"H5N1 Prevention Initiative" Documentary (film trailer, above)

H5N1 experts' input & actionable tips for the public

Award Winner & Official Selections:

* Best Student Film & Best Trailer, Sicilian Film Awards/Madonie Film Festival, Italy, awarded 05/26, festival date 8/26

* Best Student Film, Beach Cities Inspirational Film Festival, CA, 04/26

* All-American High School Film Festival, CA (Upcoming, Screening at AMC Theatre, Times Square, 10/15)

* Regional Award, Scholastic Arts & Writing Award (Film), CT, 01/26

* Official Selection, EDU Film Festival, MN, 05/26

* Official Selection, Mpumalanga International Film Festival, S. Africa, 05/26

* Official Selection, Hollywood Stage Script Film Competition, CA, 04/26

* Official Selection, Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards, CA, 03/26

* Official Selection, New York Film & Cinematography Awards, 02/26

* Official Selection, Tokyo Film & Screenplay Awards, 02/26

* Official Selection, Wolverine Con International Student Film Festival, CA, 12/25

* Honorable Mention, Sustain Film Fest, Surrey, UK, 03/26

* Honorable Mention, Hollywood Shortfest, CA, 03/26

Service Recognition:

* International Young Eco-Hero Award, Action For Nature, CA, '26

*Mayoral Proclamation, North Salem, NY, '25

*President's Volunteer Service Award: Gold, '25

*Mensa Honor Society Service Award: Platinum, '26

Thank you, H5N1 Prevention Initiative, Grantees:

* Connecticut Ornithological Association, 2026

* Hershey Company, 2025

* Youth Service America, 2025

The H5N1 Prevention Initiative (Documentary, Hub, Fundraiser)

The GoFundMe/fundraiser supports bird and wildlife centers' HPAI preparedness strategies to combat avian flu.

The H5N1 Prevention Initiative is a multifaceted advocacy campaign dedicated to combating highly pathogenic avian influenza. It comprises a documentary, live presentations, a fundraising platform, and a private online Hub for bird centers to share HPAI strategies, resources, and public-facing preparedness materials.

An initial grant from the Hershey Corporation and Youth Service America kicked off the H5N1 Prevention Initiative documentary screenings. The "H5N1 Prevention Initiative" features experts in ornithology, epidemiology, and health policy sharing information and perspectives on avian influenza.

As a wildlife enthusiast, public health advocate, and activist filmmaker, Jack Aronian founded the initiative and created/produced the documentary to highlight the devastating impacts of bird flu and its potential to become a pandemic.

Aside from flash headlines about egg shortages, Bird Flu is not a topic in most schools or conversations. As part of the COVID generation that lived through a pandemic, combating zoonotic epidemics that could become pandemics is of key importance. Through storytelling and science-based filmmaking, we aim to inspire meaningful action to safeguard all species.

The core purpose of the H5N1 Prevention Initiative is to raise public awareness and strengthen and fund bird centers' prevention work to protect birds, wildlife, and humanity from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

Bird and wildlife centers are ideal intermediaries for protecting the public and disseminating government-issued health information about avian flu. Bird and wildlife organizations' membership and environmental and conservation connectivity play a critical role in catalyzing agency.

Crowdfunding and grants from the Connecticut Ornithological Association have furthered the H5N1 Prevention Initiative's outreach campaign. With your support, we can elevate awareness from local to global and provide donations to bird and wildlife centers combating HPAI through on-site protocols, community collaboration, and public safeguarding.

Please support the H5N1 Prevention Initiative— 100% of donations directly benefit bird and wildlife organizations.

Thank you—you help birds soar!

