Filmmaker Ginger Kathrens

On October 25, 2009, NATURE hosted a live discussion with filmmaker Ginger Kathrens to allow viewers to ask questions about Cloud and the making of the film.

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Linda H. says:

What can kids do to help Cloud and his family and all the other wild horses so they always run free?

Ginger says:

Linda: thank you – Kids are crucial and can save the wild horses again- they did in the late 1960’s with Wild Horse Annie (you can read more about wild horse Annie on the web). Kids should write President Obama, their Senators and Congress-people — and most importantly: teach your families and school mates. Kids can share what is happening to wild horses with their clubs. There is a sample letter and more ideas on our website, http://www.thecloudfoundation.org — if 100,000s Kids write Obama maybe we can stop these ongoing roundups.

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Shelley Sawhook says:

Can you tell us which of the horses in the video are no longer free to roam with their herds? Also, in light of the proposed BLM gather schedule of over 12,000 additional horses in FY 2010 can you tell us what efforts are underway to stop these gathers or what we as average citizens can do to protect our herds? What plans do you, as an activist and a film maker, have to ensure the genetic viability of not only Cloud’s range, but all wild horse and burro ranges? Lastly, has anyone determined if the mare Baccardi and her foal, who were left on the range without herd protection during the gather, are safe and unharmed from the gather “activities”?

Thanks for all you do and my whole family LOVES Cloud, his herd and you for showing us their unique qualities. My 10 yo daughter wants to be just like you when she grows up!

Ginger says:

Shelly: In the September 2009 roundup in the Pryors, 57 horses were removed. Among those are many that you meet in Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions- the following were removed. They are in good homes but they have lost what they value most: their families and their freedom. Cloud’s daughter: Rain is now in VA; Cloud’s granddaughter, Arrow (the bay filly with a big star) is now in Colorado; Ember and Image are in Ohio together; Cloud’s dun mare (who he gets in this show) was removed, as was his brother, Sax — who I adopted and now is part of the band at my ranch with Cloud’s sisters and Trace. The massive roundup of this herd was unnecessary and costly: $150,000 to remove 57 horses. Among those were the entire bands belonging to stallions Conquistador, Bo, Trigger and Shane. These horses, along with blue roan bachelor who was traumatized in the processing chutes, are now on a ranch in Montana. The Cloud Foundation, due to an incredible amount of support, was able to rescue these horses, and keep the bands together. It is our hope that this sub-population can be returned to their home in the wild. Summer, Shaman’s granddaughter who was with Bolder, and Bolder’s only daughter over a year old, were removed as well. The black bachelor, Stiles, who you see chasing Sitka and Flint at the beginning of the film, was also removed. He has since been gelded but was rescued by a sanctuary in New Mexico. Millions of people know Cloud’s band and herd so well but the 12,000 other horses and burros being removed now are equally important and we must stop these massive roundups.

We saw Bacardi and her foal, (who were left behind while the rest of their band was driven down the mountain – the foal could not keep up) on September 25th. The foal was very footsore but he and Bacardi are back with Baja’s band now. Many foals who were just a month old or less were driven by helicopter over 12 miles down the mountain. With other great organizations such as yours
(www.saveourwildhorses.org) we are working to create a grassroots effort that demands the immediate moratorium of all roundups. The more people learn about wild horses the less they understand why these roundups are taking place. If we all and take a few minutes to call and write their Senators, Congresspeople, local media and President Obama I think we can create enough of a stir to save our horses. Right now our government is not listening as an increasingly educated and aware public demands a stop to this mismanagement.

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Katie Schultz says:

After a mare gives birth, does she make any noises to the foal? And what is her behavior to the foal?

Ginger says:

They do, as you’ll see in this show, mares often vocalize to their foals. They nicker to them and vocalizations are an important means of communication for horses. I was especially lucky to hear vocalizations to a newborn foal in the wild — and I’m glad I can share this with you in this new show!

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Here are some ideas on what you can do — I hope that Cloud and the horses of Montana have inspired you to save them all. Thank you, Ginger

1.     Send your letter demanding an immediate moratorium on all roundups to President Obama and Secretary Salazar (a copy will be cc’d to your Congress people and Senators).

2.     Follow up with faxes, letters and calls to call both your Senators and Congresspeople. Ask that your Senators support the ROAM Act (§1579) to return wild horses to lands stolen from them & end the mismanagement of America’s Wild Horses & Burros.

3.     Sign the Save Our Wild Horses Resolution petition & join the Cloud Foundation mailing list to stay informed (join us on Facebook & Twitter & check our Blog for frequent updates too).

4.     Please watch the most recent report from CBS’s George Knapp, this short news story outlines how BLM has moved from over-management to the clear destruction of our wild herds. Click here to watch his one-hour report “Stampede to Oblivion“

5.     Last but not least, contact media—this story of mismanagement of our mustangs and burros, truly living history, needs to be explored & shared. Find local media contacts here. Write letters to the editor and ask National outlets for better coverage.

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Ginger says:

Many of you have asked what is really going on with the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program – and I’m sorry to report that the mismanagement is only getting worse. The BLM has proposed, and is currently in the process of removing, 35% of the wild horses and burros left in the wild. Please join me in calling for an immediate moratorium on all roundups before the BLM is successful in completely managing our wild horses on our public land to extinction. Take some time to call and write your senators and President Obama – the loss of our wild horses in imminent if we don’t demand a stop to these roundups. We will have a sample letter and more information on http://www.thecloudfoundation.org. There you can also sign our petition to stop these roundups. Wild horses were saved in the early 70’s by an outcry from America’s children and many adults – we need to do this again. Over 80% of our wild horse herds are now below genetically viable numbers – Cloud’s herd is now among those after last months cruel and unnecessary roundup.

Through the Cloud programs I hope that we have expressed to you how vital it is to you to keep wild horses in the wild – their freedom and families are of the utmost importance to them – as they should be to us as well. Secretary of Interior Salazar has proposed moving 26,000 wild horses to the east in preserves. Non-reproducing herds of horses are not wild horses- this $96 million plan is not acceptable.

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Alison says:

I give money to Frontline Range Equine Rescue and sign petitions to president Obama. What more can I do to keep these horses free?

Ginger says:

Alison – please write your Senators and ask them to support the ROAM act now in the senate. Ask them to stop the roundups until an independent census can be done and further investigation of the mismanagement. Tell your friends and family about the wild horses – and please write letters to the editor and ask your favorite media outlets to investigate this further. The BLM relies on few people knowing what they are doing. But these are our horses on our public lands and I do hope the American public will not sit by while all our horses are removed. Herd by herd we are losing them. Please keep writing and calling. Thank you.

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Steven Long says:

Ginger, will there be another Cloud film?

Ginger says:

Absolutely – there is nothing I love more than watching and filming the Pryor horses. I have been lucky to make this fabulous area a second home over the past 15 years – starting when Cloud’s father, Raven, allowed me to film them without running away. I will continue to document Cloud’s herd and I hope that there might be another program about Cloud in the future. The more I know about wild horses the more I am surprised by their intricate family dynamics. In my wildest dreams I never imagined a story this dramatic.

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Frank says:

Why do the BLM feel a need to keep horse numbers down in the first place? What harm do they see more horses doing to the land or their interests?

Where all the horses in the area rounded up by them?

Ginger says:

Frank — The BLM is acting not on science but on their disregard for wild horses. There mismanagement of our american wild horse and burros is becoming almost as legendary as the horses themselves. There is an excellent report out from Las Vegas CBS — there are interviews and quotes that will explain more. The BLM needs to be stopped and the situation reevaluated. We are losing our horses at a cost of millions to taxpayers who are not aware that we are losing them. It is not understandable, Frank, but we need to bring transparency to this now and demand that science and logic play a role in the management of all of our western herds.

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Emily Murdoch says:

Ginger Kathrens, you are a hero to wild mustangs everywhere. Thank you for all you do, and for your mustang heart. My question is, is there a way, presently, that land could be bought for the Pryor mustangs so that those rounded up could be “adopted” from the BLM and put back on the land to live wild and free? While I appreciate their adoption by concerned citizens, and in that, the horses avoiding slaughter and the slaughter pipeline, it saddens me that these mustangs are no longer “free”. If there were a fund to donate to for this land/sanctuary, I’d be first in line. Thank you again, Ginger, for being on the front lines of such an important issue as the Pryor Mt. mustangs.

