Saving Beauty: Learning to Live with the Rare Ones Among Us
THE STORY
Dotted across the American Southwest, arid-land wetlands are home to endangered animals and plants found nowhere else on earth like the Pecos sunflower. However, 150 years of development, overgrazing, and climate change have made “ciénegas” the most endangered ecosystem of the Southwest. New Mexico State botanist has taken up the challenge to engage city government, landowners, schools, and the community of Santa Rosa in conserving these unique wetlands and plants as part of the natural heritage and future tourism of the community, before it is too late.
This is the story of the endangered Pecos Sunflower in its threatened wetland habitat and all the people touched by its beauty. New Mexico state botanist, Daniela Roth, and her partners are working to save this rare sunflower; the people of Santa Rosa are learning to see and value this endangered species in their backyard; and multitudes of wildlife and native plants share the disappearing arid-land wetlands the Pecos sunflower calls home.
The Pecos Sunflower, listed as federally threatened, is known in only seven locations: the arid-land wetlands of New Mexico and Texas known as "cienegas". In the community of Santa Rosa in central New Mexico, for one month of the year this beautiful native plant turns these wetlands into a sea of gold. Growing along the edges of the crystalline waters of Blue Hole Cienega Nature Preserve, the sunflower's last stand is a world-famous tourist location and public land.
We are telling this story because North America is losing its valuable wetlands to drying and development at an alarming rate. Ciénegas are a unique spring-fed wetland ecosystem found only in the arid-lands of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Researchers have documented that nearly half of New Mexico's ciénegas are already gone, irreparably damaged due to development and drying. And those in Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico face the same fate.
Nearly all our native wildlife depend on wetlands at some point in their lives. But instead of preserving them, the federal government is weakening protections for the Southwest's waterways, endangered species, and public lands. This puts our heritage and our future at stake, along with a universal symbol of beauty: the sunflower.
Most people still don't know or value the incredible diversity and unique species that rely on these ciénega ecosystems. We aim to change that. Widespread conservation of native plants and wetland habitats only succeeds with public support, which our film and visual storytelling project will generate.
While the Pecos sunflower gets the majority of attention, this project explores all of the many ways Blue Hole Ciénega Nature Preserve and Southwestern ciénegas in general are essential ecosystems in arid-lands and will continue to need protection and conservation measures regardless of the listing status of the Pecos sunflower.
Widespread conservation of native plants and habitats only succeeds with public support, which our film and visual storytelling will generate.
OUR GOAL
To use visual storytelling to engage audiences and decision-makers in a story of the connection between native plants and their environment and share an argument for protecting endangered species, public lands and restoring wetlands.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Illuminate the mysteries of native plant conservation in New Mexico through storytelling
Combat “plant blindness” by showcasing the beauty and importance of a seemingly ordinary species like sunflowers
Draw in and engage a broad audience by highlighting a positive story in plant conservation
Filmmaker Interview
Listen to the filmmakers, Christina Selby and Arturo Anzures, talk about how and why we made this film and its importance to New Mexico and Southwestern ecosystems.