Category Archives: Wildlife

Video Profiles: 73-Year Old Legendary River Runner & Activist Herman Hoops

“A river trip in a boat is a magic carpet. It’s a ballet and you can feel in the oars what the river is saying. That’s the part that’s really hard for me to give up, that feeling of using all my knowledge and skills to dance on a river. If you’re a river runner, this is it, man…”

In the final chapter of his life, legendary river runner and activist Herm Hoops has the opportunity to take one last river trip through his treasured Desolation Canyon on the Green River. “Salad Days” gives us a rare glimpse of what it means when a person has the chance to reflect on a lifetime of passion and river running as they knowingly go through the stages of dying.

NRS Films
https://community.nrs.com/nrs-films/

Article on Herman Hoops

Nature Videos: “Majete Wildlife Reserve” Revived And Now “Flourishing” (National Geographic)

When Tizola Moyo started as a ranger in 1993, Majete Wildlife Reserve was devoid of any wildlife. Now, with the help of the park’s rangers and community collaboration, it’s flourishing.

Website: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/

Engineering In Nature: “Honeybees Use Their Wings For Water Surface Locomotion” (Caltech)

From a Caltech online article:

Bees Surf Atop Water to escape CaltechWhen a bee lands on water, the water sticks to its wings, robbing it of the ability to fly. However, that stickiness allows the bee to drag water, creating waves that propel it forward. In the lab, Roh and Gharib noted that the generated wave pattern is symmetrical from left to right. A strong, large-amplitude wave with an interference pattern is generated in the water at the rear of the bee, while the surface in front of the bee lacks the large wave and interference. This asymmetry propels the bees forward with the slightest of force—about 20 millionths of a Newton.

Walking on Caltech’s campus, research engineer Chris Roh (MS ’13, PhD ’17) happened to see a bee stuck in the water of Millikan Pond. Although it was a common-enough sight, it led Roh and his advisor, Mory Gharib (PhD ’83), to a discovery about the potentially unique way that bees navigate the interface between water and air.

To read more: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/bees-surf-atop-water

Top New Wildlife Films: “Chungungo – A Mentor’s Tale” Directed By Ben Goertzen (2019)

https://vimeo.com/338880115

Written and Directed By: BEN GOERTZEN

Producers: RENE ARANEDA CONTRERAS, MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ

Chungungo A Mentor’s Tale Directed by BEN GOERTZEN 2019

Executive Producers: DENY STAGGS, RENE ARANEDA CONTRERAS, MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ

Director of Photography: BEN GOERTZEN

Chungungo A Mentor’s Tale Directed by BEN GOERTZEN 2019

Underwater Director of Photography:MAURICIO HANDLER-RUIZ

Chungungo A Mentor’s Tale Directed by BEN GOERTZEN 2019An endangered, South American Marine Otter mother and her two pups act as a vehicle into a poetic exploration of the threshold between comfort and action. Through blending traditional blue-chip cinematography with a philosophical narration the smallest marine mammal in the world is used as a mentor to teach humans about trusting their internal compass and confronting difficult questions. From showing a caring mother, to a playful sibling bond, to the kelp forests that nourish their entire ecosystem, this film aims to build empathy for animals as complex beings with more depth than we give them credit for.

Website: http://www.aquaterrafilms.com/