Spring: A Season of Hope, Possibility, and Conservation Conversations
This is a time of year that I absolutely love as a conservation filmmaker. It’s no secret that here in Canada the bulk of a conservation cinematographer’s work is late May through October when the tree canopy is full of leaves and you can feel (and see) the moss beneath your feet in the forest. Psst! I won’t talk about the mosquitoes.
There’s something about spring that feels like a deep inhale after a long winter. It’s more than just the warming air or the first trill of birdsong in the forest. For me, spring is a signal. It’s nature’s way of whispering, “It’s time to begin again.” And I listen. Every year.
So what does spring look like in this line of business?
Spring has always been my season of reflection and planning. As someone who lives and breathes conservation storytelling, it’s the time when the ideas come to life. Usually these same ideas have been quietly germinating all winter. This is when my smartphone and the app Google Keep becomes full of scribbled thoughts about untold stories. My mind is always filtering thoughts of stories of places few people see, voices rarely heard, and creatures most never notice. These are the roots of what might one day become full-fledged conservation documentaries. And, of course, the more unique a story is, the more it’s likely to resonate as a worthy investment for potential funders.
This season is about more than just what’s blooming outside. It’s about what’s blooming inside. The calender here at WorkCabin Films begins to fill with conversations. Long phone or Zoom chats with biologists, land stewards, Indigenous knowledge keepers, and others. These conversations are where magic begins. Ideas collide. New angles surface. A throwaway comment becomes the seed for something that could deeply move an audience. We talk about potential collaborations, funding strategies, outreach approaches and, of course, how we can bring more people into the conversation about protecting the wild spaces we love.
One of the most exciting parts of spring for me is the research phase. This is all about diving deep into areas that haven’t been explored on camera, chasing the question “Why hasn’t anyone told this story yet?” And when I find something that gives me goosebumps? That’s when I know I’m onto something.
I’m especially drawn to stories that have an emotional undercurrent. We need the kind of impact that stays long after the credits roll. Stories that aren’t just about facts and figures, but about connection. Because when audiences feel something, they care. And when they care, they act.
This year, we’re also focusing heavily on outreach. Finding new partners, growing relationships with conservation organizations, and building bridges between science and storytelling. Every conversation is a doorway. You never know where it might lead. Maybe it will be to a documentary, or maybe just to a new understanding of how to better tell a story that matters.
Spring is a planner’s paradise and there’s always a sense, if you put the work into it, that something meaningful is just around the corner.
So here’s to the season of starting. To wild ideas and meaningful conversations. To story seeds that may, in time, grow into films that inspire action. To the trails not yet walked, and the voices not yet heard.
- We Have To Chase Conservation Stories Before It’s Too Late - May 12, 2025
- Spring: A Season of Hope, Possibility, and Conservation Conversations - April 30, 2025
- 25 Key Things Every Organization Should Consider Before Starting Storytelling - April 29, 2025
