-closeup look at the intricate world of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and bats, as Wings of Life takes flight today on Blu-ray®, Digital and On-Demand. Working tirelessly to propagate our essential plant life through pollination, these small creatures make a vital contribution to the health of our planet. The film is directed by Louie Schwartzberg and narrated by Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep.
To celebrate Wings of Life and protect pollinators worldwide, Disneynature has made a donation to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF), which provides financial support for wildlife study, habitat protection and conservation and education program development. DWCF has already supported more than 20 projects across North America aimed at the protection of butterflies, honeybees and other pollinators.
Each Disneynature film provides a great opportunity to create awareness and support, which we often do through a complementary conservation effort. First-week ticket sales on Earthhelped us plant 3 million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, while Oceans established 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas.
During the release of 2011’s African Cats, we worked with African Wildlife foundation to help protect 65,000 acres of savanna in the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor in Kenya. And forChimpanzee we teamed up with the Jane Goodall Institute to protect 129,236 acres of wild chimpanzee habitat in the Tchimpounga Nature Reserve in the Republic of Congo, while providing resources to educate 60,000 schoolchildren about chimpanzee conservation, as well as care for orphaned chimpanzees.
For Earth Day 2014, we’re looking forward to the release of Disneynature’s Bears, which will showcase the lives of two mother bears as they impart life lessons to their young cubs against the majestic backdrop of Alaska’s Katmai National Park. We recently released a sneak peek at this gorgeous upcoming film.
Bears will be in theaters nationwide on April 18, 2014, so you have plenty of time to clear your schedule. But don’t wait another day to start making our world a better place.