Kiana Emilcar doesn’t like bugs, had never camped before and preferred the beach to the backwoods.
So, seven days trekking 70 miles through the swamps and sawgrass of Palm Beach County was a challenge for the 16-year-old Atlantic High School Student, but one she took on as part of an educational film premiering Saturday called Hidden Wild.
Sponsored by the public outreach arm of Palm Beach County’s Environmental Resources Management department and Discover the Palm Beaches, the 30-minute film is an effort to inspire more students from urban areas to put down their phones and pick up a paddle, snorkel or bicycle.
Emilcar is one of three teens featured in the film, which follows them on an interactive, and sometimes arduous, field trip from the headwaters of the Loxahatchee River to the Atlantic Ocean.
“It was cool because I got to see what Florida was like before all the buildings, what it was like before us,” said Emilcar, whose aversion to insects was something she quickly had to conquer. “I came out being really proud of myself because I faced a lot of fears.”
The film had a budget of about $100,000, which was split between Discover the Palm Beaches and ERM. It was produced by Day’s Edge Productions, and will be part of the curriculum for 7th and 10th grade students in Palm Beach County public schools.
Benjamin Studt, public outreach program supervisor for ERM, said he wanted an educational film relatable to teenagers today, not just talking-head scientists who don’t have the same shared experiences with the Gen Z set.
“So we set out to find three local teens who were adventure ready but eco-novices and lead them on a trek through the connected wilderness that we still have here in the Palm Beaches,” said Studt, who helped lead the expedition. “We are really proud of how we were able to highlight our area in a way that at least I haven’t seen before.”
The film was shot in February 2020, just before the coronavirus began locking down the country. The footage of miles-long hikes, canoe trips, paddle boarding, mountain bike rides and a snorkeling trip that included a close-up encounter with manatees, will also be used by Discover the Palm Beaches to promote eco-tourism in the county.
Areas visited included the Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area, Jonathan Dickinson State Park and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.
“People who see this film are going to be surprised about the Palm Beaches ecological treasures in terms of its incredible diversity and the beauty of our flora and fauna,” said Jorge Pesquera, CEO and president at Discover The Palm Beaches.
Emilcar said she was never afraid of alligators, but avoided “swimming beetles that looked like swimming roaches.” And while she was willing to touch a garter snake they came across while biking, she didn’t hold it.
“She encountered some critters along the way that I don’t think were her favorite, but she didn’t turn down any experience to touch something new,” said Alex Freeze, the on-camera expedition leader. “The whole purpose was to connect our students to the wilderness in their own backyard.”
The film will debut on WXEL, Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and WPBT2, Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/weather/2021/01/28/city-kids-spend-7-days-wilds-south-florida/4249074001/