Jennifer Peaslee
Beth Bunting
February 16, 2018

Part 1: Underwater with the Hellbender and the Videographer

Communicating science is hard. Successfully communicating science to non-scientists takes work and a willingness to make your science relatable. To jump-start our science communication, the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab (CWHL) is partnering with professional photographer and award-winning nature videographer, David Brown to shed some visual “light” on the science behind wildlife health. David most recently produced the award-winning documentary short film, Fragile Legacy, narrated by actor and conservation activist Ted Danson.

As a filmmaker with special expertise in aquatic species, David became interested in documenting our Eastern Hellbender Salamander project as a way to highlight the struggles amphibians face in the wild. We welcomed the help. Like most scientists, we struggle to explain what we do in interesting and engaging ways. Let’s face it, few people are going to read journal abstracts or plow through pages and pages of dry technical language in government reports.

Hellbender!

David has been fortunate to encounter all kinds of wild animals throughout his career, many of them ocean inhabitants.  Pressed to name a favorite, diving with whales tops the list. He has worked in water with humpbacks, blue whales, minkes, belugas, narwhal, orca and a variety of dolphins, and says “it never gets old!” Part of David’s success in wildlife filming is due to the great passion for what he does, and that comes through in the finished product.

In order to have an impact, we need to keep the public informed about what we discover, and cell phone camera shots just don’t cut it. David is helping us produce compelling visual media for distribution on our new website and social media accounts. We hope to test out different strategies for different demographics to see what works the best. This new collaboration is just the tip of the communications iceberg!   

Wildlife filming is full of challenges. Hellbenders have a certain ugly-cute appeal, but don’t necessarily make themselves available for close-ups. They live in ice-cold water under enormous heavy rocks, and the streams often have poor visibility.  A great benefit of the partnership is having expert biologists available as a resource, since understanding the natural history and habits is critical to getting useful film. David states, “What I love is the opportunity to experience a wild creature in its environment, doing what it has evolved to do. Nothing makes me happier.” Lucky for us!