Exciting news for Southern Interior Mule (SIMDeer) Project followers – Community for the Wild, a documentary that tells the story of a community acting together to protect and conserve British Columbia’s wildlife and wild places, is now available to watch at Telus On Demand! Press the On Demand button on your Optik TV remote and use the search function.
Enjoy this sneak peek and stay tuned to watch in other ways! Subscribe to the Telus Originals YouTube channel and get notified when the film is released online (early 2022). Look out for production updates under #WatchLocal on our social channels.
Community for the Wild is a short documentary that follows a community of researchers and volunteers in British Columbia who are working on the largest collaborative mule deer research project in BC’s history – the Southern Interior Mule Deer Project. This research project has brought them together across vast landscapes guided by their common love of wildlife to support habitat conservation and wildlife management to try and assess why mule deer numbers are in steep decline and ultimately to come up with management recommendations to help improve their numbers. The film combines socio-political, cultural, ethical, and traditional perspectives while exposing some pressing issues that face the habitat and wildlife we as Canadians love so much. Ultimately, it is a story about a community working to build a better BC, to protect and preserve British Columbia’s wildlife and wild places.
British Columbian producer and director Christopher Spencer has created a film that features the Southern Interior Mule (SIMDeer) Project with cinematographers Mark Wyatt and Adam Foss with funding from Telus Local Programming. The B.C. Wildlife Federation, the Bonaparte Indian Band, Okanagan Nation Alliance, University of BC-Okanagan, and University of Idaho are supporting the film and research communication.
Chris Spencer is an award-winning content creator finishing his MA at Royal Roads University in British Columbia. He has over 15 years’ experience working in film production. As a hunter himself he feels inextricably connected to the outdoors with a deep passion for conservation. Canada has many challenges with funding and communicating research. Chris is dedicated to using his professional experience to help shine a light on the importance of our environment, wildlife, and its stewardship.
The goal of the Southern Interior Mule Deer Project is to learn how to restore mule deer populations by studying how landscape change and predator-prey communities are affecting current populations. The project is a collaboration between the Bonaparte Indian Band, Okanagan Nation Alliance, University of BC-Okanagan, University of Idaho, British Columbia Fish and Wildlife Branch, and the BC Wildlife Federation. The project has dozens of funders, including individuals, clubs, and organizations such as the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
To donate to the research, visit the BCWF Ways to Give page and select ‘Southern Interior Mule Deer Project’ under designation, and we will issue you a tax receipt.
Director & Producer Chris Spencer @raincityimages | email: riverandridge.prod@gmail.com
Cinematographer Mark Wyatt @wyattvisuals by Adam Foss @fossman8