- Directed by: Jared Flesher
-
Produced by: Jared Flesher, and Christian Schuller
Released: 2014
Running Time: 55 min
Subjects: Environmental Studies
FIELD BIOLOGIST is the story of 22-year-old Tyler Christensen, a remarkably talented but somewhat rudderless high school graduate from New Jersey still trying to figure out what to do with his life. Tyler’s great love is being outside, chasing birds and studying wildlife. Brushing aside his lack of a college degree or scientific credential, he decides to drop everything and travel to Costa Rica to start doing his own conservation-oriented research on birds in the tropics. His adventure takes him from the cloud forests of Monteverde to the mangrove swamps of the Nicoya Peninsula, culminating in a plan to help save the highly endangered mangrove hummingbird.
FIELD BIOLOGIST presents the major challenges facing biodiversity on Earth—climate change and habitat destruction chief among them—while also raising some fundamental questions: What makes someone a scientist? How important is a formal education? What risks are worth taking? What should you do with your life?
Awards:
- Environmental Film Festival at Yale
- Princeton Environmental Film Festival
- Barcelona Environmental International Film Festival
- Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital
- Green Screen NJ Environmental Film Festival
- One Earth Film Festival
- RVA Environmental Film Festival
Quotes:
"Field Biologist takes your breath away. First the mindbogglingly beautiful nature shots inspire your awe, and then protagonist Tyler Christensen goes and steals your heart. A must-see for any nature lover.”
— Rebeka Ryvola, Festival co-director, Environmental Film Festival at Yale
"Tyler Christensen is no science geek, and his fascination with our planet's natural wonders is infectious, accessible, and inspiring. What comes across is that exploring the natural world is not only fun, but that we can all play our part. This is an engaging and delightful film. I recommend it enthusiastically."
- Sir Peter Crane, Dean, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University