Jack Aronian

-One Heath /Wildlife Advocate & Documentarian

-2026 New York State Ornithological Speakers Bureau

-Instagram: @h5n1prevention

Select Press:

•Action For Nature, CA

•International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Newsletter

•CT Ornithology Assoc Bulletin, CT

•Halston Media News, NY

•Speaker Series Santa Clara Valley Audubon, CA

•Bedford-New Canaan Magazine, NY & CT

*100% of Donations Support Bird Organizations (list in formation):

•National Audubon Society

•Sharon Audubon Center, Sharon, CT

•Green Chimneys, Brewster, NY

•Nature Center at Greenburgh, NY

•Cornell Lab of Ornithology, NY

•Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, NY

•New Hope Bird Alliance, NC

•Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, CA

•Ojai Raptor Center, CA

•Alaska Raptor Center, AK

•Sylvan Heights Bird Sanctuary, NC

•Second Chances Wildlife Center, KY

•Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, ID

•Squam Lake Natural Science Center, NH

•Wildlife Center of North GA

•Freedom First Wildlife Rehab, CT

•International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, OR

Upcoming "H5N1 Prevention Initiative" Presentations/Screenings

•All-American High School Film Festival, 10/26

•Chemung Valley Audubon Society, NY, 11/19/26

•National Wildlife Rehabiliators Association, 2/16/27

Recent "H5N1 Prevention Initiative" Presentations/Screenings:

•Spotlight Interview/Official Selection: All American High School Film Festival, 8/26

• 2026 International Young Eco-Hero Awards Conference, 8/26

• Power of Young People Podcast, 08/26

• 2026 International Young Eco-Hero Awards Conference — 8/26

• Power of Young People Podcast — 08/26

•International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, H5N1 Collaborator and Panelist, Online, 7/26

•Sicilian Film Awards (formerly Madonie Film Festival), Italy, 09/26

•Mpumalanga International Film Festival, S. Africa, 07/26

•Sicilian Film Awards (formerly Madonie Film Festival), Italy, 09/26

•Mpumalanga International Film Festival, S. Africa, 07/26

•"Points of Light," Conference, Washington, DC, 6/6/26

•"Topia Talk," Writopia Lab, Bernie Wohl Center, NYC, 4/19/26

•EDU Film Festival, MN, 5/08/26

•Hollywood Shorts Fest, Online, 3/27/26

•Ojai Raptor Center, CA, 3/10/26

•Beach Cities Inspirational Film Festival, CA, 04/26

•Regional Award, Scholastic Arts & Writing Award (Film), CT, 01/26

•Hollywood Stage Script Film Competition, CA, 04/26

•Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards, CA, 03/26

•New York Film & Cinematography Awards, 02/26

•Tokyo Film & Screenplay Awards, 02/26

•Wolverine Con International Student Film Festival, CA, awarded 12/25, screened 3/12/26

•Stanford University Undergraduate Global Health Club, 1/13/26

•Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, California Alliance Speaker Series, 12/12/25

-https://scvbirdalliance.org/get-informed/speaker-series-jack-aronian

•Town of Greenburgh, NY Public Access TV, screening all Sundays in September 2025 (12 pm, 6 pm)

-Channel 75 on Cablevision

-Channel 34 on Verizon FiOS

-Channel 76 + Channel 35: Gov't Access

Previous Online Presentations:

Friday, 8/8/25 (1:30pm) *20 min.cut

Wednesday, 8/6/25 (4pm) *20 min.cut

Tuesday, 8/5/25 (1:30pm) *20 min.cut

Tuesday, 7/1/25 (8pm) *30 min.cut

Tuesday, 6/24/25 (8pm) *30 min.cut

Friday, 6/20/25 (1:30pm)*30 min.cut

Wednesday, 6/11/25 (4pm) *30 min.cut

Tuesday, 6/3/25 (1:30pm)*30 min.cut

Tuesday, 5/27/25 (8 pm)*30 min. cut

Tuesday, 5/20/25 (8 pm) *30 min. cut

In-Person Screenings/Presentations

•New Hope Bird Alliance, NC, 6/25/25

•Sharon Audubon, CT, National Audubon Society, 3/17/25 (in-person), 7/1/25 (online)

•Nature Center at Greenburgh, NY, 7/9/25

•Mahopac Library, NY, 4/30/25

•Green Chimneys, NY, 6/10/25

•Global Education Benchmark Group/Institute for Global Learning, NY, 1/25/25

•St. Luke's School, CT, 5/28/25, 1/4/26, 6/2/26

Related Hands-on Assist:

•DEP Peregrine Falcon Chick Banding, New York Hospital, NY, 5/20/25

•DEP Red Tail Hawk Release, Delaware County Fair, NY, 8/16/25

•Greenwich Audubon, CT, Promo Fundraising Video, Director Rochelle Thomas; Senior Center Assistant, Josey Gardner, 11/2/24

