Monarch film

Since last summer, the Monarch Teacher Network has been shooting film for a full length film production about the monarch butterfly and Monarch Teacher Network. The videographer, Ed Waters, has filmed for many years in New Jersey classrooms for the New Jersey Education Association television series “Classroom Closeup”. Ed accompanied the March 8-15, 2008 trip to Mexico, filming in the monarch colonies and other parts of the trip. The film is shot in HD and includes lots of great close-ups.They are hoping to have the final production finished and available as a dvd to teachers who participate in the summer 2008 MTN workshops, as part of the materials they receive at the workshop.

Since his return from Mexico in March, Ed has put together about 5 minutes of footage and made it available. The teacher who is interviewed is Jessica “Netia” Elam, who was trained at our Prince William County, Virginia workshop in August 2007; she teaches Advanced Placement Biology at Forest Park High School and uses monarchs in her work, as a result of getting involved with MTN. ( MTN will be back in Prince William and Fairfax County, VA on Aug 11-13 (Fairfax County) and Aug 6-8 (Prince William County) for another workshop this summer. I will hopefully be working as staff at one of the Va. workshops!)

Below is the clip from the film. It is breathtakingly gorgeous. Keep in mind that Youtube does compress the quality a bit, but it is still stunning. My students watched it with me today and they were sitting silently, at rapt attention. It’s that good!