Ginger says:

Hi Emily – Today I was with our 15 horses that were rescued at the Pryor auction of the wild horses. We were able with the help of friends in Billings, MT to reunite these wild horses families. What a wonderful experience! We hope to release them again back in their home in the Pryor Mountains or in the Bighorn Mountains across the canyon. Conquistador and the other band stallions are doing great and are with their mares. Band stallion, BO, and his little daugher are so close. It is our hope that these little bands can help the main herd survive genetically.
Ginger

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Nini says:

Please update viewers on what has happened to Cloud’s herd — and what is happening to their wild horse relatives all over the West right now. Thank you!

Ginger says:

Nini – Cloud’s herd is getting back on their feet after the roundup.  Cloud was lame upon his return to the wild, so were Bolder’s mother (now with Cloud again!) and Firestorm.  Velvet and Cloud’s 2009 daughter, Jasmine, was extremely footsore and could barely walk. 12,000 more wild horses are being removed this year — the BLM called this roundup “a model roundup”- but that only tells you how bad the others are.

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Christina L says:

Hi. My question is about Cloud. At the end of the show, you talked about what happened to a number of the horses, but didn’t mention what happened to Cloud. Is Cloud still alive? Has he been adopted or was he set free a second time? I the BLM is starting to euthanize the wild horses because they don’t have the space or resources to take care of them. I really hope Cloud is alive and well!

Ginger says:

Christina, Cloud is alive and well – I last saw him before the auction, where he and his family walked slowly to the water hole – without their usual exuberance. They released Cloud and his much smaller family band two days after they were rounded up and ran 10-15 miles down the mountain in 90+ degree heat. There is a write-up and photos of his capture and release on the Cloud Foundation blog. Cloud actually turned and faced the helicopter during the roundup – he’s been rounded up twice before and knows what is coming.

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Annette says:

I want to know what has happen to Diamond and Red Raven.

Ginger says:
Annette, during the bait-trapping operation, Diamond was injured while fighting with another stallion (Stiles – who was removed last month at age 11) and we thought he might die – he lost his entire band. However, he has since made a full recovery and has his band back. Red Raven and Blue Sioux are still together and have their 2007 daughter, Halcyon with them. Another blue roan mare, Adona, is also with them. Adona is 9 and has never foaled – she was darted with a contraceptive drug that the BLM uses to keep the population down– the same drug that caused Shadow’s out of season birth. The drug (PZP) seems to have caused the three out of season births from last year too. I oppose the use of these experimental infertility drugs because they don’t always work as designed (causing out of season births, sterile mares, mares constantly cycling etc). The Pryors can be managed naturally by nature! The mountain lions, if not hunted to such extremes, they manage the herd perfectly.

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Jocie says:

well how will (in the new film) it be a problem for clouds son and flint will they spread apart?? you’ll probably tell me to watch the movie but just tell me has anything happened to raven?? and do you think Obama will help protect the wolves or wild/endangered animals like the mustangs??

Ginger says:
Hi Jocie and Cheyenne,
Thousands have written the President to protect our mustangs but we have seen no improvement with this administration yet; in fact it has only gotten worse. This is not a reason to give up — rather: keep writing and calling the President. If he hears from tens of thousands of people than we can make these roundups stop now. The worsening situation is due not to new presidential policy but to a lack of oversight while the same people mismanage our wild horses. It would seem that the BLM is trying to manage our wild horses to extinction before any change reaches this rogue agency.

Raven, Cloud’s father, died in his mountain home sometime in the late winter of 2008. He did have one very fine day in June of 2007 when he had a band again for a few hours! Raven was an amazing horse and I will always be grateful to him. Shaman, too, has passed away. He died just a few weeks before the roundup at the age of 24.

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Brian says:

Have you ever been to Theodore Roosevelt National Park? They have a lot of Wild Horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park!

Ginger says:
Hi Brian – I haven’t been to Teddy Roosevelt but alway wanted to go. Now, I am hearing all the horses are going to be removed. What a shame!!!
Ginger

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Maggie Hall says:

I admire your work and you continue to inspire! How do you feel about the government’s current plan for the wild horses, and how would you feel if Cloud and his herd were removed from their own land? What about Madeleine Pickens plan – does it need improving?
thank you, Maggie Hall

Ginger says:

Hi Maggie – Madeleine is trying to do her best to protect our mustangs held in holding facilities. But, we need to focus on the horsesstill in their homes in the West with their families. 1/3 are schelduled to be rounded up in the next year. Please let your Senators know that they need to have hearings on reining in the BLM; to put an immediate moratorium on round ups and to hold hearings on the behavior of the BLM. Our horses in the wild need our help!
Ginger

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Dennis Manske says:

What does thisd mean for the BLM adoption program? On one hand I feel that this encourages the BLM to increase the gather, on the other hand, I am concerned that if the horses they have captured aren’t placed, they will suffer and or meet an untimely demise.

Ginger says:
Hi Dennis – As you know I am a wild horse adopter and am a new adopter of Cloud’s half brother, Sax, captured and removed last month. Unfortunately, only about 3,000 mustangs are adopted each year in recent years yet the BLM is removing 12,000 this year (unless we can stop them)—far too many for the adoption program. The BLM program must be revamped and Congress must call for a moritorium on round ups now, before it is too late.
Ginger

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Suze says:

Ginger, Can you let us know how badly Cloud and his mare are injured? With winter already settled upon the Pryors, I am so concerned for their welfare. They need to be perfect to survive. Thank you for what you are doing for OUR mustangs!

Ginger says:

I think Cloud will be fine, and I am hopeful his lameness will go away. People who have seen him since I have reported that he is fine as are his mares. I look forward to being up there with them soon.

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Michael says:

Ginger, Are there any large influential groups working on this issue who can get to the administration & congress? I am working as creatively as I can nationally & locally, tried to contact someone at AWHPC but got no response. There must be some large organization such as Sierra club who is willing to take this on. Please let me know if I can assist any actions your group is taking besides the letter, editorial activities. Thanks,

Mike

Ginger says:

Hi Michael – You can find out more at The Cloud Foundation. Hope you will sign up on our email list so you can get all our updates and learn what to do. Thanks so much for your concern.
Ginger

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Pam says:

The horse’s herds seem to be a pretty complex social structure. Doesn’t it stress the horses to separate the herds, like it would stress people to be pulled out of a family unit? Why can’t the BLM keep the herds together when they thin them? Thank you for the wonderful film/story telling work you are doing.

Ginger says:

Pam, you are absolutely right, the horses have an amazing and complex social structure that is literally shattered when the helicopters arrive. The individual bands are torn apart during roundups but it is advisable to only remove younger horses if a herd does really need to reduced in population size. The Cloud Foundation recommended that no more than 20 young horses (aged 2 and younger) be removed from Cloud’s herd this year if a roundup was to take place. When the BLM failed to listen to the public and even to their own science, and when our temporary restraining order was denied in DC district court, the helicopter took to the air.  On the first day of the roundup we were informed that the BLM planned to remove whole family bands off the Pryors. Bands like the one led by 19-year-old stallion Conquistador, who Cloud challenged in the fog nearly 10 years ago; the family led by 13-year-old Trigger, who I’ve been filming since he was just a few days old; and the band belonging to the stallion Shane, who we rescued after he rolled under a barbed wire fence as a foal.  Even 21-year-old Grumpy Grulla (Raven’s first mare) was removed. In the end, BLM stopped the roundup early. With so many of us watching, I think they feared a horse would die in the extreme heat during their long run down from the mountaintop.

Two weeks later a total of 57 horses were auctioned off, including four of Cloud’s grandchildren, his daughter, Rain, and his brother, Sax.  With an amazing crew of volunteers we trailered Shane, Bo, Trigger and Conquistador with most of their mares, as well as the traumatized blue roan bachelor stallion, Floyd, to their new home north of the Pryors. Watching Conquistador and Cavalitta walk calming off the trailer together brought tears to our eyes. Seeing the greeting that Bo gave to his mare, Chalupa, and their filly foal made this entire effort worthwhile.