•Sharon Audubon Center, CT, Raptors & Riesling Fundraiser Video 5/2/25

•Hershey Company & Youth Service America Grant-sponsored event:

The "H5N1 Awareness & Prevention /Documentary"

-Experts in Ornithology, Public Policy, and Epidemiology, 4/30/25, Mahopac Library, NY

-In-person Introduction: New York's Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne

-Proclamation Presentation: North Salem, NY Supervisor Warren Lucas

-Participants (Partial List):

• Dr. Lewis Kohl, Chief Medical Director, Medical Information Officer, Safety Officer of Optum Tri-State

• Dr. Alison Kaufman, Lead Epidemiologist, Putnam County

Department of Health, NY

•Chris Nadereski, Section Chief/Wildlife Studies, Research Scientist, Department of Environmental Protection, NYC

• Maureen P. Doherty, Farm Prog. Mgr., Green Chimneys, Brewster, NY

• David Spillo, Green Chimneys, Wildlife Prog. Mgr./Federal Rehabilitator, NY

•Amandine Gamble, Ph.D., DVM, Cornell University, Disease Ecologist & Veterinarian

• Dr. Mario Ramirez, Former Acting Director, HHS Office of Global Affairs Office of Pandemic & Emerging Threats

• Director Eileen Fielding, Ph.D., Sharon Audubon Center (rebuilding center, quarantine unit), CT

•Sunny Kellner, Head of Bird Rehab, Sharon Audubon, CT

• Andrew Michalski, Animal Husbandry Manager, Nature Center at Greenburgh, NY

• Nigel Sizer, Ph.D., Director, Global Climate Initiative, Former Executive Director of Preventing Pandemics at the Source, Former CEO of The Rainforest Alliance

• Hugh Powell, Senior Science Editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, NY

• Dr. Dianne Aronian, Yorktown Heights, NY, wife of the former Dr. John Aronian, the author of "Montauk Trilogy"/Smew" (foretold Bird Flu's community spread)

•Chad Wilsey, Ph.D. Chief Scientist, National Audubon Society

• Ross McKinney, Vice President, New Hope Bird Alliance, Durham, Orange, Chatham, North Carolina

• Peter Kaestner, Former US diplomat, Guinness World Record Holder "10,000 Bird Species Sighted" & Discovered new species eponymously named "Grallaria kaestneri"

• Stephen W. Kress, Ph.D., Ornithologist, Founder of Project Puffin, Former Vice President of Bird Conservation for the National Audubon, Director of the Society's Maine Coast Seabird Sanctuaries, Visiting Fellow, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

• Meredith Barges, Policy Advocate & Educator, Chair, Lights Out Central New York, Co-founder of Lights Out, CT

•Chris Eksteen, Director, Ojai Raptor Ctr., CA

•Mark Pokras, Associate Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Medicine at The Cummings Veterinary School, former Director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic, and co-founder of the Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine

*H5N1 Prevention Initiative Advisors (Partial List):

• Chris Nadereski, Section Chief/Wildlife Studies, Research Scientist, Department of Environmental Protection, NYC

•Heather J. Huson, Ph.D., Co-Assoc. Chair of Animal Science Dept., Director of the Raptor Program, Cornell University

•Meghan Jensen, Ph.D., Raptor Program Manager, Cornell University

•Warren Lucas, Supervisor/Mayor of North Salem, NY

•Kevin Byrne, County Executive of Putnam County, NY

•Janet Jochem, Science Department Chair, St. Luke’s School, CT

•James Yavenditti, Director of Studies, St. Luke’s School, CT

•Elizabeth Yavenditti, Director of Global Education, St. Luke's Ctr. Leadership, CT

•Jocelyn Anderson, Director of Leadership Giving at the National Audubon Society

•Peter Kaestner, Former US Diplomat, Ornithologist, & Guinness World Record "10,000 Bird Species Sighted", Discovered new species eponymously named "Grallaria kaestneri"

Testimonials:

Your work to raise awareness about H5N1 reflects deep dedication, and I appreciate the initiative and care you have put into it.

I am grateful that you are choosing to support Audubon through your efforts. It means a great deal to have someone with your passion and creativity working on behalf of birds and the places they need.

