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Estuary

1979 11 min
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Winter lasts nine months in Canada's alpine regions, but when spring does arrive in late June, the different alpine zones--the meadow, the treeline, and the tundra--teem with life. From the lichen surviving at the uppermost limits of life to the insects, birds and mammals that populate the beautiful meadows, this film explores the special adaptations and delicate balance established between the plants and animals of this harsh environment.

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Estuary

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Winter lasts nine months in Canada's alpine regions, but when spring does arrive in late June, the different alpine zones--the meadow, the treeline, and the tundra--teem with life. From the lichen surviving at the uppermost limits of life to the insects, birds and mammals that populate the beautiful meadows, this film explores the special adaptations and delicate balance established between the plants and animals of this harsh environment.

  • director
    Don White
  • script
    Don White
  • producer
    Peter Jones
  • executive producer
    John Taylor
  • cinematography
    Doug McKay
    Jim Willoughby
  • editing
    Haida Paul
  • sound editing
    John Knight
  • re-recording
    Barry P. Jones
  • music
    Peter Bjerring

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Education

Ages 10 to 18
Study Guide
School subjects

Warnings: Catching salmon, some blood visible (7-minute mark)

Which ecosystems do you see represented in this film? Create a food chain and indicate how energy is transferred between all parties. What unique conditions exist in the British Columbia estuary marshes? How might they be different from the other major ecosystems in Canada? Which nations are indigenous to this land? Research the ways in which they interacted with the land. How have settlers used the land and how have different elements of the ecosystem changed? Research which Indigenous groups are native to the land you are situated on and how the land was traditionally used.

Estuary
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