Dear Tampa Bay - Wildpath

A visual love letter to wild Florida, this film showcases powerful voices and climate solutions from community leaders across the Gulf of Mexico, empowering Tampa Bay residents to prepare, adapt and build resilience against the impacts of climate change.

National Wildlife Federation2024

About the Film

Dear Tampa Bay was a research project led by the National Wildlife Federation and partners seeking to investigate the role that storytelling can play in climate change communication and effective engagement with communities in the Gulf Coast region.

As part of this project, in 2023 Wildpath produced a short film of the same name highlighting local climate risks and solutions.

Release Date: 2024
Directed By: KT Bryden
In Partnership With: National Wildlife Federation
Related Landscapes: Gulf of Mexico Corridors
Location: Florida, USA

Awards

2023 Official Selection of the Dunedin International Film Festival
2023 Official Selection of the DC Environmental Film Festival
2023 Official Selection of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Film Festival
2024 Official Selection of the Sarasota Film Festival
2023 Impact Campaign Nominee of the Jackson Wild Film Festival
2023 Best Documentary Short Nominee at the Sunscreen Film Festival

Project Goal

An area with a large human population and extensive development in flood-prone areas, Tampa Bay is one of the most climate-vulnerable places in the country, facing impacts including sea-level rise, storm surge and extreme rainfall.

The film aimed to encourage Tampa Bay residents to prepare for these impacts by spotlighting how communities elsewhere in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida are already pursuing climate solutions — and how their progress can help guide Tampa Bay’s climate efforts.

In addition, through surveys and focus groups, the project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of film as a tool to engage and inspire viewers to take climate action.

Project Outcome

The film was shown to community leaders and members of the public through more than 50 screenings in the Tampa Bay area. Film screening participants were then invited to expert-guided boat tours in Tampa Bay to witness firsthand the areas impacted by sea-level rise and water quality issues.

Pre-and post-film screening surveys of over 250 local community members assessed changes in the audience’s perspectives and understanding of climate risk. Key findings, which have since been published in an academic journal, determined that the film helped expand viewers’ interest in taking local action, including documenting a 240% increase in willingness to help advocate for nature-based infrastructure to absorb storm surge and sea-level rise, and a 35% increase in willingness to attend hurricane prep meetings. These results highlight the effectiveness of storytelling in enhancing understanding, fostering urgency, and promoting collective action.

50+: screenings and boat tours tied to engagement
250+: participants in pre/post impact surveys
Findings published in peer-reviewed journal: Outcome detail