- November 28, 2024
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After Eric Breitenbach starting learning about human and animal relationships, he had a feeling he wasn't doing enough.
"When I was a kid, food was placed in front of me, and I ate it," he said. "I didn't think about where it came from or if the animal I was eating was treated properly."
The Ormond Beach resident and photography professor at Daytona State College realized he needed to change his behavior and started to research the ways he could do so. While he now has a library full of books about environmental impact, one in particular really changed his way of thinking. So much so, that he had to make a documentary about it.
William Bartram's book "Travels," inspired Breitenbach to make "Cultivating the Wild," a film about the botanist who ventured through the American South between 1773 and 1777. Breitenbach said he was fascinated with the book when he first read it 20 years ago. He's been working on the documentary for nearly two years.
"Half of the film is about 'Travels,' and the other half is about what people are doing now," he said. "It's about being ethical in the way we relate to the natural world. It encompasses a lot of different things such as what you pour down the drain or how you treat your pet."
In order to continue funding the project, Breitenbach and his co-producer Dorinda Dallmeyer are hosting a silent auction at Frame of Mind July 8. There will be 120 pieces of art and artifacts to bid on, as well as people reading excerpts from the book.
Breitenbach said he hopes to have support from the community, which he believes to already be very environmentally aware.
"Ormond is actually pretty good about this already," he said. "It's a very well maintained community that's environmentally conscious."
The goal is to simply start a conversation and get people thinking about making small changes in their lives that could have a huge impact for the future of our planet.
"It's all about awareness," said Breitenbach. "Are you aware of how your life contributes to the overall wellbeing of the planet?"
For more information find Cultivating the Wild: William Bartram's Travels on Facebook.
If you go
More info: Kathy Maloney Johnson painted a 16x20 watercolor based on several passages from William Bartram's "Travels." It will be auctioned live at 7:15 p.m. (see main photo).
