Dick DeAngelis’s Documentary “BeWild to ReWild”

In 2021, TRI’s own Jack Humphrey toured the Heartland Rewilding study areas of Iowa. During the trip, he was interviewed by Dick DeAngelis for this short documentary. His trip culminated in a visit with supporters of a wilder Iowa and Mississippi River Watershed in the Loess Hills along the western edge of Iowa.

Here, Ross Gipple (of BeWildReWild), Camilla Fox (of Project Coyote), and Jack talk about the importance of Rewilding in heavily altered landscapes within the Mississippi River Watershed. Especially in places where farming is the main use of the land and water.

BeWild to ReWild from Dick DeAngelis on Vimeo.

The video description: As the concept of rewilding becomes more popular, permanently rewilding the floodplains and steep slopes in and around the Mississippi River Watershed is a priority. On the other hand, significant changes in human consumption are needed in order for us to live within the bounds of sustainability.

What is wildness and to what extent is the concept of domestication based in a fear of the unfamiliar, fear of wildness? In order to make those changes in our environment, we need to start with addressing our own wildness. We must learn to be more trusting and more trustworthy.

“Be Wild to ReWild” offers a glimpse into the wildness from the eyes of filmmaker Dick DeAngelis. Based on his interviews with three national rewilding and wilderness experts, this film brings light to who we are, where we live and what it will take to help ALL life, human and non-human, survive and thrive.