BECOMING WILD & THE LAST OSPREY

Award-Winning BECOMING WILD, a meditation on beauty in the natural world
Directed/Produced by Jane Pittman

In a neighborhood transformed by gentrification and loss of green space, a backyard becomes a sanctuary and a teacher – alive with creatures who ask for nothing more than a place to live. Through seasons of change, Becoming Wild explores how beauty survives—when we choose to nurture it—and how ordinary people can help rebuild the natural world right where they live.

Award-Winning THE LAST OSPREY
Directed/Produced by William McKeever

The Last Osprey tells the story of one of nature’s most awe-inspiring birds of prey and the critical threat it currently faces in the Chesapeake Bay. These birds are masterful hunters and global travelers that serve as a living indicator of our planet’s health. However, the film reveals a darker reality: osprey chicks in the Bay are starving to death due to a man-made lack of food.

The documentary pulls back the curtain on a high-stakes battle involving conservationists, commercial fishing interests, and politicians—all jockeying for the power to decide the fate of the ecosystem. Ultimately, the film demonstrates how the death of these birds is the direct outcome of a human struggle for money and prestige.

PANELISTS:

JANE PITTMAN is an award winning director, cinematographer and editor based in Washington DC. Her new film Becoming Wild … a meditation on beauty in the natural world has just been released and will be screened at the CANMFF in Fairfax, October 26, 2026. Her extensive repertoire of short films, feature documentaries and educational/training videos, has appeared on PBS and film festivals throughout the world. (Coming Back To The Hoop, In Your Hands, The Makeover, Not An Exit, Be Moved). Coming Back To The Hoop is in distribution with Random Media and was an official selection in over 40 film festivals world-wide, winning numerous awards. Jane’s films are also distributed nationally by Films Media Group, a distributor of social interest educational programming. With a master’s degree in music, Jane’s work follows a distinct rhythm, lending her films a unique artistic touch.

RUSSELL BAILEY is a prominent conservationist in Alexandria, Virginia, honored as the 2026 recipient of the Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award. With decades of dedication to environmental stewardship, Bailey has significantly impacted local parks and city policies.

He has restored Beverley Park by removing invasive species, enabling native plants and wildlife to return. At Monticello Park, he has led volunteer projects to enhance habitats for migratory birds in partnership with the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance.

Bailey also plays a vital role in citywide initiatives through groups like the Tree Stewards and the Alexandria Beautification Commission, advocating for tree equity in underserved neighborhoods. His notable achievement includes reshaping the Taylor Run stream reconstruction plan to minimize ecological harm, earning unanimous City Council support.

His ability to mobilize volunteers and foster partnerships has strengthened Alexandria’s natural resources and community stewardship, benefiting both residents and wildlife.

DEVIN A. REESE is a science writer based in Alexandria, Va. She has a bachelor’s degree in ethology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She’s a dedicated science writer whose journey began with a childhood fascination for eastern box turtles in the wild areas of Washington, D.C. This early love for the natural world led her to California, where she pursued a PhD focused on radio-tracking western pond turtles. Her career took her further afield as she became a marine turtle specialist at USAID’s Global Environment Center, where she advocated for conservation on a global scale.

As a mother of three, Devin’s passion for science education blossomed, inspiring her to make complex topics engaging and accessible. She currently writes for Vertebrate Zoology and Q?rius, as well as other organizations.

WILL POSTON is a lifelong fisherman, hunter, and conservationist, who has leveraged these passions for a career in conservation and fisheries policy. He currently works for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as its Forage Campaign Manager, primarily working on menhaden issues in the Bay. In this role, Will serves as CBF’s point contact on menhaden, coordinating the organization’s advocacy, policy, and education efforts around this critical forage fish. Will’s background as an avid outdoorsman and experience in fisheries management assists his work to build a broader group of effective and passionate advocates to promote much-needed menhaden conservation and awareness here in Virginia. Will can be reached at wposton@cbf.org. 

BETH NORCROSS, author. With extensive training and experience in both theology and ecology, Beth Norcross founded the Center for Spirituality in Nature. She speaks, writes and leads numerous programs that offer spiritual guidance for developing deep, sustained, loving relationships with nature.

After receiving a B.A. in mathematics from Duke University and a Master of Forestry degree, Beth worked for the U.S. Senate National Parks and Forests subcommittee and as Vice-President for Conservation for American Rivers. She then pursued further education in eco-theology, earning a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in eco-spirituality. Her dissertation focused on “The National Parks as Sacred Ground.”

EVENT SPONSOR: Climate Action NOW (CAN) 501c3, and Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA).
EVENT PARTNERS: TRACE – The Zero Waste Store, Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance (FIRA), Climate & Clean Energy Working Group, Go Electric DMV.

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