Only with the help of our many supporters and immediate action on behalf of volunteers were we able to mobilize and adopt these horses and keep them together in their family bands. It is our hope that our lawsuit against the BLM will be successful and these four bands, along with the bachelor, can return home. Until then they are under our care although they remain as close to wild as possible. With the BLM planning on rounding up a staggering 12,000 wild horses and burros this year we can’t stop fighting for the freedom of all.  We so
appreciate your support and ask for your continued work on behalf of all our wild horses and burros. The BLM is rounding up a 1000 horses in Wyoming this month and next month. Half of Nevada’s horses (over 25% of the total number left in the west) are to be removed in the coming months. The BLM is acting illegally and if they are not stopped we won’t have any horses left in the wild. In 1974 there were some 54,000 wild horses in the wild- by next September there will be only 22,000 or so. And over 40,000 in costly government holding pens, pastures and “preserves.” This is not the way to manage an icon of the American west.

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Larry says:

While watching your program, it looked like there were acres and acres of open land. What is BLM’s problem with these horses?

Ginger says:

Larry, Cloud’s herd lives on a nearly 40,000 acre designated range and in addition to that, they “illegally” live and move in and out of another huge area in the Custer National Forest (where they have lived for centuries). The BLM has determined that only 120 horses over one year of age can live on this 40,000 acre area – despite the fact that anything less than 150 is not genetically viable. We’ve been working to get the range legally expanded to allow for a 200-300 horse herd that would preserve these unique Spanish genetics into the future. The BLM could have managed this herd at 170-200 horses if they had spent money on range improvements rather than rounding up 146 horses and removing 57 of them at a cost of over $150,000.

Further investigations into the BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro program are called for. Secretary Salazar’s recent plan to move 26,000 wild horses to expensive eastern preserves in sterilized and segregated herds is not the answer. The west is the home of the wild horse and 54 million acres of public lands were set aside primarily for their use as free roaming wild animals in 1971. Nearly 25 million acres have since been taken away from them and it is time lands were returned. Less than 33,000 wild horses remain on our public lands, down from an estimated 54,000 in 1974. Meanwhile, over 3 million head of livestock graze on public lands – many owned by huge companies, not by family ranchers. Federal public lands grazing is estimated to be a $123 million/year net loss and the true cost to our environment is much higher (estimated upwards of $500 million to $1 billion per year in damages). We would save money and wild horses by simply paying legitimate ranchers not to graze. Wild horses are outnumbered on the range and yet are blamed for any damage. If there is no damage they are removed. I would encourage you and all interested to watch the recent investigative report “Stampede to Oblivion” which is now online.

Wildlife filmmakers often go to great lengths to get that perfect shot. But not many end up installing a picture window in a ripe fig the size of a grape, just to watch what’s going on inside. That’s just one of the creative — and painstaking — steps that filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble took to film the almost microscopic fig wasps that are the stars of NATURE’s The Queen of Trees. Using specialized, custom-built equipment, the pair spent two years in the Kenyan bush waiting for just the right moments to film these minuscule insects.

For viewers, it was worth the wait: Deeble and Stone present a remarkably detailed portrait of the fig wasp’s complex relationship with the sycomore fig, a tree that is a billion times bigger. Yet wasp and fig are forever entwined, dependent on each other for survival.

“It is an amazing relationship,” says Stone, who credits Climbing Mount Improbable, a 1997 book by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, with sparking the idea for the film. But the couple, who have been making award-winning documentaries for several decades, knew it wouldn’t be an easy story to tell. The wasps are so small they can fly through the eye of a needle. Much of their most interesting behavior takes place inside a fig tree’s small fruit, hidden from view. And to top it all off, it can be hard to predict when key moments in the wasp-fig life cycle will occur, meaning the filmmakers would literally have to camp out near a tree and wait.

“We knew there’d be massive complications,” recalls Stone. “The most basic challenge was to film the behavior of the wasps inside the fig [without ending up with blurry or out-of-focus images]. And it couldn’t just look okay. It had to be beautiful and enticing.”

Deeble says technological advances — and a bit of ingenuity and patience — made it possible to overcome the complications. One key advance was the arrival of high-definition cameras that capture sharp, crisp images with a good depth of field at low light levels. Another was the team’s construction of a specialized, vibration-free work table that could be taken out into the field and used to film extreme close-ups of very small actors. “We’d set it up on a concrete platform in our camp, bolt down the camera, and then go get a fig from the tree,” recalls Deeble, who studied marine biology before becoming a filmmaker. To capture a particular scene of female wasps collecting pollen from tiny “gardens” inside the figs, the team even cut tiny windows into the fruit and covered them with strips of glass. When all went well, the wasps carried on, unaware of the peeping camera. “That was probably one of the most difficult 10-second scenes to get,” Deeble reveals. “It took weeks to get everything just right.”

Other weeks were spent erecting and moving around specialized towers and platforms that allowed the filmmakers to get up into the treetops, where showy birds called hornbills built their distinctive, prisonlike nests, and monkeys and birds feasted on fresh fruit. “Using towers takes a long time,” explains Deeble. “Even if you want to move just a few feet to get a new angle, you’ve got take the whole thing down again… ropes, pegs, everything. You can be lucky to get one or two shots a day.” The filmmakers had to be careful not to damage the trees as they worked, Stone adds.

Overall, the couple, their two young children, and a small team spent two years camped out near the magnificent, gnarled sycomore fig that is featured in the film. The filmmakers had discovered during a previous project on hippos that things could be slow at times; when there was nothing to film at the home tree, the team searched far and wide for other fig trees where interesting things were happening. It took them another six months to sift through all the film and assemble it into a compelling story.

The team is now working to make sure that The Queen of Trees is seen in Kenya. “One thing we do is translate our films into Swahili, so that they can become resources for educating [Kenyans] about their environment,” says Stone. “Not everyone knows the story of the wasp and the fig, or understands that the trees are such a rich source of habitat. It’s a keystone species that has a huge impact on the entire ecosystem.”

NATURE goes behind the scenes of Silence of the Bees with an interview with producer Doug Shultz.

What is the story you tell in Silence of the Bees?

The film actually encompasses three parallel stories. The first is the overall mystery of why the bees are disappearing, and the scientific investigations that are under way to try to understand this. The second is the surprising reliance that we have on this completely unnatural system of trucking bees around the country to pollinate our crops. This is something that I think has taken everyone by surprise. Third, maybe most fascinating of all, is the story of the honeybee itself. To understand the magnitude of the problem and what we’re losing, it’s important to appreciate how extraordinary these animals are, and the value of what they contribute to the planet. And to our plates!

Theories about the cause of CCD changed and expanded while you were in production and they continue to evolve now. How did that create challenges in the filmmaking process?

From the beginning we knew we were along for an uncertain ride — would we have an answer by the time production wrapped? But it was such a great detective story that we just stayed on top of the latest developments and maintained contact with all the key players to find out which theories they had crossed off the list and which they were still exploring. The biggest challenge, actually, was the research embargo. We knew our scientists had found something, but they couldn’t tell us what it was until the research was published. We were nearly finished with our edit by the time they were allowed to talk. So much of the time we were planning shoots based on our own hypotheses of what was going on.

Filmmaker Doug Shultz

Bee population decline has been recorded all over the world. How did you select the locations where you shot and the stories that you told in the program?

It’s true that bee populations are declining nearly everywhere, and not just from CCD. So we tried to target locations that served a purpose in the overall story. France stood in as a case study for pesticide use and its effects on bees. They have had some very intense clashes over this issue, and in fact have banned chemicals that we now use in the United States. We went to Spain because they have the highest number of commercial beekeepers in Europe, and last year they suffered massive bee losses. England was an example of controversy, where beekeepers claim they’ve lost up to two thirds of their bees, but the government still insists they don’t have a problem. We also went to China because in the south, there’s a region that sort of stands as a grim omen of what a world without bees could be like.

