I love documentaries! In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share my top 5 Eco Docs, I recommend you watch. If you haven’t already seen them, these environmental documentaries are thought provoking, powerful and are making a difference in lives around the world.  These filmmakers are heroes, taking a stand to raise awareness about environmental issues, and implore us to come together for the conservation and preservation of the environment.

1. Revolution

An incredible documentary by Rob Stewart.  I remember when I first watched this documentary, it had just come out in Toronto, I was lucky enough to see it in theaters.  This film made a lasting impression on me.  I urge you to watch this insightful and incredible documentary.

2. Sharkwater

Another amazing documentary by Rob Stewart, this documentary is a must see!  We cannot afford to lose sharks, we need sharks for our survival.  This movie has made waves, and as a result more legislation and protection has been put in place to save sharks and ban shark finning.  Rob Stewart is a hero, and has done amazing work to help save sharks.  To learn more on how you can help save sharks, and create awareness about the urgency to stop shark finning, visit the Fin Free website 

3. Gasland 

Filmaker Josh Fox, made an explosive documentary shedding light on the horrors and environmental devastation fracking has caused.  Garland 2 is an incredible follow up documentary, and can’t be missed.  Josh Fox is a hero for sharing his story and the stories of those affected by the fracking industry.  He exposes the truth about hydraulic fracturing.

4. Blackfish

Filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite, made an incredibly eye opening and moving documentary.  This documentary educates us on why animals such as dolphins and orcas should not live in captivity. These animals were born to swim free in the ocean. Animals were not created for our entertainment, and should not be snatched away from their families and placed in tanks to perform tricks for our entertainment- animals should be left in the wild, in their natural habitat.

5. The 11th Hour

This documentary, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, was the first environmental documentary I watched.  It made such a profound impact on me.  This film reminds us of the irreparable damage we have inflicted on the planet.  We are in the “11th Hour” and we need to make changes fast to begin repairing the damage that has already been done to our planet. We need to act now, we need to continue to make changes in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint.  We need to stay informed about environmental issues and concerns.

If you get a chance to watch any one of these inspiring and powerful documentaries, I hope you enjoy it.  To all the documentary filmmakers out there, you are heroes, and are making such a positive impact on the world.  You all are inspirations. Thank you for all the work that you do.

with love from one tree hugger to another, xo