Film showcases importance of Prairie Pothole Region

Moviegoers in Brandon will have a chance to celebrate Earth Day next Monday in a unique way by going to a theatrical screening of “Wings Over Water.”

The 45-minute documentary tells the story of North America’s unique Prairie Pothole Region and the animals that call it home. It’ll focus on the stories of the sandhill crane, the yellow warbler and the mallard as they wing their ways across the crucial yet little known North American ecosystem.

The film is narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Keaton and was produced thanks to support from Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Janine Massey, DUC’s chief marketing and communications officer, calls the film unbelievable, engaging and entertaining.

“It has such a great message attached to it. It’s just so well done,” Massey told the Sun.

Part of making the film involved putting cameras on birds and having camera people wade into wetlands and into bird blinds to get uninterrupted shots of wildlife.

“The film takes you all the way from the prairie potholes of Canada, through the U.S. and into Costa Rica even, on the migratory journey, which I think is pretty captivating,” Massey said.

Including the tree star waterfowl, the film also captures owls, salamanders, fish, other bird species and more.

The Prairie Pothole Region stretches across southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and dips south into North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Montana in the United States. It was created in the last ice age, when kilometre-high glaciers made their way across the continent, creating millions of shallow pools of meltwater as they went along.

According to Ducks Unlimited Canada’s website, humans have destroyed many of the pothole pools in just over 100 years. The current number of potholes fluctuates seasonally based on moisture levels between two and eight million.

They provide pristine waterfowl breeding grounds and essential habitat for hundreds of other species, 50 of which are considered at-risk by conservation groups and governments.

It was important that “Wings Over Water” show how many migratory birds are habitual and go back to the same places every year, Massey said.

“So keeping those conserved on the landscape is really critical to managing the population of these species,” she said. “I think it’s important for people to see that and to know that.”

Pothole wetlands also keep water clean and regulate water levels during droughts and floods. DUC says up to 70 per cent of the pothole wetlands have been destroyed in some areas, making conservation of the remaining ones of utmost importance.

“Wings Over Water” includes important messages about conservation and the important work that wetlands do for communities and for animal and human health.

“It really resonates with young people and older people. It really spans all ages,” Massey said.

“I think it does a great job of showing how important these wetlands are to wildlife.”

“Wings Over Water” will remain available for school bookings until May 31.

On Earth Day, tickets are available for $6.99 and proceeds from sales will go toward supporting wetland conservation through Ducks Unlimited Canada.

The film will be playing in Brandon at Landmark Cinemas. Tickets are available there or at ducks.ca/earthday.

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