What are some of the practical and technical challenges of filming bees versus getting footage of larger animals?

Well, they sting. But the main thing is that they are very small and very fast. So because you’re focused on such a small area, you don’t have much latitude to move with them. It requires a great deal of patience. You set up your shot over a flower, for example, and you hope that eventually a bee will stop by and will stay within your focal range for a reasonable amount of time. When you’re shooting inside the hive, you really can only shoot for a short amount of time, because once the bees are stirred up, there’s really no calming them down. Bees also flap their wings at a speed faster than the known laws of physics can explain. We used the new Phantom HD high-speed camera to capture this at up to 1,500 frames per second.

What went into getting shots inside the hive?

The hive is really like one big organism, and we poked and prodded into it with a variety of borescopes and macroscopic lenses. The real challenge is that many of the most interesting behaviors happen on such a small scale that they can be incredibly difficult to capture. Olympus America generously brought out a new HD endoscopic camera normally used for examining the inside of a human esophagus — they wheeled it right out into a pumpkin patch in Pennsylvania for us and we stuck it in a hive. We also had the help of several very knowledgeable and patient beekeepers who were able to quickly find certain behaviors in the hives.

When shooting the hive scenes, your on-camera experts are all in protective gear and masks. Did the crew wear something too? Did people get stung?

We all wore bee suits, and learned very quickly to make sure we were completely zipped up. On our first shoot in Maine, it was pretty chilly, and the bees were looking for some warmth…inside our suits. We all got stung. The bees even attacked the windjammer on the mic because they thought it was a bear. Spanish bees are particularly aggressive, and in Andalucia we were wearing extremely thick, double-layered bee suits in 110-degree weather. No one got stung, but I think we all lost weight.

Once we became accustomed to being around the bees, we let our guard down a bit. I got stung again a few times in France and ended up with a temporarily deformed head. But we all still love bees.

For this production, did you put yourself through some kind of “Bee Boot Camp” to become familiar with the natural history of bees?

I started by reading as much as I could about honeybees and beekeeping in general, and there was much more to learn than I had anticipated. Bees and bee societies are incredibly complex. In the case of this film, all that information was just base knowledge, because the film was an investigation into CCD, not just the natural history of the bee. The real boot camp came on our first shoot with commercial beekeepers, actually seeing how the whole business works.

David Hackenberg unloading his beehives in Maine for blueberry pollination.

Do you have a favorite sequence in the film?

That’s tough, but I really like the scenes in Maine, where they’re distributing the hives in the blueberry fields, dealing with bear damage, etc. Every time people see this, they are blown away because very few people know this goes on. I also like the China sequence because what’s happening there is pretty hard to believe as well.

Did something end up on the “cutting room floor” that you wish made it into the film?

I wish we had more time in the film to spend with all the different beekeepers. They’re a special breed of people and their enthusiasm for the bees is infectious — by the end, we were all considering starting hives, ourselves. Unfortunately, because of the amount of information we had to wrangle into an hour-long film, many of these characters had to be cut for time.

What appealed to you about working for NATURE?

Well, I’ve always been a fan of NATURE, and as far as natural history programming goes, they are the best. This is something a little different for NATURE because it incorporates natural history into a more investigative, topical story. It was an appealing challenge to find a way to make that work, both thematically and stylistically.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think it’s important to note that the CCD scare has brought some overdue attention to the importance of bees, but bees and other pollinating animals have been disappearing for at least 20 or 30 years. This is just the latest example of a worldwide crisis that until now really hasn’t received the kind of attention that something like global warming gets. But pollinator decline is just as important — and just as worrisome.

To watch an interview with Doug on the The Alcove with Mark Molaro, click here.

NATURE spoke with Victoria Falls producer and cameraman Jamie McPherson in April 2009. Here’s what he had to say about the making of the film.

Q: What inspired you to do a film on Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River?

A: Victoria Falls is such an iconic place. I had been there as a tourist, and knew it’d be an amazing place to do a film on wildlife – the falls and the Zambezi.

Can you tell us about research for the film, and how much time you spent on it?

We did our initial research by talking to people, and reading books. Once I made contact with a few people, through friends and through lodges, I headed out there for two weeks. I drove around and met as many people as I could and checked out as many locations as possible — to see what the wildlife was like out there. We needed to work things out ahead of time — looking in books for when the rainy season is, talking to local bird experts, etc. We timed everything out.

Books say there are lions and buffalo out there, but not whether it’s always possible to see them. It’s not a place many have filmed in before. We had to get a lot of permissions from different officials to film. We contacted the national parks authorities, tourism authorities and other conservation commissions in advance.

Altogether, Charlie (co-cameraman, Charlie Hamilton James) and I filmed for four months. We went back and forth. I went in March for a shoot at the end of the rainy season, then June; then Charlie went in July. I went back in September when the water level is lowest.

We rented a house in Livingstone, the closest big town. And we had a boat that we moored there.

How did you find Mr. White? Can you tell me more about him?

Initially, I met a few different fishermen out there, but the hardest thing to find is someone who is truly a knowledgeable fisherman. Mr. White was the only name that kept coming up. A Norwegian rafting guide told me, “You have to talk with him!” He thought Mr. White lived in a cave because most of the time he was by the falls and he often slept by the river.

Then I spoke to guys in the village who also recommended Mr. White. We wanted to do something different, and he was a perfect voice – a perfect story to tell, with wisdom and knowledge.

In an email you wrote a very moving account about Mr. White and the last days of your shoot. If you don’t mind, I’d like to include that here.

Sure.

Everyone said I should go and see this old guy at rapid number nine. He was the oldest fisherman in the area and the most respected. And sure enough, when I went to rapid number nine, there he was. His English wasn’t great, but he was very excited about a film being made about his river and he was happy to be involved.

He was born in Zimbabwe in 1934. He is known as Mr. White, but White is his first name. His family name is Matukanyuni. (He showed me his ID card.) His mother was Zambian and his father Zimbabwean. His mother took him to Zambia when he was four years old. He lived in the village of Songwe, near Livingstone. He worked as a gardener for a local hotel when he was young, but had always been a fisherman. He described himself as a fisherman. He was very well respected in his village and around Livingstone. Most people in the area knew who he was. He taught the kids in the village how to fish and had fished the same rapids in the gorge since 1947.

We had planned to film two more sequences with him in the last week of our shoot, but days before he asked me if I could take him to the hospital because he wasn’t feeling well. He was diagnosed with cancer in the hospital in Livingstone.

The shots of him on the cliff above the gorge at the start and end of the film show the last time he saw the gorge. I was visiting him in the hospital in Livingstone and he said he wanted to get out of the hospital and see his river again as he was waiting for an appointment in Lusaka for further tests. He knew that we had wanted to film him looking down at the river and insisted we at least film that last shot. So with the nurse’s permission we went to the gorge for the last time.

I then sent him and his family to a specialist in Lusaka. The cancer was too far advanced for the treatment to work. He passed away in December 2008. He had three wives, eight daughters and seven sons.

He was a great man and I am very proud to have met him.

Victoria Falls is gorgeously filmed, just stunning. I know you filmed the falls and the Zambezi along with Charlie Hamilton James and Simon Werry. Can you tell us a bit more about how you got such dramatic visuals – your approach? Equipment?

We were trying to find new views of Victoria Falls and new ways of looking at it — from sunset to sunrise. We used local knowledge on the best places to film, and spent four months out there picking locations.

We used long lenses, high definition, and had a high-speed digital camera called a Photron, which films 5,000 frames a second. We used the Photron for the pied kingfisher and fish eagle footage. The camera is a lot of work; it’s not a camera you can pick up and run around with, it’s very complicated. We had to hook it up to a computer and a generator, and bring it by the river.

Simon Werry shot the aerials with a Cineflex. It’s great to see the falls from that perspective; it gives a sense of scale. A falls that is a mile wide is hard to comprehend but if you see it from the air, from above…

Can you tell us about filming the lunar rainbows?

Well, there are lunar rainbow tours, and the rainbows are visible to the naked eye, but with long exposure photography they really stand out. We used SLR still cameras to capture series of long exposure shots which are then stitched together to create the time-lapse shots.

