Student filmmakers at New Mexico State University have created six short documentaries to raise awareness about protecting the Gila Forest.
NMSU partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to create the Gila Film School. The objective of the program is to give students hands-on experience out in the field while also learning about the history of the Gila wilderness.
The documentaries were filmed during a nearly two-week, 17-mile backpacking trip in the Gila.
“We’re really hoping this project will encourage people to protect the Gila and connect to the land in new ways and be inspired,” Associate Professor of NMSU Creative Media Institute Ilana Lapid told KRQE.
The documentaries will be showcased by the U.S. Forest Service. The films will then be sent to different fourth-grade classrooms across New Mexico.