Aarrow Productions’ environmental series Down2Earth is going global Monday to mark National Aboriginal Day.

Each week an episode of the 13-half hour APTN doc series, about indigenous solutions to man-made environmental problems, will be streamed at www.projectdown2earth.com. The intent is to make the series available online to international audiences.

‘A lot of our stories come from around the world and we have had so many requests from people internationally wanting to see the show that we decided to create our own channel online to get the series out there globally,’ says Barbara Hager, producer, writer and director of Down2Earth and head of Victoria-based prodco Aarrow Productions.

‘We will also get discussions going at the site,’ she adds. ‘We want people around the world talking about the ideas in the show.’

Hosted by Cree musician and TV host Art Napoleon (The New Canoe), Down2Earth visits Canadian and international locales to meet with Indigenous peoples who are taking action against environmental problems that threaten their communities.

‘It’s about Indigenous solutions to global warming that combine traditional knowledge and modern technology,’ explains Hager. ‘These communities are really leading edge.’

To mark the launch of the series online, Aarrow Productions is hosting a special reception today in Vancouver to honor Aboriginal environmental leaders featured in the doc series. Guests include Alfred Waugh, architect from the Chipewyan First Nation in the North West Territories and Eli Enns, of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island.

Down2Earth premiered on APTN in March and Hager would like to produce additional seasons of the series in conjunction with international partners. The online streaming is intended to boost interest in the series globally.