How did you feel about safety?

We felt completely safe, the only thing was the hippos. The bull hippos are protecting their territory, and when the water drops they have to move. A local boat guy helped us negotiate around hippo bull territory. We just made sure to be careful.

In the film you show two different worlds – the one above the falls and the one below. Can you elaborate?

The world below is Mr. White’s world — very bleak, not many trees, but good fishing. And no hippos or crocodiles, so it’s safer. The world above is full of life because of the geography and shallows and sandy islands. They’re very different worlds, and in the film it’s more of Mr. White’s perspective. The Zambezi provides for him, even though it can be harsh.

There are so many lovely songs in the show. Can you tell us more about the music? Do the lyrics match picture in any way?

All our films have a musical style, something that suits the film. We avoided western songs, and chose music/musicians from Africa, like Rokia Traore. And we tried to avoid clichés.

I have to admit we didn’t choose music based on lyrics, but rather for the mood that the songs conveyed.

NATURE caught up with filmmaker Gordon Buchanan in April 2009 to discuss Eagles of Mull.

Q: When NATURE last spoke with you, we learned how your time working in a restaurant on Mull led to your first opportunity in wildlife filmmaking. Did your experience growing up on Mull shape your career in other ways?

A: I had the freedom to explore the wild parts of the island and surrounding water all through my childhood, so that definitely gave me a thirst for adventure, exploration and wildlife. There wasn’t much for kids to do back then so you had to make the most of your surroundings, and I think I did that. So no surprise that I ended up doing what I do. My career really just an extension of my childhood.

How did you make the decision to return to your childhood home for this project? How did the idea for this project originate?

I always knew I’d return to Mull to make a film. We had been living in London for six years and were looking for a good excuse to leave, so when our daughter Lola was born that was it. It was such a natural story, so we didn’t have much trouble getting it commissioned.

How was Mull different from your memories of it? Were there any surprises?

In many ways Mull hadn’t changed at all. I suppose the sense of community has lessened over the years as more people come and go from the island. As a boy, the main street of Tobermory was full of characters. They’ve all gone now and no one seems to have filled their shoes. The biggest surprise was that having traveled over the world filming wild animals and places, Mull is right at the top of the list. It has magic to it, simple as that.

You had previously filmed big cats for NATURE’s Leopards of Yala. What new challenges were presented by the wildlife on Mull?

The weather was the biggest challenge on Mull that year. We got fairly lucky with what we saw but there were days and weeks spent sheltering from rain. The big difficulty was trying to divide time between family and filming — both need 100 percent attention.

You had a “low-tech” technique for filming the seals and basking sharks. Is there anything you can tell us about that?

We had a limited budget so we had to just make do with what we could afford for underwater images. Basically it was a glorified plastic bag with a handycam inside. If I were to do it again, I think I’d try to find the money to shoot the underwater properly!

Did you encounter any problems securing a license to film near the eagle nests?

It took a while for my license to come through — I’d already moved back to the island, and the film relied on being able to film at the nest. It had been over ten years since a license to film had been issued so I was very nervous for a while. I think being ‘a local’ helped.

Could you tell us more about those “dreaded Scottish midges”?

Only that they are the most infuriating, persistent, maddeningly ferocious insect I have ever encountered on the face of this planet.

Any interesting or unexpected moments that didn’t get caught on film?

I was desperate to film sea eagles predating on entire families of geese and ducks. I kept getting reports from people who had seen it — I just didn’t get lucky.

Where are you off to next?

I’ve had a really busy few years and have just got back from a six-week expedition in Papua New Guinea so going to spend a good amount of time at home with my wife, Wendy, and my two kids, Lola and Harris. Hope to head to the Himalayas at the end of the year and row to the North Pole next summer!

Photo © Iain Erskine c/o Carolyn Naylor

Doug Shultz on a shoot for NATURE’s Silence of the Bees

Send in your questions for Doug Shultz, the producer of The Loneliest Animals. Doug also wrote and produced NATURE’s Silence of the Bees, which premiered in 2007.

On the night of the premiere — Sunday, April 19 — Doug will answer your questions here.

Submit your question for Doug in the comments box below.

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Maggie Schwab asks:

Hi Doug I wanted to get your word of advise. I am a college student at AAU and am interested in filming wildlife. If you have any helpful tips that would be helpful to keep in mind I would really appreciate it, Thanks!

Doug Shultz says:

Hi Maggie.  Thank you for your question.  I would recommend getting in touch with documentary production companies and natural history filmmakers in your area to offer your services as an intern, researcher or production assistant.  If you’re prepared to make little or no money while working hard for a while, there is no better way to make contacts, learn the process and gain valuable experience at all stages of production.

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Roxanne Pao asks:

Hello,
I was wondering how the Rafetus turtles are doing? Thank You for bringing this look into the imbalance and fragility of life for endangered species to light for us.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Pao

Doug says:

Hi Roxanne.  Thank you very much for your message.  Since last summer, the two Rafetus turtles have been living on their separate sides of the pond at the Suzhou zoo, and the female is by all accounts very happy in her new home.  The scientists determined that before coming to Suzhou, the female was on a nutrient-poor diet, which could be why many of her eggs were too brittle to survive.   This year they have adjusted her diet to include extra calcium, among other things, which they hope will increase the viability of the eggs.  The male and female are just now coming out of hibernation, and they plan to reintroduce the pair beginning in May.  By the end of this summer, there could be a new generation of up to 100 baby Rafetus turtles.  Keep your fingers crossed!

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Leslie Jordan asks:

Hi Doug, I would also like to know about getting into filming wildlife. Any suggestions would be great. Also, any insight you can give as to the improving/worsening conditions of wild parrots in the rainforest and what we as individuals can do to help most would be most appreciated.

Doug says:

Hi Leslie.  For getting into filming wildlife, see my response to Maggie, above.  As for wild parrots, currently about 95 of the world’s 330 species of parrots are considered endangered.  The situation for wild parrots is very serious as most live in tropical or subtropical regions where deforestation is occurring at alarming rates.  On top of the habitat loss, wild birds are still caught in large numbers for the worldwide parrot trade, and their shrinking habitat only makes them easier to capture. Fortunately, importing wild-caught birds into the United States and Europe is now illegal, and most parrots sold as pets in the U.S. are captive-bred birds.  An easy way to help would be to make sure you only buy eco-friendly wood (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council), and of course don’t buy wild-caught parrots as pets.  For other ways to directly help the birds, try getting involved with an organization like the World Parrot Trust.

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Robert Seay asks:

Camera skill, how do you manage to keep the camera so still during shoots?

Doug says:

Hi Robert.  This requires either a good, solid tripod or a DP (director of photography) with a strong back, a steady hand, and much patience.

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Martie Lenk asks:

Thank you for a fascinating program! How can kids get involved in protecting these amazing animals? Martie Lenk, Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School, KCMO

Doug says:

Hi Martie.  Thank you for watching and hello to everyone at Vita Nuova.  Helping kids grow up with an appreciation for wildlife is the best way to ensure these animals have a future.  Most city zoos have good programs to get kids interested  (the Kansas City Zoo has a great kids’ conservation club.)  Also, the Wildlife Conservation Society has a national program called Teens 4 Planet Earth that allows teenagers to work with adult mentors on developing conservation projects.  You can also help in small but effective ways by including natural history into lesson plans and everyday activities – NATURE offers a wealth of resources on this Web site.  The more kids learn about animals, the more they’ll value them down the road.

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Logan Herman asks:

Would breeding siblings or close relatives create weakened offspring? Can it be a long term solution to species survival?

Doug says:

Hi Logan.  That’s a good question.  Yes, all captive breeding programs face the same challenge, which is maintaining genetic diversity.  Normally evolution flushes out mutations or harmful genes. However, when you’re pairing up closely related animals, the breeding is more likely to result in an expression of the harmful genes, producing unhealthy or sterile offspring.  Many captive breeding programs work around this by exchanging individual animals between centers, to try to mimic natural “outbreeding” between populations.  Others pair the animals through DNA matches to maintain the most genetic diversity possible.  In a case like the Rafetus turtles, where there are only two, conservationists believe it’s better to keep the species alive than to do nothing at all. The female can lay up to 100 eggs, and it’s always possible someone could find another living Rafetus somewhere to mate with one of the offspring.  In that case, they could have up to 100 new mates to choose from.  It may not ensure long-term survival, but with these turtles able to live over a century, they could stick around longer than we think.

