A documentary produced in Jackson is set to premiere on public television stations around the country this spring. "Far Afield" stars naturalist Bert Raynes, a longtime Jackson Hole News & Guide columnist.
The film follows the life of Raynes as he discovers his two great loves – nature and his wife, Meg. Together they founded the Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund.
Director Jennifer Tennican says Raynes’ involvement in conservation resulted in high levels of public participation. His Jackson Hole Nature Mapping program encourages Wyoming residents to becoming citizen scientists.
"Bert serves such a vital purpose," says Tennican. "He is sort of the connective tissue between professional scientists and the public, particularly with the nature mapping program. He says it himself, there are only so many trained wildlife biologists."
https://vimeo.com/140374970">"Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story" - Trailer from https://vimeo.com/jenten">Jennifer Tennican on Vimeo.
Tennican says that this is her second film to be picked up nationally, and she is delighted to get the film out to a broader audience.
"Being distributed through American Public Television is a terrific opportunity; I mean if you are a filmmaker you want people to see your films," she says. "It couldn’t be better."
Tennican says the film has been accepted by 200 stations in 40 states and the District of Colombia. "Far Afield" will begin airing in April as part of Earth Day programming. It airs on Wyoming PBS in May.