Telling the story of land through film
This year’s NW Land Camp Film Fest showcased and celebrated five outstanding short films created by land trusts and conservation organization in the west. Ranging from 5 minutes to 11 minutes, these films were handpicked by organizers for their impressive storytelling, beautiful imagery, and creativity. Films represent a wide variety of projects, from preserving a community forest to reintroducing salmon to using prescribed burns to manage lands.
Thank you to the filmmakers and land trust staff who joined our panel at the Film Fest: Glenn Lamb of Columbia Land Trust, filmmaker Aedin Powell, Sarah Zablocki-Axling of Jefferson Land Trust, Carol Corbin of Inland NW Land Conservancy, filmmaker Brady Holden, and Mitch Maxson from The Nature Conservancy in Oregon.
Here’s a round up of the films featured in this year’s film fest!
Salmon in the Little Spokane
Inland NW Land Conservancy | Spokane, WA
Film by Rogue Heart Media
As the Spokane Tribe and many other entities work to reintroduce salmon to the Spokane River and her related watersheds, this educational release of Chinook salmon, brings the fish back to the Little Spokane River for the first time in 111 years. This will give biologists a chance to understand how a long-displaced, reintroduced species will function in this ecosystem.
This video was created in partnership with the Inland NW Land Conservancy, Spokane Tribal Fisheries, Spokane Tribe of Indians, and Rogue Heart Media.
Chimacum Ridge
Jefferson Land Trust | Port Townsend, WA
Film by Aedin Powell Media
Chimacum Ridge Community Forest is a potential community forest located in Jefferson County, on the Eastern side of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The Chimacum Ridge property covers 853 acres of mixed use forest. With the aim of official purchase by December of 2023, Jefferson Land Trust continues to develop a community based management plan for the future community forest.
This video project was supported in full from the partnership and financial assistance by the United States Forest Service through the Community Forest & Open Space Conservation Program.
Through the Fire: Restoring Forest Resilience
The Nature Conservancy in Oregon | Portland, OR
Film by Brady Holden
In summer of 2021, the Bootleg Fire burned across more than 413,000 acres of southern Oregon, making it the third largest wildfire in Oregon history. Nearly 15,000 of those acres were on The Nature Conservancy’s Sycan Marsh Preserve. For two decades, this location has been used for extensive research about fire behavior and forest management. When the Bootleg Fire came to Sycan Marsh, it provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine years worth of work to better understand the results of various proactive tactics. In this video, we visit Sycan Marsh before, during and after the Bootleg Fire and learn from the many partners, including The Nature Conservancy, The Klamath Tribes, and the U.S. Forest Service, who work to protect and restore this special place.
The Oregon I Am
Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts | Portland, OR
Film by Brady Holden
Oregon is pretty amazing, and so are the people who call it home! From the rocky shores of the coast to the magic of the high desert, we at the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts know that every person has a unique story to tell and a special connection to this place. We invited people from across the state to share what Oregon represents for them – a memory, idea, dream, moment, anything. The Oregon we are is an Oregon of us.
The Witness Tree
Columbia Land Trust | Vancouver, WA
Film by Zach Putnam Productions
On the banks of the Grays River, where salamanders crawl, salmon push upstream, and one ancient hemlock tree tells the story of change and resilience. What can this tree teach us about our iconic Northwest forests? What does the future hold for our communities and the watersheds on which we depend? From past history to the current history of working forests, it stands as a testament to the past, present, and future.
Columbia Land Trust presents The Witness Tree, featuring Land Trust Stewardship Director Ian Sinks, Conservation Lead Lydia Mendoza, and renowned author & ecologist Dr. Robert Michael Pyle.
