The Brown Pelican

During the hot months of the BP oil spill, oiled brown pelicans became iconic images of the disaster. Throughout the spill, I personally saw many more pelicans that weren't affected than I did those that were. Still, the toughest emotional day for me was when I filmed at the pelican rehabilitation center at Fort Jackson in Plaquemines Parish and saw what the birds had endured.

My current video for the National Wildlife Federation is an update of sorts on the status of the brown pelican. Although biologists agree that the population is still strong, the video proposes that the rapid loss of habitat will determine the ultimate fate of the species.

This video is composed of footage that I collected before and after the spill as well as stock footage from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Often times state and federal agencies will have their own media produced in house. Since the media is produced using tax dollars, it falls in the realm of public domain. You can get a hold of this media by visiting the agency's B Roll or Video section on their website or by contacting their media/public relations departments and requesting copies of the footage.