Film becomes second nature to conservation interns

Film & Media Studies interns raise profile of The Nature Conservancy efforts through films A new initiative between KU Film & Media Studies, The Nature Conservancy and ITC served as an opportunity for two talented students and an alumnus to create four informational videos that raise awareness of conservation issues in Kansas. Over the course of 2014, the students completed 10 location shoots at Conservancy properties and project areas around the state and logged more than 50 hours of video footage. “The Nature Conservancy partnership was challenging in its scope, extended timeline and number of pieces produced,” said Robert Hurst, associate professor and internship coordinator for Film & Media Studies. “These challenges really helped the internship participants to grow as young professionals.” The completed videos serve as a valuable tool to raise the profile of The Nature Conservancy, as well as an example of KU School of the Arts’ internship opportunities. The videos cover a wide range of Conservancy projects and endeavors including:

• the benefits of prescribed fire in the Flint Hills and how local communities celebrate and promote this springtime tradition;
• the creepy crawlers of the Red Hills featuring snakes and bats;
• the importance of the Cheyenne Bottoms on wetland bird populations; and
• a Nature Conservancy 25th anniversary retrospective with footage from all project areas.

“This partnership served a need in Kansas and exposed the students to parts of the state they didn’t know existed,” Hurst said. “This internship allowed the students to get a taste of the skills and discipline one needs to work professionally.”