SwampScapes
Liz Miller, Kim Grinfeder and Juan Carlos Zaldivar co-directed the multi-platform documentary SwampScapes about the Everglades, to reach students, teachers, and museums, and to build “swamp literacy.” While schools are a great place to build impact, teachers work in different circumstances and have access to different technologies, and therefore need diverse resources. As a result, the team developed a range of outputs. After the project was finished, the three co-directors participated in the Climate Story Lab that brought together artists, advocates, and outreach experts. The first strategy they developed was to reach middle school science classes in Florida. They identified a well connected middle school science teacher, Bertha Vazquez to develop educational materials. She then reached out to her extensive network of teachers. The messenger matters when building impact.
When Liz Miller, Kim Grinfeder and Juan Carlos Zaldivar developed SwampScapes, a thirteen-minute 360-degree /Virtual Reality project, they wanted to ensure that the project would be accessible to everyone involved. As a result, the project consisted of five separate platforms, including, among others: a still-photo exhibit (that would work in the biologists stations), a website (ideal for teachers and educators), and the VR piece (for festivals, museums and other venues exploring new technologies).