On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the John Muir Institute of the Environment (JMIE) will host a free screening of "Becoming California," a new documentary about environmental change and reconciliation.

It includes interviews with UC Davis professors Robert Bettinger, Eldridge Moores, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle and Kevin Rice.

Funded largely by the National Science Foundation, the two-hour film explores how California came to be one of the most resource-rich and biologically diverse places on Earth – and how humans have rapidly transformed it. The last hour highlights opportunities for meeting nature half way – like turning Bay Area rooftops into living meadows, revitalizing the Los Angeles River and removing old logging roads from redwood forests to reconnect their fragmented ecosystems.

Executive Producer Jim Baxter and Producer/Director Kit Tyler will join JMIE Director Mark Schwartz for a viewing 4:30 pm to 7 pm at the UC Davis Student Community Center's Multi-Purpose Room.