Watershed Keeper 2002 (Re-release)
Distributed by Chip Taylor Communications, 2 East View Drive, Derry, NH 03038-4812; 800-876-CHIP (2447)
Produced by Sandra Sheffield
Directed by Sandra Sheffield
VHS, color and b&, 15 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Environmental Studies, Biography, Careers, Women's Studies
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Todd Hannon, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish CommissionA watershed is an area of land that drains into a common water system. Watersheds defy national and state boundaries and fundamentally illustrate the interconnectedness of life on earth. This video provides an artistic glimpse into a day in the life of Gale Ciardi, the San Francisco Water Department's first female watershed keeper.
What is a watershed keeper? Ciardi is a self-described "jack of all trades" whose work renders her part scientist, part enforcement officer and part firefighter. She is a fourth generation protector of watersheds who loves her job despite many unfortunate encounters with sexism.
The production of Watershed Keepers is uncommonly good. Soft-focused black-and-white stills and color moving footage are combined to produce an arresting staccato effect. The video's short length (15 min.) and artistic quality contribute to a finished piece that reminded me of a haiku characterized by distilled simplicity. Unfortunately, the video is unnecessarily anthropocentric and would have benefited from an exploration of the importance of watersheds to its non-human inhabitants. Watershed Keepers is recommended for high school, college, and public libraries.