In 2021, our team set out to create a documentary highlighting the plight of critically endangered red wolves, a species that faced devastating loss to vehicle strike mortalities in their severely fragmented habitat in Eastern North Carolina. As we began filming, Wildlands Network, a conservation organization, embarked on an important and unique study to create a map of the highway hotspots in need of wildlife crossings statewide. The Wildlands Network team created a list of 179 priority sites across North Carolina from the mountains to the sea, that met the criteria researchers established. After compiling this extensive list, the team consulted with over 40 wildlife experts who voted to identify the top 20 highway hotspots in critical need of wildlife crossings. This timely report coincided with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, which included a $350 million allocation for wildlife crossings and other infrastructure projects across the United States. Grant monies from this fund would be made possible through approved federal grant applications.

Upon hearing about this study and the potential to bring much needed funding to North Carolina, we reached out to Wildlands Network to collaborate with them by creating a powerful storytelling tool that they could share with their partners and other stakeholders in order to positively impact the federal grant application process. Our primary goal was to show decision makers what these vital areas look like from the perspective of wildlife trying to cross roadways, the beauty of the habitat, the animals that call these places home, and to help them visualize the severe fragmentation impacting the landscape. With drones, ground and tripod camera set-ups, and a Go Pro, we ventured out to film every one of the 20 highway hotspots identified by Wildlands Network. We faced many challenges along the way, with difficult terrain, severe weather, distracted drivers, and even the occasional technical difficulty but nothing prepared us for the amount of deceased wildlife we observed along the roadways. To be on the front lines in this way was a journey we won't soon forget and has further deepened our resolve to be part of the change our state so desperately needs.

After several weeks of filming at all 20 locations, the editing work began. We determined that the ideal length of each clip was 30 seconds. In those 30 seconds, we had to tell the story of each location and the challenges fragmentation posed to the wildlife living there. We no longer wanted these wildlife casualties to be just a statistic, so we carefully curated each photo we took to represent the inherent value of each animal’s life. We wanted each clip to illustrate compelling imagery in a way that would also reach the hearts of our viewers. In the end, we were thrilled to be a part of this endeavor and our hope is that these videos will spur decision makers to see wildlife and habitats as vital to our collective futures and worth protecting.

Team Right of Passage