I was born in Alaska and spent much of my childhood fishing, hiking, and camping.
But the best Alaskan wildlife experience I ever had came years later.
In 2013, I collaborated with the University of Alaska Anchorage on a film called River
of Bears.
At the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge, I watched and filmed brown bears
as they fished, raised their cubs, navigated each other, and ignored us.
Watching bears at such close range, you see that they are extremely intelligent animals
with individual habits, characteristics, and behaviors.
River of Bears is the first nature film made specifically for a planetarium screen.
We used a 360 degree camera that films in all sides to capture the magnificent landscape.
Very few people get to visit McNeil.
Only 185 permits are given out each year, but watching River of Bears in a full dome
immersive theater might just be the next best thing.
Unfortunately, right now there just aren't many full dome theaters.
For more people to be able to see this film and learn about the Bears of McNeil River,
there needs to be a flat screen version that can be shown in regular theaters and on DVD.
The trouble is, there's no quick, easy way to convert a film made for a full dome theater
into a flat screen version.
I'll need to completely recreate the film, starting with the raw video files and using
different editing software.
The good news is, this gives me the chance to make a longer film with more great footage
of Bears and more information about the McNeil River Sanctuary.
But my main reason for making this new version is not just for more people to be able to
see our movie, it's to help protect the Bears of McNeil River.
The need for this flat screen version is urgent.
Right now, under Alaska Governor Sean Parnell, there are major policy changes underway.
Governor Parnell wants to make it easier to grant permits for development in state wildlife
refuges, sanctuaries, and critical habitat areas.
These changes could negatively impact many sanctuaries, including McNeil River, where
for almost 50 years people have safely observed, at close range, the largest congregation of
brown bears in the world.
This spectacle has been possible precisely because of the lack of development.
There's no physical fence around the sanctuary.
Policies based on sound research and good management practices are the only protection
these animals have.
I believe that films like River of Bears are one of the best ways for large numbers of
people to learn about wildlife and why it needs to be protected.
By funding this project, you'll help raise awareness about the importance of wild places
like McNeil.
You'll also help me to celebrate these extraordinary animals and help people around the
world learn to understand them better.
