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Coastal Dune Lakes Documentary at Camp Helen State Park Jun 19

June 8, 2015 by SoWal Staff

The Friends of Camp Helen State Park and Lake Powell Community Alliance will show a film about coastal dune lakes at 6:30 p.m. on June 19, 2015, at the Park’s Lodge. The film “Coastal Dune Lakes: Jewels of Florida’s Emerald Coast” by Elam Stoltzfus and the Live Oak Production

Group focuses on the dune lakes of Northwest Florida, a project for which Stoltzfus spent the last year and a half. The event is free and open to the public. State Park entrance fees are waived. Elam Stoltzfus will be present to discuss the film.

A father and son team, Elam and Nic, have completed a one-hour documentary to be shown on National Public Television, along with a 132-page coffee table book showcasing these lakes.

An award-winning cinematographer and producer, he has documented diverse aspects of Florida's natural resources which include estuaries, rivers, swamps and aquatic preserves. Stoltzfus has produced films about the Apalachicola River, the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, the Big Cypress Swamp and a number of other locations.

Stoltzfus says this film “shows what makes these lakes unique and how we can protect them.”

He adds that the film also explores the coastal dune lakes in New South Wales, Australia. His findings, along with comments from Australian and American geologists, provide insights into the formation and differences of these coastal lakes.

“Florida’s dune lakes are home to species only found there, many of them endangered, like the Choctawhatchee beach mouse, loggerhead sea turtle and snowy plover,” he says. “These lakes also offer locals and visitors alike a peaceful haven.”

Stoltzfus adds that the increase in human activity has both positive and negative impacts on the endangered life of the coastal dune lakes.

His film includes what local organizations are doing “to ensure that future generations can watch wildlife on these otherworldly, serene coastal dune lakes.”

The Friends of Camp Helen State Park will sponsor the program. This group is a Citizens Support Organization dedicated to preserving, maintaining and improving this park through volunteer projects, The Americana Concert Series, Movies and More, history tours, International Coastal Cleanup and park improvements.

Camp Helen, and nearby Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in Florida, provides hiking, swimming, beachcombing, nature study and fishing. For day use only, this 180-acre park is located west of Panama City Beach on U.S. 98 at the west end of the Phillips Inlet Bridge, just inside Bay County.

More information is available at facebook.com/FriendsOfCampHelenStatePark, by calling (850) 233-5059 or by emailing CampHelenFriends@gmail.com.