Chinook 3.jpg — The Virtual Wild & Scenic Film Festival Takes Center Stage for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy

by Steve Tabor

Image provided by Mitch Dion from the CA Dept of Fisheries.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (Conservancy) presents its 7th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival virtually on Sunday, January 17th at 4:00 p.m. and is accessible on the Conservancy website through January 24th. The Festival showcases six specially selected films about individuals demonstrating that each person can make a difference when it comes to not only enjoying, but the importance protecting, open natural land.

The 90-minute program features “The Sacramento, At Current Speed” which is a 38-minute film co-produced by Mitch Dion and Tom Bartels that captures their 300-mile journey rowing their whitewater dory down the Sacramento River beginning near the City of Redding, California past wildlife refuges, farms, and cities bordering the Sacramento to the Sacramento River Delta near the City of Stockton, California. Prior to the showing, Dion will introduce his film and follow the film with concluding remarks.

Dion states, “The Sacramento feels like the front lines in our societal struggle over water. It's a workhorse river, it's waters channelized and pumped hundreds of miles to serve agriculture and our cities. But in spite of that, there are places that retain a sense of wilderness. The river corridor serves as a habitat for an abundance of wildlife, including endangered salmon, otter, eagle, osprey."

“There is more demand for water than we have supply," Dion added. "And this will only get worse with expected changes in the climate. We hope the film is an entertaining account of our river journey, and an introduction to a piece of 'hidden wilderness' in California. We also hope it helps people understand the complexity we face as a society in allocating this precious resource, water, to serve the public good.”

Dion points out that his motivation for producing the film began with his family roots on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In 1941, seeking open space, his paternal grandparents moved from their home in the City of Long Beach to live in the open country of Rolling Hills. They used their property on Pine Tree Lane to build two barns and had chickens, ducks, a milk cow, a donkey and horses. At the time, Dion’s grandparents and their children were able to take horseback rides to Malaga Cove or along Crest Road to Portuguese Bend and have their horses swim in the ocean.

About the time of Dion’s birth, his parents moved from Long Beach to Palos Verdes. In the early 1960’s, the area included enormous amounts of open space to explore. As time passed, those open spaces became filled with housing, shopping centers and other development. With the development, Dion recognized the importance of maintaining the Peninsula’s beauty and its natural environment. His love of open space carried throughout his life. His experiences as a river guide continued to foster his love of nature and the realization of the valuable role rivers play in our world. “The Sacramento mirrors this delicate balance between serving the needs of man while playing a vital role in maintaining our environment.”

The Festival playbill includes five other films. “Where the Wild Things Keep Playing” is a four-minute film directed by Krystal Wright is “An ode to the athlete who relishes in getting dirty, who chuckles after a long day in the mountains, effortlessly glides through the crystal-clear waves and most importantly, is unapologetic in pursuing their love of getting rowdy in adventures.”

“Bring Your Own” is a three-minute musical parody of the song “Cheerleader” by OMI, highlighting the importance of using reusable containers to fight against plastic pollution.

“In Celebration of Open Space” a six-minute film explores the land and seascapes in and around Maine’s Acadia National Park and asks volunteers from the U.S. and 19 other countries, “What does ‘open space’ mean to you?”

“Detroit Hives” another six-minute film follows two City of Detroit residents Tim Paule and Nicole Lindsey who use beekeeping as a means to convert vacant housing lots into opportunities for young Detroit residents to create urban bee farms.

“Giants” is a 27-minute film that highlights the efforts residents of the Eastmoreland neighborhood in the City of Portland, Oregon go through as they attempt to prevent a custom home developer from destroying three giant sequoia trees standing in the way of the housing development.

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The virtual doors for the event open at 4:00 p.m. on January 17th. Household Pass advanced tickets are available for $30. Tickets purchased on January 17th through the completion of the Festival will be $40. Dinner and a Movie Packages presented by Good Stuff in Rolling Hills Estates and Sebastian’s in San Pedro are available. Tickets can be purchased online at https://quido.com/event/PalosVerdes .

The California Water Service Company is serving as the Festival Sponsor.

In addition to the Festival, an Online Auction will be conducted to support the restoration and beautification activities of the White Point Nature Preserve located in San Pedro. The Auction will be conducted from January 17th through January 31st. Items include local staycations, getaway vacations, plein-air paintings, jewelry, landscape consultations and other others. The Auction link can be found on the PVPLC website at www.PVPLC.org .

Steve Tabor Bio

This South Bay native’s photographic journey began after receiving his first 35 mm film camera upon earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. Steve began with photographing coastal landscapes and marine life. As a classroom teacher he used photography to share the world and his experiences with his students. Steve has expanded his photographic talents to include portraits and group photography, special event photography as well as live performance and athletics. Steve serves as a volunteer ranger for the Catalina Island Conservancy and uses this opportunity to document the flora and fauna of the island’s interior as well as photograph special events and activities.

Watch for Steve Tabor Images on the worldwide web.