National Geographic's America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Good-Bye [VHS]
The folks atNational Geographic, with the help of narrator James Woods, take us on a zigzag road trip across the U.S. in this 1997 documentary. We follow photographers Susan Middleton and David Liitschwager, who gave up their earlier pursuits (museum and fashion photography, respectively) to capture on film the rarest fauna and flora of the North American continent. A selection of these pictures was published in their book,Witness: Endangered Species of North America.This hour-long film takes us from a black-footed ferret breeding farm in Wyoming to Florida manatee pools to the Presidio in San Francisco where we see a plant that is so rare, only one exists and its exact location is a government secret. The portraiture is vibrant and truly stunning and the film is interspersed with interview clips of scientific luminaries such as Harvard's Edward O. Wilson. Despite a subject matter that is necessarily depressing,America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Good-Byeoutlines a few recovery success stories and highlights the efforts of individuals throughout the U.S. who are determined to make sure that these species are around for future generations ofNational Geographicfans.--Douglas Dalrymple