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Marilyn asks:

Hi Doug:
Wonderful film!! Do you happen to know if the sanctuary in Qatar has any kind of a volunteer program?
Thank you . . .
~m

Doug says:

Hi Marilyn.  Thank you very much.  To my knowledge, Al Wabra is closed to the public and does not have a volunteer program.  However, I can tell you that they all work extremely hard and their dedication is humbling, to say the least.  You can find more information about them including contact information at their Web site.

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Ian asks:

Hi Doug,
I’m on Hawaii time so your film doesn’t come on for a few hours more, but I’m looking forward to it. In the meantime, I wonder what you might think about the idea that humans might be considered the loneliest animal, since as a species we seem to have lost our familial connection with wider living world?
Ian

Doug says:

Hi Ian.  You make a very good point.  We are certainly not lonely in numbers, but I do think most people in modern society feel completely isolated from nature.  It’s important to stop and remember that even here the middle of New York City, we’re connected to the living world through our air, our water, our food.  If more people paused to see a reflection of themselves in lemurs or rhinos or apes – whether on TV or at the zoo – we might be able to reestablish a sustainable relationship with the other creatures that share our planet.

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Ann Moore asks:

I would like to have updates on how all the animals are doing. Does Lonesome George have children now? Did the Yangtze turtles ever produce live offspring?

Doug says:

Hi Ann.  Thanks for your questions.  Lonesome George does not have offspring.  Last summer at least one of the two females in his enclosure laid eggs for the first time in over a decade, and many believed George may have fertilized these eggs.   However, after a failed attempt to incubate them, researchers discovered the eggs were infertile.

Other updates – Andalas has not fathered a baby rhino yet, but he is just coming into maturity and has two good options for mates at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.  At the Iberian Lynx Breeding Center they have had 18 cubs so far this year, with 2 more females due to whelp.  The red-ruffed lemur, Carina, and her adorable triplets are happy and healthy, getting ready to spend spring in their free-ranging enclosure. Sadly, though, Titus, the only golden-crowned sifaka in captivity, died of cancer this past fall.   The black-footed ferret program has produced 24 kits so far this year with more to come. Lastly, the female Rafetus is on a new diet and will be reintroduced to the male in May, with a new round of eggs expected sometime in June.  With any luck, they will be adding up to 100 new Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles to the planet sometime in August.

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Laurie LePore asks:

I was @ the Charles Darwin Research Station this summer and caught George in the act with one of the ladies in his pool. Two weeks later she laid a few eggs and I am wondering if they were indeed fertile. I have quite a few pictures and one of my students (I am a HS teacher and took students there for two weeks in July 2008.) has the event on film. We certainly were hoping for a babe or two!

Doug says:

Hi Laurie.  Lucky you – that is some valuable footage.  I’m sure the Darwin Station would love to see it. Unfortunately, researchers at the station recently determined that the eggs were not fertilized.  No babies yet, I’m afraid.

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Bob asks:

Nice show. Loved the summing up. Not shown letterbox here, so missed some of it. The animal “roll” at the end, though, included several species not covered – and a couple not endangered. That might confuse viewers some. But again, very cool. It would be interesting to see a follow-up in a few years.

Doug says:

Hi Bob.  Thank you for your message. We wanted to show a web of connectivity between species of all kinds, including those that aren’t endangered or are even currently commonplace.  I think it’s important to recognize the value of all species, before they become endangered.  A few of the animals you saw — the Javan gibbon and the Panamanian golden frog — are animals that we filmed but for lack of time didn’t make it into the show.  However, you can watch a clip about the gibbons on this Web site, and if you’re interested in the frogs, I recommend watching Allison Argo’s fantastic film, Frogs: The Thin Green Line, also available on the NATURE Web site.

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George Prentice asks:

Lonesome George alone? Have you heard that the Gladas Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, has a Galopogos Turtle? (Loved the show)

Doug says:

Hi George.  Thanks for your question.  There are actually eleven surviving subspecies of Galapagos giant tortoise. George is the last survivor of the Pinta Island subspecies, but there are many more of the other varieties, in some cases thanks to captive breeding.  These other subspecies, along with another species of giant tortoise from around the Seychelles are generally what you find in zoos.

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Imen McDonnell asks:

Hi Doug, this was so well produced and powerful. What organisations can I contribute to in aid of this cause? Thank you! Imen

Doug says:

Hi Imen.  Thank you!  And thank you for watching.  Any of the organizations in the film would happily accept donations.  Here are a few of them:

• The Turtle Survival Alliance, the group behind the Rafetus turtle introduction
• The International Rhino Foundation, which sponsors the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary among many other important projects
• The Wildlife Conservation Society, which worked with the TSA on the turtles, and has projects all over the world
• And the Duke Lemur Center, where you can “adopt” a lemur with your contribution

These organizations all work on limited funding and would be very grateful to receive donations of any kind.  Thank you for wanting to help!

Allison Argo on a shoot in Yosemite National Park

Filmmaker Allison Argo shares her stories from the making of Frogs: The Thin Green Line.

I had to get on with the edit, so Andy (cinematographer extraordinaire) and his wife Susan (sound recordist extraordinaire) went on this shoot solo.

Australia’s frogs have been hit by the same host of problems as ours.  But to top it off,
Australia has been experiencing one of the worst droughts in history – and frogs have been feeling the effects of climate change.  Andy and Susan spent a frantic week following Gerry & Erika Marentelli (from the Amphibian Conservation Centre) as they underwent heroic efforts to save some of Australia’s most endangered frogs.  They shot on top of mountains, in deep river gorges and in the thick of cattle country.  No matter where they went, frogs were in trouble.

Meanwhile, I was well into the edit here.  Trying to make sense of all the stories and footage is always intimidating, but as the weeks pass, the stories and characters begin to find their place in the film.  Each person – and each frog – provides a critical piece in the puzzle, until… one day, it’s a film!

Every film carries the filmmaker on a unique journey – often in an unexpected direction.  I hadn’t realized that this film would hit so close to home – or that I would feel such a sense of personal responsibility.

Having witnessed the frogs in Panama, I have a greater respect for amphibians than ever.  That small patch of forest holds so much magic and so many millions of years of evolution – I now shudder to think of how fragile it is.  All of that biological brilliance can be wiped out in a matter of months.

I had also never realized how important amphibians are.  We’ve just begun to mine them for medical cures.  They offer hope for everything from HIV to diabetes.  But even more important is the role they play in our ecosystems: they sit in the middle of the food chain.  In places where they’re gone, insect populations are on the rise and predators like snakes and birds are disappearing.

I realized in making this film that the frog problem is everyone’s problem.  We can all make choices everyday that will help give frogs a leg up.  We can stop using pesticides and fertilizers, we can do our part to lessen global warming, we can buy locally and buy organic whenever possible… we can protect wetlands.  Frogs aren’t the only creatures that depend on healthy waters – we do, too.

Our behavior has been remarkably short-sighted – even in our own backyards.  Not only are we endangering our amphibians, we are endangering ourselves.  I can no longer turn a blind eye.  There are easy adjustments we can all make.  I’m ready to step up to the plate…

Special thanks to my production assistants in the office who were so wonderful: Laura Gill, Diane Toomey, and Ruby Wells

- Allison Argo

Allison Argo

Send in your questions for Allison Argo, the director of Frogs: The Thin Green Line. On the night of the premiere — Sunday, April 5 — Allison will answer your questions here.

Submit your question for Allison in the comments box below.

Allison Argo is dedicated to producing television programming that she hopes will make a difference.  She describes her work as an exploration of the landscape where human and animal collide.  A champion of endangered life, her films provide a voice for those who have none, be it endangered frogs, chimpanzees in captivity or people who have been compromised by a changing world.

