Hard headed Louisiana fisherman Thomas Gonzales doesn’t know what will hit him next. After decades of hurricanes and oil spills he faces a new threat - hordes of monstrous 20 pound swamp rats. Known as “nutria”, these invasive South American rodents breed faster than the roving squads of hunters can control them. And with their orange teeth and voracious appetite they are eating up the coastal wetlands that protects Thomas and his town of Delacroix Island from hurricanes. But the people who have lived here for generations are not the type of folks who will give up without a fight. Thomas and a pack of lively bounty hunters are hellbent on saving Louisiana before it dissolves beneath their feet. It is man vs. rodent. May the best mammal win.
directed by Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler & Jeff Springer
cinematography by Jeff Springer
edited by Quinn Costello
narrated by Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme, Jack Ryan)
music by the Grammy winning Lost Bayou Ramblers
The film broadcast nationally on Independent Lens on PBS, screened at 100 film festivals, won 20 awards for Best Documentary, and was featured as an answer on “Jeopardy.”
My film “The Wintering Grounds” is now (finally!) online (link in bio).
This short documentary tells the tale of “certifiable lunatics” squatting in a parking lot, who freestyle kayak North America’s best winter whitewater, while building a unique nomadic community.
After 30 film festivals, 70+ screenings across the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, + Brazil, and a handful of tv broadcasts, this film is officially complete.
Featuring: Stephen Wright, Mason Hargrove, Peter Holcombe, and Abby Holcombe.
Including: Clay Wright, Seth Ashworth, Matt Hargrove, Melissa Hargrove, Kathy Holcombe, Luke Pomeroy, Rachel Scheffe, Chuck Williams, and Chris Wing.
Director/DP/Editor: Jeff Springer
Producer: Paige Swift
Camera: Joseph Berger, Jeff Springer
Sound: Mike Filosa
Although the film is focused on the people and community surrounding the Wintering Grounds, it was all made possible by urban renewal. The communities of Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama, which sit on opposite sides of the Chattahoochee River, were industrial towns powered by 4 different dams in the river. With the death of the textile industry, it was decided that the dams would be removed and the river would be restored to a more natural state. As a result, the river has become the premiere destination in North America for freestyle kayaking during the winter months, as well as whitewater rafting year around.
#FreestyleKayaking #WhitewaterKayaking #VanLife #dirtbag #ChattahoocheeRiver #WinterKayaking
In January, spent a week in the UK shooting a story about climate campaigner Sarah Finch for the Goldman Environmental Prize. We also made a quick trip to Stonehenge and the @MuseumOfBritishSurfing
On the Portuguese island of Terceira, a centuries-old spectacle unfolds each summer — the Tourada à Corda, or ‘bullfight by rope’.
Unlike the bloodsport of the Spanish arena, this is not a fight to the death. The bull remains tethered and is not killed. Instead, men run, tease, and dodge — risking injury to prove their bravery. Luckily, I personally felt no need to prove my bravery to that oncoming bull.
Critics argue that even without fatal outcomes, the bulls endure stress and suffering in the name of entertainment.
I went to Albania in January to film the story of environmental activists Besi Guri and Olsi Nika, who defended the Vjosa, the last free-flowing river in Europe, from a hydropower dam boom.
And after a week of road tripping around the country with them, I rented a bicycle and rode down the Adriatic coast for three days.
Watch the film on Olsi and Besi here: https://youtu.be/DWKML-tGWiE
Photos by and big thanks to @ecoalbania and @adrianguri for showing us your amazing and beautiful country!
#JeffsLifeBehindBars #Springerography
VALLEY to THE DELTA (7 Days, 295 miles) - We rented a pickup truck for a few hours, drove to the In-N-Out in Redding, and then proceeded to ride our bikes down the California Central Valley for 7 days. We visited the Yo Yo Museum in Chico and wanted to hit the legendary Foster’s Bighorn for dinner at the end, but apparently they are closed on Sundays. Note to self: Lovey’s Landing RV Park and Marina has a performance stage but not drinkable water.
#LivingLaVidaAtoP, #JeffsLifeBehindBars, #AtoPLifestyle
Before Christmas, we spent 4 days trekking through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. We hiked about 5-8 miles a day and stayed in small Berber villages along the way.
The Berber or Tamazight are the indigenous people of North Africa. Although the Arabic language and alphabet dominates most of the country, here In the Atlas, the unique language, alphabet, and culture of the Tamazight can still be seen and heard.
ZÜRICH to LJUBLJANA (15 Days, 626 miles) - We flew to Zürich with our boxed up bikes, rode through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Italy to Slovenia, ate lots of cured meats-cheese-seedy bread-cabbage, drank 3 liters of sparkling water a day, got hit by the edge of Cyclone Boris, and then ended up in Ljubljana just in time to help an inspiring American influencer take a video of herself walking nonchalantly in front of a pink church.
#AtoPLifestyle #LivingLaVidaAtoP #ZtoL2024 #ItsAllAboutLifestyleYo #JeffsLifeBehindBars #ItsAllAboutBurger #BodenseeKönigsseeRadweg @adventurecycling
The annual Pleasure Lake Regatta in South Fallsburg, NY was a total pleasure. And I think we would have won, if our boat’s right haul hadn’t almost totally filled with water. But it was a good reminder… that life isn’t about winning, it’s about the pleasure.
