Dave Welton, film-maker and conservationist from Stepaside, has just returned from a five-week Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship in Japan and Nepal. The most beautiful and ancient of insects, the dragonfly, led Dave to these two countries to produce educational films to help raise the awareness of these creatures and the habitats they depend on. Dave's unique 'grass roots' approach to film- making encourages the participation of young people in the film-making process and is proving to be a powerful environmental teaching tool. Dragonflies, known as Tombo, are highly respected in Japan. They are also possibly one of the most difficult creatures to film. However, with over 200 species found throughout Japan, Dave quickly learned how to take the stunning shots he had planned. The highlight of Japan was filming 'Mukashi Tombo', the ancient relict dragonfly, found only in Japan, Nepal and North India. With the help of local schools and the staff at a unique dragonfly park, Dave has produced a 15-minute film. Dave found Nepal a fascinating country, culturally, economically, politically and environmentally - a land of extremes with horrific pollution in the Katmandu valley and pristine beauty in the mountains. Dave was touched by the eagerness of the schools to participate in the film project. With support from the Centre of Environmental Education, Nepal, and several schools, Dave is now completing a 'beautiful and shocking' short film, which will stimulate interest in dragonflies, as well as highlight the importance of wetlands, which are essential for these insects as well as humans. The films can be obtained by contacting Dave via email [email protected]">[email protected]