As producer, director, and writer for nearly 20 years, Allison’s adventures have carried her across the globe. Her films have won numerous international awards, including six National Emmys, the prestigious duPont Columbia Award for Journalism, and multiple Genesis, New York Festival, CINE Golden Eagle, Christopher Columbus, Jackson Hole, Missoula, and Japan International Wildlife awards.

Before Frogs: The Thin Green Line, Allison directed several other films for NATURE: Extraordinary Dogs, Wisdom of the Wild, The Urban Elephant, Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History, and Crash: A Tale of Two Species.

You can also read her recent blog post about the U.S. State of the Birds report, which warned that one-third of U.S. bird species are in trouble.

Here are answers to some of your questions:

Brian Watts asks: Ms. Argo:  Is it difficult to find financial support for projects on “unglamorous” species’ documentation and protection?

Allison Argo says: Hi Brian – That’s a good question!  I am happy to say that NATURE asked me to make this film and provided the funding (bravo NATURE!).  I have always been a champion of the planet’s less glamorous species – and it used to be far more difficult to get funding to tell their stories.  Fortunately times seem to be changing.  I think we’re all beginning to understand that even the smallest, most unassuming creatures play an important role.

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Carolyn asks: has anyone thought about contamination by researchers going from one area to another and carrying the kittrick(sp)(virus)on their clothing, boots, hands, etc.? if there is no way to stop it then maybe it also cannot be destroyed by usual means of disinfection. just a simple thought…

Allison says: Hi Carolyn – Absolutely!  You ask a really important question.  Scientists carefully disinfect their boots and all of their gear when moving from site to site these days.  While we were filming, we washed our boots thoroughly and any gear that touched the earth in a mild Clorox solution when leaving an infected site – we even washed our vehicle.  Unfortunately, this wasn’t done back when chytrid hadn’t yet been identified.  It certainly is possible that researchers (and tourists) tracked chytrid into areas not yet infected.  It’s also possible that chytrid is carried on the feet of ducks & birds.  Scientists like Karen Lips are trying to find out just how the fungus travels, but as far as I know, there are only theories at this point.

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Jim Whalen asks: I recently saw a show on animal planet bout this problem that is affecting frog populations worldwide. The same scientist mentioned in natures program claims some progress against chytrid is being attained. People around the world have to wake up and stop are irresponsible treatment of the earth. Amphibians might be ” the canary in the coal mine”

Allison says: Yes!  We all need to take responsibility.  Most scientists agree that the problems amphibians are facing are also impacting other species (including humans).  It’s a very serious situation.

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Christopher asks: First, thank you for a superb presentation of chytrid.  What can I as an individual do to make the frog species thrive?

Allison says: Thanks, Christopher!  It might sound small, but we can all make a difference by changing our energy consumption and use of chemicals at home – we can buy organic whenever possible and buy locally.  Also, we should all support local efforts to restore & protect wetlands (keep your eye out for local projects).  For other ideas, check out the “Additional Web Resources” page.  There are excellent groups that can use your support and offer more ideas (www.amphibianark.com is a good one).  Thanks for wanting to make a difference!

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Dan Nordmann asks: The conservation that is promoted in this program confuses me. It is important to be aware of how we effect our animal counterparts. When is it important to step aside and let mother nature takes it course? What if the frogs have been selected by mother nature to have a decline in their populations? How do we know that there was not a decline 500 hundred years back or even 5,000 years ago. A blink of time really, for having been around for 250,000 million years.

This show unfortunatley does not effectively explain why a decline in population is a negative occurence. What if the fungus is strengthening the amphibians by causing them to adapt? Well; if that’s what’s going on and we stop this process then we might be causing a much bigger problem! Perhaps this is the paradox of the conservation movement. All in all the show is thought provoking and the filming is very nice. Thanks for the film!

Allison says: Hi Dan.  I guess we’re going to have to see how this thing plays out.  I am not a scientist myself, but all the scientists I spoke to seem very concerned about the consequences of losing the earth’s amphibians.  They are finding that insect species are on the rise and other species that prey on amphibians are disappearing.  I, personally, am very concerned about our water quality.  I can’t imagine that pouring chemicals into our water supply is ultimately going to do us any good either… You’re right, it is thought provoking!

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Cindy asks: How can a person get involved on a local scale? I live in PA – are there groups in my area?

Allison says: Cindy – I’m not linked into local groups, but it might be possible to find a local network through one of the international frog non-profits (www.amphibianark.com is a good one). They might be able to help hook you up with local efforts in PA.  Also, read my response to Christopher’s note (above).  We can all make a significant difference by making some changes at home.

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Tucker Farley aks: who was the wonderful and caring black man caring for frogs and going out to search for them? Panama I think it was. Everyone else was introduced.

Allison says: Hey Tucker — That is Edgardo Griffith (working at EVACC in Panama with his wife Heidi Ross).  They’re both wonderful people and totally dedicated to helping frogs.

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Patti asks: I live in Louisiana. What can I do to help the frogs of the world? What can I do to encourage their thriving in my local area?

Allison says: Hi Patti – Read my response to Cindy (above).  I applaud you for wanting to make a difference!

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Alice Moon asks: I want to know how the researcher in California can be sure his frogs didn’t swap sexual identities due to being in a population consisting solely of males.

Allison says: Hi Alice – So sorry, but I’m not able to address your question.  It is really a question for Tyrone Hayes.  I do know that he is a very highly-respected scientist, and I trust that he’s looking at all angles in order to fully understand his findings. Sorry I can’t offer any insights here!

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Marjorie Chelberg asks: I recently asked the pharmacist at WalMart what should I do with unused prescriptions, she said to just flush them down the toilet. What can I do to make people in my neighborhood with septic systems more aware as their water and street run off ends up in a creek behind our home which is inhabited by lots of frogs. Should they be disposed of like the drs. do with used needles? Or what else can be done? Great film, I really enjoyed it.

Allison says: Wow, that’s unfortunate “guidance” the pharmacist gave you!  Dr. Dave Skelly (from Yale University) advises:  “Unused pharmaceuticals can be returned to the pharmacy.  Many hospitals will also take them.  They are sent to special incinerators that make them inert.”  This information really should be made more accessible to the general public and pharmacists should be better informed.

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Judy asks: I also want to know what we can do locally. I would think that the first step is to teach the school children. Outside of that, what would I do?

Allison says: Judy – Yes!  That’s a really critical point.  Here’s a link for teachers & parents: teach the kids – http://www.helpafrog.org/toolkit.htm.  Kids love frogs and don’t want to see them disappear.  You can also read what I’ve written above in response to Christopher.  We can all make a big difference right in our own backyards.  And do click on some of those links to see what the non-profit groups suggest.  They know where help is needed most.  Again, thanks!

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Ann Gutierrez asks: I am the owner of land in Costa Rica where the only known colony of Atalopus varius (harlequin frog previously thought to be extinct) was re-discovered several years ago. In response to Carolyn’s comments regarding contamination, I believe her concern is valid and one probable cause of the widespread contamination. It is my understanding that Reid Harris at James Madison University in Va. is working on a bath dip to immunize these frogs that retards the development of the Chytrid fungus. My biggest problem to safeguard this fragile colony stems from frog poachers hoping to add to their exotic collection. We need world wide legislation that makes this activity a serious crime.

Allison says: Hi Ann – Thanks so much for your note.  Yes, Carolyn brought up a very important point (see my response above).  And I’m so glad you mentioned Reid Harris – he is doing some very exciting research.  I have high hopes that his work will help us turn a corner with chytrid.  You also make a really important point about “collecting”.  It takes a serious toll on fragile populations and is a horribly selfish (and illegal) act.  This is just one more pressure that we are putting on amphibians.  I wish I’d had time to include this point in the film. Alas, 51 minutes is just too short when trying to convey so many complex issues.  Thanks for bringing it up!!

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Ross Geredien asks: Thank you, thank you for your compelling work. I am a former student of David Skelly’s and was thrilled to see his work on amphibian diseases incorporated into this comprehensive discussion on global amphibian declines.

Not only are declines in rainfall caused by climate changes causing drastic ecological changes to frog habitat, but climate change is most likely also driving the spread of chytrid fungus in places like the neotropics. Alan Pounds’ work in Costa Rica has documented how increased cloud cover and humidity is creating the perfect conditions for the fungus in cloud forest systems.

