SPREADING SUSTAINABLE RANCHING PRACTICES IN CHUHUAHUA, MEXICO
Video as a tool to expedite positive change in remote landscapes.
The Challenge
Cattle ranching practices that consider ecosystem health are good for bottom lines as well as biodiversity. Unfortunately most ranchers aren’t aware of this new understanding and repeat destructive practices of the past. The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology wanted to spread awareness of a new way of thinking among ranchers in the Chihuahuan Desert and asked us to help.
The Solution
We directed and field produced a Spanish-language video crafted for Mexican ranchers. We let ranchers who use sustainable ranching practices speak for themselves, giving personal accounts of how it has improved their land and fattened their wallets. In this way we could supercharge the spread of ‘word of mouth’ information across remote terrain. Rancher testimonials were accompanied by rich imagery from the Chihuahuan desert – including footage of the elusive Aplomado Falcon, a threatened raptor and symbol of regional pride that stands to benefit.
A new kind of ranching, better for biodiversity and bottom lines.
THE VIDEO
We interviewed ranchers across the Chihuahuan desert who are reaping the benefits of sustainable ranching practices, stitching their voices together with beautiful imagery of local ranching culture and Chihuhuan wildlife. By showing personal accounts of success we could provide a convincing argument for other local ranchers to abandon traditional practices that degrade the health of ecosystems and cattle.
START YOUR PROJECT
We work on projects big and small that help our world run a little smarter. Let’s team up.