Local wildlife film available on DVD

Lethbridge is home to many colourful birds and animals. Soon, you’ll be able to take them home — on a DVD.

Earlier this year, local filmmaker Rick Andrews presented his new documentary “Wildlife of the Oldman River Valley.” Screenings at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre quickly sold out.

But now it’s been copied onto disc, and the Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre will be presenting the feature in a larger facility. They’ll also be are selling copies for gifts or viewing at home.

Andrews’ 43-minute film shows wildlife through the four seasons. Shot entirely inside the city, it includes great blue herons, American white pelicans and nesting great horned owls along with larger mammals — coyotes, beavers, mule and whitetailed deer — as well as rattlesnakes and bull snakes.

He also captured underwater sequences showing western painted turtles and wandering garter snakes.

Andrews will be on hand at the DVD release event Sept. 29 at the downtown library’s Theatre Gallery. As well as sharing information on how he created the film, he will offer an update on his latest wildlife adventures.

Reserved seating for the event is available online — check the centre at https://www.lethbridge.ca/ThingsTo-Do/NatureCentre/Pages/default.aspx — and copies of the DVD may be pre-ordered as well.

Donations made when seats are reserved will allow the “Friends” group to increase its support of the centre’s outdoor learning classroom and amphitheatre project.