Perhaps one of the biggest things we can do is to buy local and organic and reduce the amount of pesticides and atrazine spread on the earth’s surface and reduce the amount of energy it takes to transport food by purchasing food grown closer to home.

Allison says: Ross – Amen!  I have vowed to start buying organic foods whenever possible and to buy them locally.  Making this film really drove home for me how we can all make a significant difference. I’m hoping that in my local community we can get our town to ban the use of fertilizers and pesticides.  It might take a while, but I think it’s worth the battle.  There are viable alternatives!  The first step is being informed – the second step is making positive choices.  (PS: You’re a lucky guy to have studied under David Skelly.  He must be a great teacher!)

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Bill Magno asks: Nature tonight on saving the frogs around the world was wonderful and bought tears to my eyes. THANK GOD there are people on the planet in Parks and Wildlife dept’s helping to save the frogs. These are the true saints of society. We should give them every support

Allison says: Thanks so much for your note, Bill.  I couldn’t agree with you more.  There are some heroic folks out there working to turn this crisis around.

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Catareina Heinrick asks: I am 19 and trying to raise money to help fund the research and conservation efforts of frogs, and have two questions: Who do I send the money to? And how do I contact them? I have tried searching on the UC Berkley and Yale home pages and found not luck what so ever in even finding such programs as what you filmed in, Frogs: The Thin Green Line. Any help would be greatly appreciated. As of yet I have not raised any money, I just saw the show three hours ago!

Allison says: Hi Catareina.  I applaud your efforts to help raise funds on behalf of amphibians!  I think it might be best to contact one of the amphibian groups that are non-profits (www.amphibianark.com) .  If you go to the “Additional Web Resources” page on NATURE’s Frogs website, you’ll find a list of groups that are devoted to helping frogs. They know where funding is needed most and can advise you.  Thanks so much for caring!!

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Parker Fritz asks: where can i send schwabs to be tested?

Allison says: Parker — There is a very specific protocol for swabbing amphibians, so that the test is accurate.  It would be best to contact one of the excellent groups like www.amphibianark.org to ask about the specifics.  From what I gather, there are not many labs that process the swabs.  Hope this helps point you in the right direction…

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141lanka asks: I have researched on Sri Lankan amphibians/reptiles under Dr.Carl Gans. Can you update me the status of Chytrid in Sri Lankan amphibian populations ?. I would love to get a copy of your show to educate Sri Lankan students/young researchers. Let me know if you would love to visit Sri Lanka I can give you field assistance and info !

Allison says: I had the good fortune of traveling to Sri Lanka some years ago when I made a film on elephants (The Urban Elephant).  It is a magnificent place – and I worked with some top-notch people there.  Unfortunately I don’t know the status of chytrid in Sri Lanka, but here is a website that might have some info for you: http://www.parcplace.org Thanks and good luck with your work!

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Randy Heuser asks: Question: If Chytrid infects frogs and snakes, does it also infect turtles?

Allison says: Randy – As far as I know, the amphibian chytrid fungus affects only amphibians.  However, any species that preys on frogs (or is preyed on by frogs) is indirectly affected.  So yes, it’s possible that turtles are being impacted.

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Christine asks: I thought the program was well done but was dismayed that the issue of biosecurity was not discussed with regard to field work. I kept wondering how many frogs died because well intentioned scientists and film crews spread the fungus on their boots to uninfected areas. Was there any effort for field scientists and film crews to disinfect boots, clothing, vehicles and other gear?

Allison says: Hi Christine – You bring up a really important point.  Scientists (and film crews) carefully disinfect their boots and all of their gear when moving from site to site these days.  We washed our boots thoroughly and any gear that touched the earth in a mild Clorox solution when leaving an infected site – we even washed our vehicle thoroughly.  Sadly this wasn’t done back when chytrid hadn’t yet been identified.  It’s altogether possible that researchers – and tourists visiting the National Parks – tracked chytrid into areas that were chytrid-free.  It’s also possible that chytrid is carried on the feet of ducks & birds.  Scientists like Karen Lips are trying to find out just how the fungus travels, but as far as I know, there are only theories at this point.

Our next location was closer to home: Yosemite National Park.  We flew into Reno on July 11th – just in time to catch the peak of the summer’s forest fires.  When we stepped outside the airport, it smelled like a campfire – it made my lungs hurt.  To make matters worse, the magnificent scenery of Yosemite was hidden behind a white curtain of smoke.

The next day, the winds shifted and the extraordinary vistas of Yosemite began to emerge from the haze.  Of course it wasn’t the vistas that had drawn us to Yosemite.  It was a small, unassuming frog – one of the most endangered amphibians in North America.  As we prepared for the shoot, I thought about the frog.  The good news: the mountain yellow-legged frog is diurnal.  This means they’re active during the day and we won’t have to film them at night.  The bad news: they live 12,000 feet above sea level and seven hours by foot from the closest road.

Dr. Roland Knapp, holding a toad

Dr. Roland Knapp had agreed to let us follow him into the field and document his work. We’d be staying up there for three days and had to pack in absolutely everything we’d need – from sleeping bags, tents & food to tripod, camera & batteries (fortunately we were able to hire members of Yosemite Search & Rescue to help us with the trek). Josh Cassidy, a student filmmaker, also joined us to help with the gear and logistics.  We hit the trail at 6am on July 13th, fretting with every step that we’d forgotten to pack a critical piece of equipment.  There would be no running back to the van to get it…

Notes from the field 7/14/08
Oh man, what a hike!  The altitude makes it really tough – but wow, is it beautiful up here!  We set up our tents in the afternoon rain & took inventory of the gear.  I can’t believe we forgot the batteries for the backup camera!!

We started at sunrise the next morning…  It wasn’t long before we stumbled on our first dead frog.  Roland says it’s chytrid.  Seeing it so still under the water, perfectly intact, was chilling.  Here we are in one of the most pristine environments in the world – and the frogs are dying.  This disease is frightening.

We shot the entire day (Roland and his team processing frogs) until huge, black clouds started gathering at around 3.  They seemed to come from nowhere – fast and furious.  As we scrambled to get the gear under tarps and Roland’s team tried to secure their data, the skies let loose… it was a hail storm to beat the band!  We ran for cover in our tents, and the hail pounded down for two hours.  I caught a glimpse of a huge lightning bolt cracking into the mountainside next to us just as I ducked into my tent.  Inside, with hail stones and wind tearing against the fly, I really wondered how this little adventure was going to play out.  I also mused on the mountain yellow-legged frogs and just how much they’ve withstood, day in and day out, for millions of years.  What extraordinary survivors… until now.

Once the storm seemed to die down, I unzipped my tent and peered out… there were two inches of ice over the entire landscape.  In two hours we’d gone from summer to winter.  Andy pointed out that none of shots are going to match – hah!  Oh well, we’ve lost the light, so we’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings…

We managed to get through the next day of shooting without any further mishaps and made it down the mountain.  My head was still filled with images of dead frogs…

Our subsequent locations were no less riveting…  At UC Berkeley, Tyrone Hayes and his students are studying the effects of chemical run-off on frogs.  They’re finding that even low level exposure to herbicides and pesticides is leading to reproductive abnormalities.  We thought he was kidding when he invited us to film a male frog laying fertile eggs… He wasn’t.  It was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen.

Our next shoot was equally creepy – and perhaps even more shocking.  In suburban Connecticut, David Skelly from Yale University has been studying the local frogs.  He, too, is finding big problems.  21% of the frogs in the suburban ponds he’s studied have reproductive abnormalities: the males are growing eggs in their testes. Wow… This is happening in our own backyards.  This is the water that our children are playing in, that some of us swim in – that some of us even drink!  My eyes were opened to the frightening impact of our seemingly innocent actions: using fertilizers or weed killers on our lawns & gardens, flushing medicines down our toilets, digging septic systems too close to wetlands – or not repairing old septic systems that are leaching… We are all players in the extinction crisis.

Check back tomorrow to hear about filming in Australia and the challenges of finishing the film.

- Allison Argo