-Elizabeth Gray, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, National Audubon Society

I loved reading through the survey questions. I think that they will collect a lot of valuable data for you and your partners at Cornell, as well as provide other members of the Hub with great insight into the strategies and practices used to combat H5N1.

-Andrew Michalski, Naturalist Educator/Manager of Living Collections at Greenburgh Nature Center

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video and help educate our local community; this is really awesome!

-Terence Brosnan, Director of Cable Access, Town of Greenburgh, NY

Thank you again for your support of the Lab and for your impressive fundraising efforts in support of bird flu prevention.

- Kelly Fiske, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Wow! What a great job. I am so impressed with the work you did to help spread the word on this very serious issue…meeting and getting to know a young person like you gives me a lot of hope for the world’s future! I look forward to seeing where you go and what you do. Simply Amazing!

-Maureen Doherty, Green Chimneys Farm Program Manager, NY

You put together a fantastic film and important initiative, and looking forward to seeing the next iteration!

- Jocelyn Anderson, Director, Leadership Giving, National Audubon Society

First, let me salute your initiative in having this idea and inviting partners to be members! I truly appreciate the way you generate support for the Center while pursuing your own project. You really have the spirit of partnership. I’m just catching up to your videos–great stuff!

-Eileen Fielding, Center Director for the Sharon Audubon Center, CT

I'm so impressed by your initiative. Thank you for coordinating a network that can serve as a critical connection point for centers like ours.

-Amy Brennan McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, Teton Mountain, Wilson, WY

Thank you for thinking of us and inviting us to join this incredible project. The work being done through the H5N1 Prevention Hub is critically important, and we are eager to contribute our experience and any data or insight that may help advance our collective understanding of avian influenza.

-Robyn D. Miller, PhD, Director, Auburn University Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbus, GA

Thank you for sharing the video clip from the peregrine falcon banding at NY Presbyterian. You are a very talented young man – in many ways.

-Chris Nadareski, Section Chief of Wildlife Studies, NYC DEP​

We truly enjoyed your documentary—thank you again for joining our staff meeting. I hope more and more people get the chance to see your wonderful work. Congratulations again!

-Alix Dunn, Executive Director, Nature Center at Greenburgh, NY

Thank you again for what you've been doing, it truly is remarkable!

-Sunny Kellner, Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, Sharon Audubon Center, CT

Your passion for your projects and birds is so inspiring!

-Casey Chisick, Development, Green Chimneys, NY​​

It's impressive how much you've already accomplished.

Best wishes as you move your Hub plans forward.

-Meredith Barges, Chair, Lights Out Central New York; Founder of Light Out, CT

Congratulations again, Jack, on a fantastic event.

This is amazing. I loved the pictures and videos.

-Kate P. Burgard, Leadership Director, St. Luke's, CT

This [video] is wonderful! I’m sharing it with all of our staff.

-Rochelle Thomas, Center Director, Greenwich Audubon, CT​​

What a marvelous young man…thank you for your kindness!

-Katherine J. Cousins, Vice President of Development & Managing Director, Green Chimneys, NY​​​

You put together a fantastic film and important initiative, and looking forward to seeing the next iteration!

-Jocelyn Anderson, Director, Leadership Giving, National Audubon Society

Jack, I’m just catching up to your videos–great stuff! Thank you so much!

- Eileen Fielding, Center Director for the Sharon Audubon Center, CT

I'm so impressed by your initiative. Thank you for coordinating a network that can serve as a critical connection point for centers like ours.

-Amy Brennan McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, Teton Mountain, Wilson, WY

We truly enjoyed your documentary—thank you again for joining our staff meeting. I hope more and more people get the chance to see your wonderful work. Congratulations again!

-Casey Chisick, Development, Green Chimneys, NY​​

Thanks so much for your time; you were a big help, and these photos will be so helpful!

-Gabrielle Dwyer, Assistant Farmer, Muscoot Farm, Westchester County Parks, NY

You have clearly committed yourself to a serious documentary career, and your use of the video camera across your sample work is exceptional. A 30-minute documentary about avian flu is a remarkable undertaking, and the trailer has energy, focus, and successful editing of interviews with b-roll. Keep going.

-The Scholarship Committee, Anthony Quinn Foundation