Who is conservation for?
In GILA WILD, National Geographic filmmaker and photographer Pete McBride takes us on a seventy-mile journey of exploration and discovery on one of the Southwest’s hidden gems, the Gila River in Southwestern New Mexico. Tumbling out of our nation’s first wilderness area, the Gila River is in many ways a hidden treasure to local residents and wildlife alike - all who rely on its free-flowing and wild nature for the enjoyment, connection, and cultural heritage so important to all of us.
The Gila River is at a crossroads, and its protection is vital to local communities, people who have been in the area for generations, and the ribbon of life it provides in the desert southwest, especially as a refugia for wildlife in the era of climate change. It is currently under consideration for protection under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, which would safeguard nearly 450 miles of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers. McBride’s journey highlights the deep emotional connection local residents have to the river, while capturing the beauty and solemn nature of one of the southwests' last truly wild rivers. And it seeks to answer the question "why should the Gila River be protected - and for whom?"
