The past two major projects for M.I. Media have been among the most gratifying of all our projects. “Community Conservation: Finding the Balance Between Nature and Culture” was produced in 2017, aired on Maine Public and has been shown to over 700 people in community screenings throughout Maine. Film trailer here: https://vimeo.com/204935797
Currently we are filming a documentary on coastal conservation, working closely with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, as well as Trade-Mark R productions. We filmed springtime in southern Maine, capturing the marshes and beaches protected by York Land Trust and Rachel Carson Reserve. We have filmed clamming on Maquoit Bay, a boat-building class for youth in Cundy’s Harbor with Ann Flannery, and an exploration of Morse Mountain. Most recently we boarded the schooner Mary Day for a multi-day sail and next we will film from Stonington to the Bold Coast. Our filming will take us through the Maine winter.
These projects have been especially gratifying for me (Mark Ireland) as I was introduced to—and became involved in—two important conservation measures while still a teen growing up in Maine: “Stop that dam Dicky-Lincoln” and the Friends of Bigelow efforts to preserve one of Maine’s most beautiful mountain rages. Our state and its land is incredibly special and unique, but faces the constant challenges of access, development, species decline and climate change. It is my hope that these films create in others the love I feel for my home state, igniting a desire to become part of one of our most worthy efforts.
-Mark Ireland July 2019