"Islands in Time"

A video about Lake Wales Ridge ecology and conservation

Produce by, John Grahame

Order a copy: Copies of "Islands in Time" are available for $19.95 (plus $1.40 Florida sales tax, if applicable) plus $4.50 shipping, Archbold Biological Station. Credit card payments are accepted for VISA/MasterCharge. This video can be ordered from Archbold Biological Station.

In 1991, as part of its 50th Anniversary Celebration, and to fill a long-standing educational need, Archbold Biological Station sponsored the production of a 20-minute video, "Islands in Time." This video paints the geological and ecological story of the Lake Wales Ridge, and describes current efforts to design and implement a network of preserves that will permanently protect the remnants of this ancient ecosystem.

The film was produced during a year-long residency by Mr. John Grahame as a Research Assistant. John brought considerable skill and experience in video-magazine production, and he directed this project from beginning to end. The Station was fortunate to enlist Mr. Neil Rettig, one of the finest natural history cinematographers in the world. The familiar TV news anchorman and documentary film maker, Mr. Bill Kurtis, volunteered his time as on-camera narrator. He also provided state-of-the-art production assistance at cost, through his own Kurtis Productions, Inc. in Chicago. IPA Studios, Chicago, performed the graphics and final editing also at substantially reduced cost. The documentary was filmed in June and September, 1991, and produced early in 1992.

Outstanding photography in the film ranges from close-ups of insect life and flower pollination to dramatic aerial views of native and man-made habitats on the Lake Wales Ridge. Modern, computer-aided graphics depict the origins of the Ridge, and the fragmentation of its habitats during the Twentieth Century. Florida scrub-jays, gopher tortoises, and a host of endangered scrub plants are brought together under the seamless, lively narration of Bill Kurtis. The film leaves the viewer with Archbold's own hopeful message about the remarkable Lake Wales Ridge: "with a little help from us now, it can evolve for another million years."

The considerable cost of the video was offset with generous contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Donnelley II and from The Nature Conservancy. The film is distributed (VHS video) by Archbold Biological Station, and has been made available at no cost to schools, libraries, state and federal agencies, and elected officials.