On Thursday, Aug. 13, the film “The Meaning of Tea” will be shown at the Rendall Fine Art Gallery, 65 Main Street in Wiscasset, along with tea tasting with the film’s director, Scott Chamberlin Hoyt. This showing is a benefit event for the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association (SVCA). Tea tasting with the director and gallery viewing begins at 5 p.m.; “The Meaning of Tea” film will be shown at 7 p.m. Suggested donation to benefit SVCA is $10; $5 for students.

“The Meaning of Tea” is a lyrical documentary film that explores the calm and purposeful life of tea around the world. It celebrates the history, rituals, spirituality, and simple pure enjoyment of tea through the eyes of tea lovers and growers in places where tea is revered, from India to Ireland, from Taiwan to Japan, from Tea, South Dakota to Morocco, England and France. The film introduces us to some of the world’s most extraordinary tea experts and invites them to tell their own stories through fascinating interviews.

Rendall Fine Art Gallery is a showcase for the paintings, etchings and astonishing large-scale woodcuts by Keith Rendall, which depict birds and mammals “nestled in their natural habitats like majestic totems.” According to Rendall, “printmaking allows a freedom of expression with a curious amount of the unknown.” The gallery also displays elegant hand-made furniture by Eben Blaney.

Quality tea depends on available clean water, and Rendall’s gallery is only a stone’s throw from the Sheepscot River passing through Wiscasset. The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association is a member organization advocating shared stewardship of Maine’s 58-mile Sheepscot River since 1969. Today, more than 3,671 acres and 15 miles of riverfront are protected. The SVCA’s ongoing monitoring of water quality helps ensure the watershed’s ecosystems stay healthy, including its Atlantic salmon habitat. For more information visit our website at www.sheepscot.org, email svca@sheepscot.org or call the office at 207-586-5616.