By Kevin White
Narrated by Peter Coyote
For millennia, the bald eagle was an important avian predator in the Channel Islands just off the coast of Southern California. Then in the early 1960's the bald eagles disappeared entirely due to egg collecting, hunting, and extensive DDT contamination.
In 1980 a young graduate student, Dave Garcelon, decided to try and restore the bald eagle to the Channel Islands, often called North America's Galapagos for their unique, diverse species. Return Flight chronicles how Dave and his dedicated team of biologists worked tirelessly for decades to bring the bald eagle back in the face of DDT contamination, leading to some amazing results.
The film also provides some history on DDT, a pesticide developed in WWII that was extensively used by consumers and agriculture ¨C but not without serious consequences. Prior to the 1972 Congressional DDT ban, there were only 407 breeding pairs of bald eagles left in the continental U.S. ¨C and none in Southern California.
The story is told through interviews with hard-working biologists, visionary resource managers, and thoughtful environmental historians - supported with beautiful visuals of a unique landscape and the bald eagles themselves. Ultimately, the recovery of the bald eagle on the Channel Islands mirrors its larger recovery in the continental United States. What emerges is a positive story of how innovation and dedication can triumph in the face of one of the most pervasive environmental challenges of our time.
Reviews
~ "Director White is able to take a story 20 years in the making and turn it into a narrative sure to inspire the next generation of biologists to take on epic projects of their ownĄ And above all, he shows eagles in flight, making for a film that soars." - Malibu Times
~ "One of the more popular films on our 2012 tour. Audiences really respond to the compelling positive story." - Wild & Scenic Film Festival
~ "A testament to the very real possibilities of righting past human errors. Kevin White's film chronicles how years of determination and passion by a small group of dedicated individuals have created positive environmental change." - Valerie Landes, Executive Producer, Natural Heroes/PBS
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